ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book explains the struggle of a young man to move beyond the seductive comforts found in the first relationship with his mother in order to be able to establish later intimate relationships. It gives an account of working with a borderline patient who could only make limited use of interpretation. The book describes the early stages of therapy with a patient who suffered from an impoverished sense of self, and how she gradually becomes more able to use the therapist as a source of nourishment. It explores the growing internal differentiation of feminine imagery in a male patient. The book also explores the idea of the interdependent analytic relationship to show that an essential element is the emotional maturity of the analyst in contributing to change and healing in the patient.
