In an interesting foreword to this book Eric Rayner describes Patrick Casement as an analyst who is against dogma and theoretical and clinical certainty, as someone who loves and is concerned about the authenticity of the work and, above all, with the intimate emotional interactions that take place between therapist and patient. We are also given Rayner's own response to the book, initially critical and then one of ‘sheer enjoyment’. We are warned against any suspicions of the author's arrogance and our attention is drawn to Casement's style of ‘internal supervision’ of his own practice.

This third book by Casement does include many of the ideas presented in his two earlier books but, as the author says, he is now approaching his