Relationality: From Attachment to Intersubjectivity

by Stephen A. Mitchell

In his final contribution to the psychoanalytic literature published two months before his untimely death on December 21, 2000, the late Stephen A. Mitchell provided a brilliant synthesis of the interrelated ideas that hover around, and describe aspects of, the relational matrix of human experience.  Relationality charts the emergence of the relational perspective in psychoanalysis by reviewing the contributions of Loewald, Fairbairn, Bowlby, and Sullivan, whose voices converge in apprehending the fundamental relationality of mind.  Mitchell draws on the multiple dimensions of attachment, intersubjectivity, and systems theory in espousing a clinical approach equally notable for its responsiveness and responsible restraint.  Relationality "signals a new height in Mitchell's always illuminating writing" (Nancy Chodorow) and marks the "coming of age" of the relational perspective in psychoanalysis (Peter Fonagy).

Genres: Psychology, Psychoanalysis, School, Counselling, Social Work, Nonfiction

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely spectacular.

And WAY too fucking short.

This is author Stephen A. Mitchell’s final book published two months before his death on December 21, 2000.

Relational psychoanalysis is a post-modern school of psychoanalysis (originating in the United States in the 1990’s) that emphasizes the role of real and imagined relationships in psychology and wellbeing, and prioritizes the therapeutic relationship as the primary agent of therapeutic efficacy.

Relational psychoanalysis is HEAVILY influenced by:
- the Frankfort school
- postmodernism
- post structuralism
- queer theory
- feminist theory
- critical race theory

All that stuff that makes those right wingers get all fussy.

So hay gen z! Press pause on tictoc for half a fucking second and pick up a a god damned book. We NEED y’all to actually get educated. You’re our last, and only hope. Never have so many, needed so much, from so few!

Anyway…

This book documents the emergence of the relational perspective in psychoanalysis by reviewing the important contributions of:

- Loewald’s relational revisions of classical Freudian theroy
- Fairbairn’s object relation theory
- Bowlby’s attachment theory
- Sullivan’s two person psychology

Mitchell integrates these theories e.g. attachment, intersubjectivity, and systems theory in a relational matrix.

The book is brilliant.

And too brief.

I want more!!!!’

5/5 stars ⭐️

[Aayush Kucheria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something I’m quite interested in, but this book was too focused on psychoanalysis itself. I want something more general

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, the second best book I've ever read about psychology. One of the most interesting ideas it asserts is that our primary process (the unconscious mind) doesn't really distinguish between self and other. All of the important people in our lives (parents, siblings, best friends) are actually considered part of ourselves by our primary process. So when you yell at your kids the same way your parents yelled at you ... that's because the parent part of your mind is taking over. Your parents are actually yelling through you at their grandkids, and so forth. It sounds crazy, but read it -- I swear it makes sense.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mitchell does a great job tracing the historical roots of the relational school. This volume serves as an effective sketch of the central pillars of the perspective.