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The thirty-one papers assembled here, drawn from the author's published writings and spanning more than a quarter of a century, bear tribute to his profound commitment to the application of psychoanalytic principles in the therapy of schizophrenia and other severely damaged personalities. Readers of Spotnitz' earlier text, Modern Psychoanalysis of the Schizophrenic Patient, and more recently, Treatment of the Narcissistic Neuroses (Spotnitz and Meadow), will welcome the opportunity for historical study of the development of his central concepts.
Among those classic papers reproduced here (a few co-authored with L. Negelberg, P. Resnikoff and Y. Feldman) are “The Myths of Narcissus,” “Ego Reinforcement in the Schizophrenic Child,” “Strengthening the Ego through the Release of Frustration-Aggression,” “The Narcissistic Defense in Schizophrenia,” “Techniques for the Resolution of the Narcissistic Defense,” “The Toxoid Response,” “The Borderline Schizophrenic in Group Psychotherapy,” and “The Maturational Interpretation.” In addition, almost half of the essays deal with some aspect of analytic group psychotherapy—another major research interest of the author, especially as applied to the treatment of borderline and preoedipal disorders. There are also sections dealing with latent emotional processes, training, and research. The papers have been re-edited and assembled in a logical progression delineating the evolution of the author's approach.
Spotnitz's salutary optimism regarding positive results in treating the most severe conditions has led him to conceive of the therapeutic process as a kind of emotional re-education or retraining. The therapist functions in the role of a maturational agent, employing his knowledge of psychoanalytic principles to help the patient outgrow the specific personality patterns which have made him resistant to psychological change. Because the identification, understanding, and eventual dissolution of resistance patterns serve as the focal