Internationally acclaimed for the clarity of his writing and thinking, Ogden radically reconceives psychoanalysis as a therapeutic process in which a person comes not only to better know him- or herself, but to more fully become him- or herself.

The individual comes to experience life in a way that feels more real, more alive, more personal, more imaginative, more compassionate, more one's own. Ogden is concerned with helping the patient reclaim lost life, life that one was not able to experience when it occurred because it was too painful, too confusing, too dangerous. Ogden pushes the envelope of psychoanalysis as he presents ways in which he rethinks the concepts of the unconscious and analytic time and expands on what it means to be oneself in an authentic way, and how clinical process can help achieve that goal.

Building on Ogden's own highly influential work on the nature of psychoanalysis, this book is essential reading for all psychoanalysts and other readers interested in expanding their understanding of contemporary analytic thinking and clinical practice.

About the Author

Thomas H. Ogden, M. D. is the author of thirteen books on the theory and practice of psychoanalysis and three novels. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. He was awarded the Sigourney Award for his contributions to psychoanalysis in 2012. He practices and teaches psychoanalysis and creative writing in San Francisco, California.

Reviews

'It is no exaggeration to say that Ogden has pioneered a new pathway in psychoanalysis and has ingeniously created fresh paradigms without becoming mired in new orthodoxies. Instead, Ogden has consistently offered new perspectives: transitioning from a psychoanalysis that decodes to a psychoanalysis engaged in inventing, dreaming, and playing. In this book, Ogden continually shifts from a psychoanalysis that interprets to one that opens up fresh, surprising possibilities. His works read like stories. Personal experiences unfold and link in ways akin to dreams, tales, impossible puzzles, all of which stand in playful, creative relationships with one another.'

Antonino Ferro, MD, recipient of the 2007 Sigourney Award and co-author of The New Analyst's Guide to the Galaxy

'Thomas Ogden has written an extraordinary book in which he describes the way that the analyst must invent psychoanalysis with each patient otherwise the analysis becomes impersonal and ineffective. This idea is long overdue. In lucid writing, Ogden illustrates the ways in which he works differently with each of his patients to create a form of psychoanalysis that facilitates the patient's making psychic changes required for him or her to become a fuller person. This book is a tour de force from which the reader is richly rewarded for the time he or she spends reading it.'

Glen O. Gabbard, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston

Book Information
ISBN 9781032867168
Author Thomas H. Ogden
Format Paperback
Page Count 148
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd