Description
Cesare Romano revisits Dora's clinical case in light of Freud's own seduction theory. His central thesis is that Freud failed to follow through with his initial proposition of confirming his theories on the traumatic aetiology of hysteria. He also suggests a new dating for the duration of Dora's therapy, placing the beginning of the analysis within the context of Freud's concurrent and recent life events.A detailed analysis of Dora's first dream shows that Freud did not go back to Dora's first infantile traumas, but stopped instead at the period of her infantile masturbation. In analysing this dream, Romano's theory begins to take shape around the idea that Dora suffered an early trauma: possibly, a sexual abuse inflicted by her father. Drawing on Ferenczi, the author uses the notion of the 'traumatolytic function of the dream' to show that Dora, through her two dreams, was elaborating her early sexual trauma.Dora's analysis is investigated alongside what was happening in Freud's life at the time of the therapy. It was a time of upheaval, including the breaking off of his friendship and transferential relationship with Fliess, and the erotically nuanced relationship with his sister-in-law Minna. Romano demonstrates how these real-life events and the experiences they entailed reflect on Dora's therapy, modulating Freud's countertransference.
About the Author
Cesare Romano is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He has worked for the Veneto Region National Health Service, in the Department of Mental Health, and as Honorary Judge in the Tribunal of Minors in Venice. He has published several articles on the history of psychiatry and of psychoanalysis in Italian journals ('Quaderni Italiani di Psichiatria', 'Psicoterapia e Scienze Umane', 'Quaderni di Psicoterapia Infantile', 'Il Vaso di Pandora, Medicina delle Tossicodipendenze'). He currently lives in Piove di Sacco (Padua), where he holds his own private practice as psychotherapist.
Book Information
ISBN 9781782200963
Author Cesare Romano
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Karnac Books
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
About the Author
Cesare Romano is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He has worked for the Veneto Region National Health Service, in the Department of Mental Health, and as Honorary Judge in the Tribunal of Minors in Venice. He has published several articles on the history of psychiatry and of psychoanalysis in Italian journals ('Quaderni Italiani di Psichiatria', 'Psicoterapia e Scienze Umane', 'Quaderni di Psicoterapia Infantile', 'Il Vaso di Pandora, Medicina delle Tossicodipendenze'). He currently lives in Piove di Sacco (Padua), where he holds his own private practice as psychotherapist.
Book Information
ISBN 9781782200963
Author Cesare Romano
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Karnac Books
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
