Exploring the Landscape of the Mind: An Introduction to Psychodynamic Therapy

by Janet Lee Bachant

“This is a gem of a book on psychodynamic therapy. As a master clinician and teacher, Dr. Bachant provides us with a wonderful theoretical elaboration on core therapeutic/technique issues and an abundance of riveting and easy to understand case material. It will be an important reference for a wide range of clinicians.” —M. Sagman Kayatekin, MD, Medical Director, Professionals Program, The Menninger Clinic; Assoc. Professor of Psychiatry, Menninger Clinic and Baylor College of Medicine “Dr. Bachant’s contribution to understanding psychodynamic technique and theory has been long awaited. From the outset, she takes the reader on an adventure that brings a richness to understanding psychodynamic psychotherapy. This book is for new learners as well as those who teach, and offers consolidation of theory and practice for the senior clinician as well.” —Paula Ellman, Ph.D. Training & Supervising Analyst, Contemporary Freudian Society & Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis; Chair, IPA Committee on Women and Psychoanalysis; Editorial Board, IJP “Dr. Bachant’s current book is an engaging, comprehensive journey into how the mind works and how we can help it heal. Her presentation integrates psychodynamic theory and treatment with a focus on the practical steps involved in working with trauma. Written for many levels of clinical experience, she emphases the positive impact of adversity—facilitating the development of adaptive modes of being, and the importance of valuing the protective and proactive aspects of defense. —Marsha Wineburgh, DSW, LCSW-R, President, Advanced Clinical Education Foundation of Advanced Clinical Education Foundation of NY State Society for Clinical Social Work Janet Lee Bachant is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, author and educator who has been teaching and supervising in New York City for over 30 years. After September 11, Dr. Bachant led a coalition of over 350 mental health workers who donated mental health services to disaster responders and their families. Dr. Bachant has taught psychoanalysis at various psychoanalytic institutes in the New York area and in China. She is the author of numerous journal articles and co-author (with Elliot Adler) of Working in Framework and Flexibility in the Analytic Relationship.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2019

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We turn first to fantasy because fantasy is the window to our soul, to the hopes, dreads and desires that make us uniquely who we are.”

Helpful intro/primer for psychodynamic work. The book itself had some publishing flukes, but helped ground me all the same. Fantasies, defenses, transference, countertransference, enactments, organizing, relating.