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This book presents a clinical and theoretical description of the etiology and treatment of the borderline and narcissistic disorders, based on the ideas of the British and object relations schools of thought. It provides a clear, concise rendering of the application of object relations theory to the treatment of patients and the supervision of therapists. It offers the student of modern psychoanalysis a good basis for comparison of the theories and techniques of both schools of thought, which have many areas of agreement.
Three general assumptions underlie Rinsley's discussion of the borderline and narcissistic personality disorders: these types of personality disorders arise from preoedipal developmental arrest; the narcissistic personality is a more advanced or better organized version of the borderline personality; and these personality disorders arise as a result of significant impairment of the separation-individuation process. This process begins at about six months and relates to the growing child's understanding of himself as a being different from other entities.
Rinsley bases his discussion on what he calls a “mixed model” approach that utilizes “classical metapsychological principles while incorporating newer path-blazing concepts derived from the original and creative contributions of the British school.” He also feels he owes a great debt to Kernberg and Kohut, the former for “single-handedly” raising the profession's consciousness to an understanding