Psychodynamic Therapy

Presenting a pragmatic, evidence-based approach to conducting psychodynamic therapy, this engaging guide is firmly grounded in contemporary clinical practice and research. The book reflects an openness to new influences on dynamic technique, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and positive psychology. It offers a fresh understanding of the most common problems for which patients seek help--depression, obsessionality, low self-esteem, fear of abandonment, panic, and trauma--and shows how to organize and deliver effective psychodynamic interventions. Extensive case material illustrates each stage of therapy, from engagement to termination. Special topics include ways to integrate individual treatment with psychopharmacology and with couple or family work. See also Practicing Psychodynamic Therapy: A Casebook, edited by Summers and Barber, which features 12 in-depth cases that explicitly illustrate the approach in this book.

Richard F. Summers, MD, is Clinical Professor and Co-Director of Residency Training in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the Philadelphia Center for Psychoanalysis. Dr. Summers's clinical interests focus on combined psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, and adult life cycle development. His research interests include the contemporary revision of the theory and technique of psychodynamic psychotherapy, new approaches to psychotherapy training and education, comprehensive psychodynamic formulation, and positive psychology. Dr. Summers is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including awards from the University of Pennsylvania, the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society. He has been named a "Top Doc" by Philadelphia magazine and is past president of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training. Jacques P. Barber, PhD, ABPP, is Professor and Dean of the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University. He is also Emeritus Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and in the Psychology Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania, where he had been Associate Director of the Center for Psychotherapy Research; Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Psychology and Counseling, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. His research focuses on the outcome and process of psychodynamic and cognitive therapies for depression, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance dependence, and personality disorders. He has published more than 180 papers, chapters and books in the field of psychotherapy and personality, including The Therapeutic Alliance: An Evidence-Based Guide to Practice, coedited with J. Christopher Muran. Dr. Barber is past president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research.

"At last, we have the definitive book on psychodynamic therapy. The authors weave together traditional psychodynamic strategies and techniques with up-to-date developments in the field. The chapters are extremely well written, containing clinical examples that illustrate the strategies and techniques...I highly recommend this book to clinicians and students who want the latest on psychodynamic therapy." - Aaron T. Beck, University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, USA "This gem of a book fills an important gap in the dynamic therapy literature, incorporating cutting-edge research and conceptual advances while using jargon-free, experience-near language. The result is a scholarly, nuanced, and innovative work that will be highly useful for beginning clinicians, supervisors, and even experienced clinicians across all major theoretical orientations. Summers and Barber debunk outdated and stereotyped ideas about dynamic psychotherapy by describing in a clear, pragmatic manner the core principles and the unique aspects of a dynamic approach. The clinical examples are vivid and resonant...A 'must read'!" - Kenneth N. Levy, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, USA "This important work combines the wisdom of experienced therapists with current empirical research. The book includes thoughtful discussions of alliance, transference, and interpretation, along with newer understandings of narrative and trauma. Summers and Barber share what they know, based on systematic research; what they believe, based on clinical experience; and, especially, what works-the specific clinical strategies they have found to be helpful and effective." - Robert Michels, Walsh McDermott University Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, Cornell University, USA "This timely, up-to-date, and remarkably useful book will be accessible to readers from a broad range of professional backgrounds. It will be of particular interest to therapists-in-training who are relatively unfamiliar with psyc