This insightful book identifies key points of reference for the delivery of ethical treatment to patients with extreme and entrenched pathologies. Readers are offered an invitation to the intensity and complexity of individuation.
Written by a Jungian analyst with three decades of clinical experience, ranging from maximum-security correctional institutions to private practice, the therapeutic encounter is relayed in detail, describing case examples of patients who would not traditionally be considered natural candidates for the process of individuation. Suggestions and considerations are provided to enable therapists to support their own patients to find a point of entry into their individuation process. It also encourages readers to reflect on themselves professionally and personally, with the ultimate purpose of being more clinically informed.
Presented in an accessible way and featuring stories told that are touching and, in some instances, downright chilling, this is an essential resource for therapists and mental health practitioners, as well as anyone with an interest in this field of psychology.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1. Individuation in clinical practice: Jungian perspectives 2. Challenges and constraints when working clinically with the narcissistic personality structure 3. Gender identity and interiority in a contemporary Jungian context 4. Clinical and spiritual perspectives on the interrelational dance of addiction, compulsion and obsession 5. Psychopathic presentations: Can internal and external destruction and annihilation be associated with individuation? Conclusion References