In Pursuit of Psychic Change — the Betty Joseph Workshop edited by Edith Hargreaves and Arturo Varchevker. Published in association with the  Institute of Psychoanalysis (Brunner-Routledge, Hove, 2004).  206 pp. £18.99.

One measure of Betty Joseph's contribution to the field lies in her influence on subsequent thinkers. This book, a collection of 11 papers written by current or past members of the Betty Joseph workshop, attests to that impact. The idea to produce this book came on the heels of the June 1998 day of lectures in honour of Betty Joseph's 80th birthday and her contributions to psychoanalysis. Many of her central themes serve as backdrop; the homage paid to her is manifested by how deeply these ideas have taken root in the imagination of the next generations of analysts. However, it is not only the richness of her contributions that is celebrated in this volume. The workshop itself is showcased as a remarkably creative crucible in which discussions of clinical work, a spirit of inquiry and a containing atmosphere coalesced and synergistically produced a wealth of important ideas and refinements of technique.

The book is an ambitious project. One of its major aims is to convey the cross-fertilization of ideas and the sustained efforts to better understand ‘difficult to reach’ patients. As the book title suggests, the contents are organized around the obstacles to psychic change and the pressure to maintain psychic equilibrium. Each chapter illustrates the individual trajectory its author has taken in forging his/her own ideas about what stands in the way of development. Short comments by one or two other members of the workshop follow each chapter, which address enactments or stalemates in the data presented and highlight a shared emphasis on countertransference phenomena.

Hargreaves and Varchevker's excellent introduction provides an essential context for those not already well acquainted with Betty Joseph's work, or are unfamiliar with the workshop. It offers a glimpse into the more than 40-year history of the workshop chaired by Betty Joseph which began in 1962 as a postgraduate clinical seminar and later evolved into an ongoing workshop for senior analysts with a sustai