Psychodynamic Therapy

"This is the best book on psychotherapy that this former training director has ever read. It is rooted in both 21st-century science and the wisdom of psychiatry over the past two centuries. Students will value its lucidity, positivity, and common sense."--George E. Vaillant, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
"At last, we have the definitive book on psychodynamic therapy. The authors weave together traditional psychodynamic strategies and techniques with up-to-date developments in the field. The chapters are extremely well written, containing clinical examples that illustrate the strategies and techniques. The volume integrates psychotherapy with couple and family therapy, positive psychology, and combined psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. I highly recommend this book to clinicians and students who want the latest on psychodynamic therapy."--Aaron T. Beck, MD, University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

"This important work combines the wisdom of experienced therapists with current empirical research. The book includes thoughtful discussions of alliance, transference, and interpretation, along with newer understandings of narrative and trauma. Summers and Barber share what they know, based on systematic research; what they believe, based on clinical experience; and, especially, what works--the specific clinical strategies they have found to be helpful and effective."--Robert Michels, MD, Walsh McDermott University Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, Cornell University

"This gem of a book fills an important gap in the dynamic therapy literature, incorporating cutting-edge research and conceptual advances while using jargon-free, experience-near language. The result is a scholarly, nuanced, and innovative work that will be highly useful for beginning clinicians, supervisors, and even experienced clinicians across all major theoretical orientations. Summers and Barber debunk outdated and stereotyped ideas about dynamic psychotherapy by describing in a clear, pragmatic manner the core principles and the unique aspects of a dynamic approach. The clinical examples are vivid and resonant, illustrating the added value of dynamic principles for understanding and intervening with patients. A 'must read'!"--Kenneth N. Levy, PhD, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
-