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Unconscious phantasy: Some historical and conceptual dimensions
No full textThis paper seeks firstly to grasp both conceptually and historically the different phenomenologies that are captured by the term ‘Unconscious Phantasy’. The term is shown to refer to a number of distinct though overlapping conceptual domains. These include: phantasy as scene, phantasy as representation of drive, phantasy as representation of wish as its fulfilment, phantasy as split off activity of the mind functioning under the aegis of the pleasure principle; phantasy as representation of the minds own activities (which Wollheim calls’ the way “the mind represents its own activities to itself’’). Lastly unconscious phantasy is understood as being the basic foundation of all mental life, including drives, impulses, all anxiety situations and defences. Having mapped out this territory through following the development of the concept in the work of Freud and Klein, the author draws on the work of the philosopher Richard Wollheim who, the author contends, has made a fundamental contribution to our conceptual understanding of unconscious phantasy. In the last section of the paper, the author draws a distinction between what he terms ‘objects’ (namely psychic objects) and what he terms ‘facts’. It is suggested that this distinction, though implicit in much of our work, benefits from being made explicit and that in so doing an important dimension of analytic work is illuminated. We aim to help the patient to discover what he is like, to understand the ways in which he conceives and misconceives himself, to unravel the fact-ness of himself and his world from its ‘object qualities’, to differentiate between unconscious phantasy and reality
Reading Klein
No full textReading Klein provides an introduction to the work of one of the twentieth century’s greatest psychoanalysts, known in particular for her contribution in developing child analysis and for her vivid depiction of the inner world. This book makes Melanie Klein’s works highly accessible, providing both substantial extracts from her writings, and commentaries by the authors exploring their significance.
Each chapter corresponds to a major field of Klein’s work outlining its development over almost 40 years. The first part is concerned with her theoretical and clinical contributions. It shows Klein to be a sensitive clinician deeply concerned for her patients, and with a remarkable capacity to understand their unconscious anxieties and to revise our understanding of the mind. The second part sets out the contribution of her ideas to morality, to aesthetics and to the understanding of society, introducing writing by her associates as well as herself.
The book provides a lucid account of Klein’s published writing, presented by two distinguished writers who know her work well and have made creative use of it in their own clinical and extra-clinical writing.Its aim is to show how substantial her contribution to psychoanalytic thinking and clinical practice was, and how indispensable it remains to understanding the field of psychoanalysis.
Reading Klein will be a highly valuable resource for students, trainees in psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic practitioners and all who are interested in Melanie Klein and her legacy
Challenging core cultural beliefs and maintaining the therapeutic alliance: A qualitative study
No full textEngaging black and minority-ethnic (BME) individuals in therapy and maintaining a positive therapeutic alliance can be a complex task, especially when challenging a family's core belief system. This study examines how therapists working within a specialist cultural service in London, UK were able to question a family's core cultural belief system whilst building and maintaining a strong therapeutic alliance. Video-assisted semi-structured interviews were carried out with two family members and their two therapists, and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest that core beliefs can be effectively challenged within the context of a strong therapeutic alliance if topics are approached in a sensitive and respectful manner, by trusted therapists who have a degree of knowledge and awareness of their own cultural positioning, as well as an understanding of their clients’ culture. We propose that engaging with culture in this way can strengthen alliance and facilitate positive change
The ethics of researching one's own practice
No full textPractice-based research is increasingly utilized as a postmodern, qualitative research method. It can help systemic practitioners understand, develop and communicate about their everyday practice to others. In this article I review some of the literature on practitioner research and focus on the challenges of researching one's own practice. Using illustrative examples from transcripts and field notes gathered during my research on how I begin conversations with families who seek a diagnostic assessment for an autism spectrum condition for their child, I explore the ethics involved in the twofold task of providing a clinical service and conducting systematic research. I argue that a dynamic relational ethics of care can be employed to navigate the challenges of adopting a dual research and clinical focus
How do Nurture Group practitioners make sense of their relationship with the Nurture Group child?
No full textNurture Groups are targeted, school based interventions, aimed at meeting the developmental needs of vulnerable children identified as having social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Staffed by two ‘nurturing’ adults, Nurture Groups provide a safe, containing, and highly structured environment to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing, and their capacity to learn and achieve. Past research has focussed on the impact of Nurture Groups on children’s outcomes, with some highlighting the importance of the relationship between the Nurture Group practitioner and child. This research aims to explore and explain the practitioner-child relationship, asking Nurture Group practitioners how they make sense of their relationship with the Nurture Group child. The purpose of this research is to identify what makes a successful nurture relationship, and identify factors which challenge it. A symbolic interactionist and critical realist ontological and epistemological position was taken, and a grounded theory methodology adopted. Five Nurture Group practitioners from three full-time, Key Stage 1 Nurture Groups were interviewed. Results revealed a ‘relationship journey’ between the Nurture Group practitioner and child, which develops into a ‘close’ relationship. As the practitioner and child get to know and understand one another, the practitioner becomes attuned to the child’s needs and emotional experiences, enabling them to provide containment to the child and put appropriate support in place. The relationship journey contains a number of challenges, which the practitioner tries hard to overcome. These challenges place a significant emotional load on the practitioner, who in return, seeks containment. However, these challenges contribute towards the development of the relationship, where trust emerges, and a ‘close’ relationship forms. The relationship journey is discussed in relation to psychodynamic and attachment theories, and implications for Nurture Group practitioners, stakeholders and Educational Psychologists explored
