The Psychoanalytic Anatomy of Surrender Breaking Through the Inner Structures that Inhibit Aliveness

1. The Atmosphere of Surrender: Containment, Transference, and the Therapeutic Field  2. Civilization’s Pursuit of Surrender Foundational Capacities 3. Closed  4. Capacity to Depend  5. Open-Ended Attention  6. Capacity to Regress  Releasement Level A  7. Capacity to Contain  8. Readiness for Anxiety  9. Capacity to Accept Reality  10. Tolerance of Frustration  11. Capacity to Symbolize Chapter 12. The Capacity for Subjective Appropriation  13. Discipline Not to Reason  14. Suffering Necessary for Transformation  15. Purification (Catharsis)  16. Preparation for Love  Releasement Level B  17. Non-Willing  18. Emergent Relationship  19. Ecstasy  20. Doubt  21. Contemplation  22. Foreboding  Releasement Level C  23. Shift  24. Gratitude  25. Love  26. Wisdom  27. Revealing  28. Unconcealment  29. Dynamic Flow  30. Repetition  Releasement Level D 31. A Nameless Dread  32. Reflections on the Structure of Surrender

Biography

Kathryn Rickard, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist, psychoanalytic practitioner, and author with over two decades of clinical experience. Her work focuses on the conditions under which emotional experience can be encountered, avoided, or sustained within the analytic setting. The Psychoanalytic Anatomy of Surrender expands upon her original research exploring surrender as a psychological process within psychoanalytic treatment.

'In this work Kathryn Rickard explores surrender as a living process, staying close to moments of experience as they unfold. She shows how something in us loosens and begins to come alive in ways that cannot be forced, opening pathways into deeper contact with ourselves and others.'

Michael Eigen, PhD, author of Contact with the Depths, The Sensitive Self, and The Psychoanalytic Mystic; psychoanalyst

'This book offers a thoughtful and clinically grounded exploration of surrender as it emerges within the therapeutic relationship. While situated within a psychoanalytic tradition, its clarity and depth make it relevant to psychotherapists of all orientations.

Kathryn Rickard develops an original framework for understanding surrender not as a passive state, but as a dynamic process unfolding within both patient and therapist. Drawing on core clinical concepts such as dependence, transference, and the therapist’s capacity for psychological containment, she shows how patients come to tolerate tension, uncertainty, and affect within the analytic encounter.

This is a serious and engaging contribution that will deepen the clinician’s understanding of complex psychological processes and offer meaningful guidance in working with challenging clinical material.'

Louis Brunet, PhD, author of Profession Psychologue; director, Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis (International Psychoanalytic Association); former professor, Université du Québec à Montréal; psychologist and psychoanalyst

'Surrender is often seen as defeat, but Rickard shows that it can unleash our greatest successes. With the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, we gain the will to face our options knowingly, openly, and intentionally. Pairing meticulous theory with in-depth case studies, Rickard offers a clear playbook of directed risk and openness that leads to genuine psychological transformation.'

Richard Granger, PhD, author of Big Brain: The Origins and Future of Human Intelligence; professor, Dartmouth College; director, Brain Engineering Laboratory

'Kathryn Rickard has written a much-needed volume on the critical psychoanalytic construct of surrender—a term too infrequently discussed and rarely understood. Her timely effort to elucidate surrender is especially laudable. The capacity to surrender, in all its complexities, lies at the core of psychotherapeutic process for both patient and analyst alike. Dr. Rickard clarifies its subtleties through poignant stories and rich clinical examples. This work fills an essential niche in the psychotherapeutic and psychoanalytic literature. Beautifully written in accessible language, it is a gift to both psychoanalytic and lay communities. A must-read.'

Melvin E. Miller, PhD, co-editor of Spirituality, Ethics, and Relationship in Adulthood: Clinical and Theoretical Explorations; Charles Dana Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Norwich University; Psychoanalyst

 

'A new and refreshing bridge between secular psychology and contemplative spirituality, where the practice of psychotherapy reverberates with the timeless spiritual journey. In Kathryn Rickard’s work, I hear echoes of our ancestors: Indigenous healers, biblical prophets, Eastern siddhas, Christian saints, and exemplars like Nicholas Black Elk. Most importantly, she parses this out for us as we seek to recover the fullness of our humanity, giving us permission to surrender not out of defeat, but into the depths of who we really are.'

Damian Costello, Ph.D, author of Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism; coordinator of Postgraduate Studies, NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community