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Richard Chessick has been writing about psychoanalytic psychotherapy for more than 20 years. His books are easy to read, informative about current theory, and full of clinical examples. This book is no exception.
This volume focuses on psychoanalytic listening as an interpersonal art and a technique that can be learned. Chessick presents five listening “channels” derived from (1) Freud's drive/conflict/defense orientation (the classic approach); (2) the object-relations orientation of Melanie Klein and Bion; (3) the “sociocultural” or phenomenological approach of Hegel, Fromm, Lacan, and others; (4) Kohut's self psychology; and (5) the interactive approach of Thomä and Kächele (among others).
The book's thesis is that there are different and irreconcilable positions within psychoanalysis and that each is needed for our clinical work. The thesis is valid because each position contributes meaningful understanding and because, like physics, psychoanalysis has, as yet, no Grand Unifying Theory. Chessick attempts to demonstrate his thesis by presenting the varying contributions of each theory and listening channel (or stance) to cases exemplifying broad diagnostic categories: psychosis, borderline, neurosis, narcissism, and the “difficult” patient.
In his two introductory chapters, Chessick articulates his thesis. He declares at the outset that Freud's model is “the primary [one] in approaching any patient material” (p. 16), and he states that “any departure from this channel should be tentative…” (p. 16) and should alert us to the possibility of defensive collusion. He then aligns himself with Schwaber's recent perspectives and conclusions (in her work from 1981-1987), placing the therapist's clinical stance at the heart