In this volume, Loray Daws traces the life and work of Dr. James F. Masterson, with a focus on the scientific development and later expansion of the six developmental stages of the Masterson Method.
Exploring more than 15 of Masterson’s volumes, as well as countless articles, Daws shows how Masterson’s approach to Object Relations and the developmental self can serve clinicians in both conceptualizing and treating borderline, narcissistic, and schizoid disorders of self. Considering the pioneering and innovative nature of Masterson’s work, Daws looks at how he creatively expanded on Freud’s theories on repression, successfully developing therapeutically sound ways to touch and transform developmental trauma and trauma reflected in a deep abandonment depression.
James F. Masterson: A Contemporary Introduction will be of interest to students in psychology, psychiatry, and psychiatric nursing, as well as psychoanalytically orientated psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, and those specializing in the ever-growing field of the treatment of the disorders of the self.
Foreword 1. The Developmental Self and Object Relations Approach of James F. Masterson, MD 2. Growing Up, Away, Toward, or Against - Masterson's Mahler 3. Key Concepts in the Developmental Self and Object Relations Approach of James Masterson 4. On Psychological Beginnings: Candace Orcutt's Mastersonian Approach to the Symbiotic Experience 5. Is There Anybody Out There? 6. The Tyranny of Fusion and Omnipotence - The Narcissistic Dilemma 7. Separation Sensitivity and the Borderline Dilemma 8. Conclusion and the Future of the Masterson Approach
Biography
Loray Daws is a registered clinical psychologist in South Africa and British Columbia, Canada. He is currently in private practice and serves both as a senior faculty member at the International Masterson Institute and as a board member at the Object Relations Institute in New York. Loray specializes in psychoanalysis and daseinsanalysis, and he is the editor of five books on psychoanalysis and existential analysis.
'This is a splendid primer on the legendary work of James Masterson. In this scholarly yet accessible introduction, Loray Daws shows the chronology of his mentor’s novel contributions to understanding borderline, narcissistic, and schizoid phenomena; and is able to distill with supple elegance the complex developmental and clinical theories Masterson contributed to articulating and treating disorders of the self. An essential read for those working with character pathology. '
Professor Jon Mills, Department of Psychosocial & Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex, and author of Psyche, Culture, World: Excursions in Existentialism and Psychoanalytic Philosophy (Routledge, 2022)
'James Masterson, MD., created foundational concepts in understanding and treating personality disorders. In authoring this book, Loray Daws, a preeminent practitioner of the Masterson approach, provides essentials. Masterson will stand in history as one of psychotherapy's luminous voices. His work guides my practice.'
Jeffrey K Zeig, Ph.D, The Milton H. Erickson Foundation; Architect of the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conferences
'Dr. Daws offer’s far more than an introductory primer, this book is a passionate detailed and remarkable rendering of the breadth and scope of James Masterson’s significant psychoanalytic theoretical/clinically contributions (along with Masterson’s associates) coupled with the author’s compelling story of a clinician’s journey to find the deepest understanding of the human experience. Dr. Daws fluidly manages the diverse notions of psychoanalytic developmental/object relations theory with an eye toward blending theory, with true-to-life clinical examples, displaying that rare combination of astute technical acumen while sustaining approachable humanistic observations of the very nature of psychoanalytic treatment.'
Jack Schwartz, PsyD, NCPsyA, training analyst/faculty NJI and ORI, writer and lecturer
