ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses technique from the vantage point of different psychoanalytic perspectives – the interpersonal, the self psychological, and that of the British Middle School. It addresses the nuances of treatment from many different perspectives. The book discusses a controversy about the pros and cons of the analyst's use of authority when he takes a stand about what he thinks he sees reflected in the patient's behavior, which he fashions into an interpretation that is offered for the patient's consideration. It describes the sorts of difficulties encountered, and the technical modifications required, when treating patients whose separation anxiety makes it exceedingly hard for them to be able, in particular, to tolerate evidence of differences between themselves and others. The book focuses on the teaching of psychodynamic psychotherapy to students enrolled in psychotherapy training programs at our nation's psychoanalytic institutes.
