Winnicott's thinking continues to grow in importance in psychoanalysis today. In this book, between two contextualizing and helpful baby observation pieces (the first looking in detail at a baby observation and the experience of engaging in it; the second a summarizing and reflective report of the Baby Observation) are chapters that treat Winnicott's thinking and the comparison of the original baby with the one who appears in the course of an adult therapy. These are explained first by situating Winnicott's thinking historically and then by taking a detailed look at each of his three stages of dependence-absolute dependence, relative dependence and going towards independence-in both the developmental and clinical situations. --- from the publisher Reviews and Endorsements: 'This book is a rare example of well metabolised theory offered to the reader in easily palatable form. Formulation of Winnicott’s concepts is clear, concise and historically contextualised, and his ideas about the intricacy of what transpires in primary relationships is illustrated by (suitably disguised) clinical snippets, and infant observation material. Unusually, at least four perspectives are presented in each chapter - baby’s and mother’s, and in parallel - psychotherapist’s and patient’s. The author read critically, and in keeping with Winnicott’s wariness of sentimentality, counterbalances ‘good enough’ with deficits, both environmental and in Winnicott’s theorising.' - Professor Joan Raphael-Leff, Leader, Academic Faculty for Psychoanalytic Research, UCL/Anna Freud Centre, London About the Author: Margaret Boyle Spelman is a registered clinical psychologist, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and an organizational psychologist. She has worked for three decades as a clinical psychologist in the Irish Health Services with particular interest in the areas of early intervention, parenting, and learning disability. She has been in private practice as a psychologist and psychotherapist since 1998. Margaret is an Executive Member of the Irish Forum for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and a Board Director for the Irish Council for Psychotherapy and Vice-Chairperson for the Psychoanalytic Section of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy. She has Masters degrees in psychology from University College Dublin, Dublin City University, and in psychotherapy from Trinity College, Dublin and the Irish Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. She recently completed her PhD at the Centre for Psychoanalysis, University of Essex, and is currently working on a volume exploring the influence and evolution of Winnicott's thinking.
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