The Unconscious: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications

by Joel Weinberger, Valentina Stoycheva

Weaving together state-of-the-art research, theory, and clinical insights, this book provides a new understanding of the unconscious and its centrality in human functioning. The authors review heuristics, implicit memory, implicit learning, attribution theory, implicit motivation, automaticity, affective versus cognitive salience, embodied cognition, and clinical theories of unconscious functioning. They integrate this work with cognitive neuroscience views of the mind to create an empirically supported model of the unconscious. Arguing that widely used psychotherapies--including both psychodynamic and cognitive approaches--have not kept pace with current science, the book identifies promising directions for clinical practice. 

Winner--American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis Book Prize (Theory)

Genres: Psychology

396 pages, Hardcover

Published November 22, 2019

About the author

Joel Weinberger, PhD, is Professor in the Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi University. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and of the American Psychological Association. His research on unconscious processes has been recognized with the Ulf Kragh Award from the University of Lundh, Sweden. Author or coauthor of approximately 100 publications, Dr. Weinberger is a founder of Implicit Strategies, which consults for political campaigns, nonprofits, and businesses. His political and business commentaries have appeared in the national media. He is also a practicing clinical psychologist.

Reviews

[Marysol 47 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for the research that went into this book, I’m so glad I read it

[Dan Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished giving this book the close, careful read that it deserves.

Wow! What an incredible example of scholarship. The depth of review and logical sequencing of ideas makes this book exemplary. While reading the section on computational neuroscience, the systematic presentation of ideas reminded me of a quotation from William James, “Phenomena are best understood when placed within their series, studied in their germ and in their over-ripe decay.” James continues by discussing the importance of drawing parallels once an idea has been mapped out in such a thorough way, “[well-established ideas should be] compared with their exaggerated and degenerated kindred” (James 1902, 373). I felt like this book achieves this high standard set out by James.

[Ian Felton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a foundational book for any psychotherapy clinician. Walking through the history of both psychoanalytic and behavioral views on the unconscious, this book arrives at a modern understanding of unconscious processes. While clearly articulating remaining gaps, this book leaves the clinician with the understanding we need to have the best chance at meaningful interventions. This book communicates the limitations of our clients and ourselves as clinicians and helps us to set realistic expectations about what can be done in therapy. The findings point us to the associative nature of the mind, the normative processes of the unconscious, and how embodied cognition and neural reuse prompt us to use metaphors as interventions. It leads us away from the lack of attention given to the unconscious in the behavioral school and from the pathological, fragmented model of the unconscious found in the psychoanalytic tradition. This book bridges the gaps in both schools and leaves us with the most comprehensive understanding yet about how our human minds work at the scope of human-to-human interactions and functioning in society, i.e. the scope of psychotherapy.