Interpersonal Psychoanalytic Theory for the 21st Century

Sue Harris has been in private practice in New York City since 1968. Janet R. Mayes is in private practice in New York City and was an adjunct lecturer of psychology at various colleges and universities, including Montclair State University and Kean University.Marilyn Miller (1939-2020) was a certified clinical nurse specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing in addition to her private practice in New York City.David Singer has his private practice in New York City and serves as clinical psychologist at Abbott House and as adjunct assistant professor at John Jay College for Criminal Justice.

This volume builds on the idea, developed by psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan in the first half of the 20th century, that the social experiences between people, particularly those close to them, determine their sense of self and guide their behavior. The authors seek to update this theory with an eye toward clinical applications for 21st-century conditions. Examples include treatment of individuals with LGBTQIA+ identities, changing views of so-called mental disorders, and changing household environments. The theory and its associated "talk" therapies are counters to the prevalent psychiatric perspectives that the authors claim are wrongly couched in short-term drug fixes and guided by pressures from insurance companies rather than by evidence of long-term changes in behavioral patterns. Related to classical psychoanalytic thought, the theory builds on concepts of developmental eras and particularly the formative experiences one has during childhood. Considering rapidly changing notions of adolescence in the 21st century, the authors provide intriguing insights into the influence of the "juvenile era" and preadolescence on personality and behavior. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter One: Basic ConceptsI. Developmental Eras Chapter Two: Early Infancy: The Development of Initial Blueprints for Later Experience Chapter Three: Late Infancy: Exploring Beyond the SelfChapter Four: Childhood: The Widening WorldChapter: Five: The Juvenile Era: Group Experience and The Political Arts of RelatingChapter Six: Preadolescence: Falling in Love with a PeerChapter Seven: Adolescence: Precursor to Independence, Emergence of Sexuality, Need for Partnership, Intimacy—A Work in ProgressChapter Eight: Adulthood: A New Interpersonal ChallengeII. Personality and How It WorksChapter Nine: The Self-systemChapter Ten: Despair and the Central ParanoiaChapter Eleven: Cognitive Development, an Interpersonal PhenomenonChapter Twelve: The (Essential) Interpersonal Context of LearningChapter Thirteen: The Interpersonal Theory of EnvyIII. Practical ApplicationsChapter Fourteen: Interpersonal Theory and PsychotherapyChapter Fifteen: Dreams