Working with Resistance

by Martha Stark

"Working with Resistance" is about heartache, grieving, letting go and moving on - as the patient's resistances are worked through and her defences are overcome. It is, therefore, a book about hope that arises in the context of discovering that it is possible to survive the experience of heartbreak, sadder perhaps but certainly wiser and more realistic.

Genres: Psychology

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1994

Reviews

[Antigone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha Stark is an analyst most well-known for her work as a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. A quick internet search will tell you that she has, in the last fifteen years, adopted a more holistic approach to treatment with a focus on the mind-body connection, and has established "particular expertise in the maintenance of an environmentally safe, chemical-free lifestyle."

This is somewhat surprising, considering every single session dialogue included in Working with Resistance involves a patient who came in for pharmacological supervision. (She was prescribing and monitoring medication.) In fact, as a reader of many academic works on psychology, I feel comfortable stating that you would be hard-pressed to find a more classically-influenced book on the subject of analysis than the one she has written here - which is to say this is a strict, no-nonsense, id-ego-superego piece of business with very little leeway given to advancements in the field.

My rating of this material is entirely based upon the purity of its allegiance to the Freudian school. This stands as an excellent example of what you'll encounter should you find yourself sitting across from one of Sigmund's adherents. All that classical angst is here, and the constant, relentless return to the childhood dynamic; the empathetic failure, the optimal disillusionment, the forceful insistence on grief, grief, and more grieving besides. It's an impeccable take on traditional treatment and one I would advise anyone weighing the prospect of entering into a Freudian analysis to read in advance of making that commitment.

It's simply that authentic. And, apparently, a philosophy its author has moved beyond.

[Roia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned this book a long time, and, now I've finally read it, I regret not tucking into it ages ago! Martha Stark's description of "relentless hope" as a refusal to grieve and as a psychological defense went a long way to helping me rethink some of the work I've done as a therapist. The case studies and very specific examples of exactly how (and why) one might go about addressing resistance as it emerges as part of the therapy process were valuable and instructive. Although the different "statement" types can become confusing, there is a lot of repetition and clarification (which, while noticeable, are also useful), and Martha Stark thoroughly elaborates the subtle differences in technique.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading this book about psychotherapy for my internship seminar. Discusses the idea of conflict and defense mechanisms and how they relate to helping someone change in the therapy relationship. Pretty cool.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in graduate school, and as I am looking to start seeing clients again I am going back to it. Its thick and sometimes complicated, but gives practical advise as well. It will make you a better counselor.