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“My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky.”
Daniel Araoz's book is a poignant love story told in a pragmatic way. In straightforward, comprehensible language, Araoz conveys his passionate belief in the value of psychoanalytic thinking, particularly in understanding the historical and metaphorical meaning of symptoms. Dismayed by the mystique and misinformation surrounding psychoanalysis, Araoz firmly believes that a basic understanding of psychoanalytic principles can greatly enhance the work of mental health workers and counselors who, thus far, may have been trained only in symptom eradication. Aware that some will accuse him of sacrilege, Araoz sets out three main objectives for his book: (1) to demystify the unconscious; (2) to explain the basic tenets of psychoanalysis; and (3) to make these applicable both to the average (nonanalytically trained) therapist as well as to lay people.
Born in Argentina in the 1950s, Araoz lived in an era and a culture when people from all walks of life read and discussed psychoanalysis. He believes that understanding psychoanalytic principles is the right of everyone and provides a“new way of being in the world … a method of self-transformation, growth, and enrichment” (185). Becoming familiar with unconscious feelings allows people to perceive the world more accurately and to develop more authentic relationships. Clinically, if a patient and therapist resolve a problem without considering its unconscious roots, it is likely to recur in another form.
Araoz writes in a comfortable, down-to-earth, conversational manner, revealing himself as a warm, principled, intelligent man. His nonproprietary approach to psychoanalytic knowledge suggests an open, generous spirit. He wants therapists to have the skills to help as many people as possible and does not appear threatened by expanding the profession. He also demonstrates a flexible approach to therapy. Therapists should “be inquisitive without being intrusiv