1st Edition

The Klein-Winnicott Dialectic Transformative New Metapsychology and Interactive Clinical Theory

By Susan Kavaler-Adler Copyright 2014
    320 Pages
    by Routledge

    320 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Klein-Winnicott Dialectic: Transformative New Metapsychology and Interactive Clinical Theory brings together the theories of Melanie Klein and Donald W. Winnicott, two giants and geniuses of the British school of object relations clinical and developmental theory and psychoanalytic technique. In this book, The author attempts to integrate the theories of Klein and Winnicott, rather than polarising them, as has been done often in the past. This book takes the best of Klein and Winnicott for use by clinicians on an everyday basis, without having the disputes between their followers interfere with the full and rich platter of theoretical offerings they each of them provided.In addition, this book looks at the biographies of Klein and Winnicott, to show how their theories were inspired by their contrasting lives and contrasting parenting and developmental dynamics. By examining their theories in relation to their biographies, one can see why their dialectical theoretical focuses emerged, highly contrasted in their major emphasis, and yet highly complementary when applied together to clinical work.

    Foreword , Introduction: A developmental theory of psychological health based on the Klein–Winnicott dialectic and related object relations thinking , Melanie Klein, like Moses on the way to the Promised Land: a case of pathological mourning , Melanie Klein’s creative writing revealing themes in her life and theorising , The phenomenological theory stands on its own: death instinct as demon lover , Explicating and utilising the phenomenological theory , Developmental evolution within the theory of Melanie Klein , Developmental evolution within the works of Donald W. Winnicott: psychic and transitional space , Dynamics of transitional space: pathological foreclosure vs. expansion in clinical treatment , Winnicott’s contribution to the understanding of mirroring as a developmental process: the Klein–Winnicott dialectic within , Narcissistic mirroring as perversion of developmental mourning , Loneliness in dialectic with solitude , Conclusion

    Biography

    Susan Kavaler-Adler