2nd Edition
Object Relations Theories and Psychopathology A Comprehensive Text
Twenty-nine years since the first edition was released, Frank Summers has renewed his
lucid and thorough clarification of the various object relations theories to demonstrate
their evolution and continued significance for therapeutic practice.
This volume includes elucidation of the major scholarship that has advanced the ideas
of object relations theorists such as Fairbairn, Klein, Winnicott, Kernberg, and Kohut,
since the publication of the first edition. A thorough and detailed new chapter devoted to
the emergence and development of relational psychoanalysis has been added to make this
volume a “state of the art” articulation of current object relations thinking. The ideas and
assumptions of each theory relative to metapsychology, psychopathology, and treatment
are expounded, alongside a critical evaluation of the strengths and limitations of each
approach. With extensive use of historic case material, Summers shows how each object
relations theory yields specific clinical approaches to a variety of syndromes, and how these
approaches entail specific modifications in clinical technique.
This volume will be essential reading for all analysts, psychologists, psychiatrists, and
social workers who wish to familiarize themselves with object relations theories in general,
sharpen their understanding of the work of specific object relations theorists, or enhance
their ability to employ these theories in their clinical work.
1. The Origins of Object Relations Theories 2. Fairbairn and His Legacy 3. The Kleinian School 4. Winnicott and Related Theorists 5. The Work of Otto Kernberg 6. Self-Psychology 7. Relational Analysis 8. An Object Relations Paradigm for Psychoanalysis
Biography
Frank Summers, Ph.D., ABPP, is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst; professor of clinical psychiatry and the behavioural sciences, Northwestern University; and a supervising and training analyst, Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. A former president of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association, he maintains a psychoanalytic therapy practice in Chicago, Illinois.
'This scholarly, extraordinarily thorough review of object relations theories is a significantly updated version of Summers's first volume. Integrating theory and its clinical implications and locating each theory within its historical context, Summers helps the reader (whether beginning or advanced) to understand each theory's underlying assumptions and their implications for the clinical moment. A must-read for those interested in an in-depth understanding of the breadth of object relations thinking.'
Joyce Slochower, PhD, ABPP
'This book is a feast for the mind. Readers of all persuasions, from those new to psychoanalytic thought to those immersed in it for decades, will find nourishment on every page. The original edition was a tour de force; this revision is even better. Summers's improvements, especially his discussion of the relational movement, serve up contemporary psychoanalysis in all its depth and nuance. Simultaneously scholarly and readable, this volume emphasises the practical clinical implications of theory, helping us all to become better therapists.'
Nancy McWilliams, emerita visiting professor, Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
'Dr Summers not only carefully and clearly summarises major psychoanalytic theories, but also does what no other author has done: he articulately spells out the specific treatment implications of each theory he discusses. This alone makes his book extremely useful and even invaluable.'
Morris Eagle, professor emeritus, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University
