Cambridge Guide to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, by Adam Polnay, Rhiannon Pugh, Victoria Barker, David Bell, Allan Beveridge, Adam Burley, Allyson Lumsden, C. Susan Mizen, and Lauren Wilson.:  Cambridge University Press, 2023,  300 pp, ISBN: 978-1-00910-850-8

It is a daunting task to undertake an intensive guide to the whole history and practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy. It is to the great credit of the authors and editors involved in the creation of this book that this has been carried out to such a high standard. It is not a textbook, despite being a comprehensive account of the field. It is not didactic or prescriptive enough for that, despite the clarity of presentation. The reader is introduced to the ambiguities and contradictions inherent in the work in a readable way, with many illuminating case histories and anecdotes. The comprehensive references and

cross-referencing throughout the book provide the reader with opportunities to explore particular issues further should they wish to.

The book is divided into four parts concluding with a helpful glossary of terms and a comprehensive index. Part I (“An overview of the model”) covers the history and development of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in a wise account which describes how different ideas flourished at different times and in different places (chapter 1). The theory is then introduced (chapter 2) while chapter 3 on empirical research offers a reassuring and essential grounding.

Part 2 (“The model of psychodynamic psychotherapy into practice”) considers how the psychotherapeutic model works in practice. The six chapters cover the practicalities and organisation of sessions, adding examples of contingencies that may arise and what they may come to mean in the therapeutic dyad. The development of transference and countertransference, the meaning and role of interpretation, learning about the unconscious, projective identification, dependency, the “real” relationship with the therapist etc., are all discussed in depth. The authors examine how the therapeutic relationship develops and how this is a joint process. The therapist is not merely considering the past and present circumstances of the patient. W