Exploring Eating Disorders Through Psychoanalysis

Humberto Lorenzo Persano is a psychiatrist at the School of Medicine in the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a professor of Mental Health and Psychiatry, and Psychology of Nutrition as well as holding the position of Director of the Institute of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. He is a member of the Argentine Psychoanalytic Association, and a training analyst, supervisor, and child and adolescent psychoanalyst at the IPA.

“An essential read for anyone interested in eating disorders, this book delivers exactly what its title promises. Persano challenges the current trend toward fragmented or polarized thinking, masterfully integrating the depth of psychoanalytic understanding, clinical precision, and a keen analysis of the sociocultural dynamics that shape body image today. Using psychoanalysis as a transformative tool, it offers a treatment framework that bridges biological, psychological, and social disciplines, as well as individual and collective healing, providing a comprehensive and enlightening perspective. Truly indispensable.” - Ricardo Bernardi, MD, Senior Psychiatrist; Phd, Psychology, University of Buenos Aires; Emeritus Professor, School of Medicine University of Uruguay; Full Member, Academy of Medicine of Uruguay; Full Member, IPA; Honorary Member, Uruguayan Society of Psychoanalysis; Associate Editor for Latin America, IJPA “It is the rare clinician who grasps the multiple essences of the Eating Disorders. In this work, Humberto Persano shares with us his many decades of immersion in these patients’ hidden turmoil that derives from multiple developmental levels and genetic factors. He helps us see how patients’ struggles with food-related symptoms are a proxy for their affective instability, inchoate desires, familial misattunement and only knowing themselves through the imagined eyes of others. We learn how their character rigidity, while deemed a virtue, hides their feared vulnerabilities and imaginings. He outlines specific treatment techniques that are built upon the therapist’s ability to maintain the patient’s hope for their future. He offers us both guidelines and inspiration to remain dedicated to this challenging journey.” - Harvey Schwartz, MD; IPA in Health, Chair; Training Analyst, Psychoanalytic Association of New York and Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia; host, IPA Podcast Psychoanalysis On and Off the Couch“The present volume is the best text on eating disorders from a psychoanalytic perspective that I have encountered. While paying adequate attention to neurobiological and hormonal influences, the major emphasis is on etiological features derived from psychogenic causes. The clarity and depth of the description of clinical reality facilitates the direct application of these understandings to concrete individual cases.” - Otto F. Kernberg, M.D. Professor Emeritus, Weill Cornell Medical College. Training and Supervising Analyst, Columbia University Psychoanalytic Center for Training and Research. Honorary Vice-President of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA).

• PrefaceChapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Historical Context of Eating DisordersChapter 3: Clinical manifestations of eating disordersChapter 4: Psychoanalytic Theory and Eating DisordersChapter 5: Unconscious Dynamics of Eating DisordersChapter 6: Early Development and Family DynamicsChapter 7: Transference and Countertransference Chapter 8: Dream Analysis and Imagery in Eating Disorder TreatmentChapter 9: Treatment Approaches in Psychoanalytic TherapyChapter 10: Beyond the Individual: Sociocultural Factors in Eating DisordersChapter 11: Integration and Future DirectionsEpilogueConclusion: The Journey Towards Healing