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The title of this book suggests that it could be an important theoretical contribution to psycho-analysis, and just what students have been wanting. Unfortunately it is not. It has many merits, but as a whole it proves disappointing. It is unquestionably Braatøy's testament and most certainly reveals his personality, but it is hardly fundamentals of psycho-analytic technique. Many valuable personal experiences are imparted, and his enthusiasm is infectious, but his discursiveness makes the book difficult to follow, especially for a student. Fresh ideas and comments continually crowd in one upon another. The book needs pruning and shaping severely, but in fact the editing is poor and a number of errors get by.
The first rubric is 'Love the basis for personal psychotherapy'. Love can be sentimentalized so easily and used to justify wild or uncritical treatment, that the unconscious determinant of a therapist's attitude, the counter transference, needs to be well understood to handle it properly. On the first page he suggests that the term 'counter transference' should really be used for a patient's response to his therapist's love, but as this is not argued cogently it tends to leave a confusing impression rather than to suggest a new principle. The understanding and analysis of transference phenomena, especially in its negative aspects, is one of the weakest aspects of the book. The amount of reassurance which creeps into his treatment is quite blatantly not psycho-analytic. The sub-title, 'A Fresh Appraisal of the Methods of Psychotherapy', which appears only on the dust jacket, is a much truer title.
It is only too easy to pick up small points in criticism, but a book so titled should manifest a much greater critical faculty in discussing technique. Here are some examples: P. 103, 'If the patient blocks some words or expressions connected with his feelings one may say, "Why do you do that? You are fond of me, aren't you?" or "You are angry with me, aren