Five Kohutian Postulates: Psychotherapy Theory from an Empathic Perspective

by Ronald R. Lee, Angie Rountree, Sally McMahon

Overview

As results from the present emphasis on short-term, technique-oriented psychotherapies or bio-therapy (medication) point to their valuable but limited roles in treating mental illness, this book emphasizes the need for extensive training in the treatment of self-disorders with developmental arrests using a long-term, empathy-based psychoanalytic psychotherapy approach. In addition to having a theory organized around the five postulates of Kohut, psychoanalytic psychotherapists need a professional commitment to patients and a significant experience of their own long-term, empathy-based training psychotherapy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765706348
Publisher:	Aronson, Jason Inc.
Publication date:	12/02/2010
Pages:	286
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Ronald R. Lee lectures in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and is an honorary consulting psychologist to St. Vincent Hospital's Mental Health Department. Angie Rountree teaches in the Empathink Summer Schools and conducts psychotherapy in private practice in Melbourne. Sally McMahon teaches in the Australian College of Contemporary Somatic Psychotherapy and in Empathink Summer Schools.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 1. Self Psychology: A Healing Research Program Chapter 2 2. Empathic Understanding Chapter 3 3. Selfobject Experiences Chapter 4 4. The Organizing Self and Self-organization Chapter 5 5. The Feeling Self and Affects Chapter 6 6. The Remembering Self and Structuralization Chapter 7 7. Self Psychology Theory: Pathways to Future Growth

Editorial Reviews

Anyone looking for a thorough and comprehensive review of psychoanalytic self psychology need search no further. The authors of Five Kohutian Postulates have clearly combed the literature of self psychology, followed every tributary that might make the principles of self psychology more coherent and relevant, and buttressed their own conclusions with clinical examples that are both interesting and intriguing. Although self psychology has long left behind a single and/or singular set of ideas, Lee, Roundtree, and McMahon allow the reader enough latitude to both agree and disagree so that one can readily grasp how the self psychology of today is a complex gathering of ideas resting upon a set of firm guiding principles presented by these authors.

Arnold Goldberg M.D.

Five Kohutian Postulates is a different kind of textbook (advanced) on Heinx Kohut's self psychology. Beginning with psychotherapy as a 'science of the unique' and the importance of an empathic perspective, Kohut's theory is presented as a Lakatos-like 'research program' that features four auxiliary postulates (self object experience, supraordinate self-organizing, feelings, and structuralization) around the central postulate (empathy). These postulates help form a psychotherapeutic identity that includes ideas from infant development, philosophy, the neurosciences, and other psychoanalytic theories.

Richard Chessick

Five Kohutian Postulates is a different kind of textbook (advanced) on Heinx Kohut's self psychology. Beginning with psychotherapy as a 'science of the unique' and the importance of an empathic perspective, Kohut's theory is presented as a Lakatos-like 'research program' that features four auxiliary postulates (self object experience, supraordinate self-organizing, feelings, and structuralization) around the central postulate (empathy). These postulates help form a psychotherapeutic identity that includes ideas from infant development, philosophy, the neurosciences, and other psychoanalytic theories.--Richard Chessick, Northwestern University

Anyone looking for a thorough and comprehensive review of psychoanalytic self psychology need search no further. The authors of Five Kohutian Postulates have clearly combed the literature of self psychology, followed every tributary that might make the principles of self psychology more coherent and relevant, and buttressed their own conclusions with clinical examples that are both interesting and intriguing. Although self psychology has long left behind a single and/or singular set of ideas, Lee, Roundtree, and McMahon allow the reader enough latitude to both agree and disagree so that one can readily grasp how the self psychology of today is a complex gathering of ideas resting upon a set of firm guiding principles presented by these authors.--Arnold Goldberg M.D., Rush University Medical Center

Lee and his colleagues propose 'a healing research paradigm' that is built on the foundation of Kohut's major theoretical contributions. The depth and breadth of scholarship is exceptional and the clinical material is clear. This deceptively simple organization of ideas provides a sound scientific basis for evaluating and ultimately improving outcomes in long-term psychotherapy. Given the sometimes strained relationship between the empirically validated treatments (EVT) movement and clinicians in the trenches, especially psychoanalytic practitioners, this book is a very strong answer to the demand for evidence for the effectiveness of treatments other than pharmacologic or uniform protocols.--J. Colby Martin, Argosy University

From the Publisher

Lee and his colleagues propose 'a healing research paradigm' that is built on the foundation of Kohut’s major theoretical contributions. The depth and breadth of scholarship is exceptional and the clinical material is clear. This deceptively simple organization of ideas provides a sound scientific basis for evaluating and ultimately improving outcomes in long-term psychotherapy. Given the sometimes strained relationship between the empirically validated treatments (EVT) movement and clinicians in the trenches, especially psychoanalytic practitioners, this book is a very strong answer to the demand for evidence for the effectiveness of treatments other than pharmacologic or uniform protocols.

J. Colby Martin