Overview

It takes a village to raise a child but psychoanalysis has traditionally focused on the role of the family in shaping the individual. This wide-ranging collection shines a light on the influence of those outside the family circle: nannies, neighbors, school teachers, friends and playmates, clergy, adolescent peers, lovers, and professional mentors. With contributions from Salman Akhtar, Patricia Boguski, Ann Eichen, April Fallon, Theodore Fallon, Jr., Rama Rao Gogineni, Mark Moore, Sonja Ware. Collectively authored by psychoanalytic colleagues of multiple nationalities, ages, genders, religious origins, and meta-theoretical persuasions, Besides Family goes far beyond the usual orbit of parents and siblings. Casting a wide net, the contributors look at a number of key figures who may affect an individual's psychic development and functioning. Each character receives a full chapter which highlights both the beneficial and adverse possibilities within these relationships. The book opens with a chapter on nannies, tracing the centuries-old history in the West and focusing on four renowned psychoanalysts: Sigmund Freud, Sándor Ferenczi, John Bowlby, and Wilfred Bion. Next comes a discussion of neighbours, using material from religious texts, fiction, and poetry. This is followed by a chapter on childhood playmates and friends, which examines the nature of friendship and how it develops across the lifespan. School teachers come next, using literature on teacher–student relationships synthesised with psychoanalytic developmental theory. Clergy is the next subject of discussion, blending Judeo-Christian religious customs with psychoanalytic developmental theory. The developmental significance of adolescent peers is examined next using a blend of neurophysiology, endocrine studies, behavioral observations, social–cultural vectors, and psychoanalytic insights. A discussion of lovers and the myriad ways in which romantic relationships mirror early development is the penultimate chapter. The book ends on the role of mentors and the evolution of the mentor–mentee relationship, taking into account the impact of age, race, and gender. The authors integrate material from history, anthropology, sociology, religion, literature, and film studies alongside vignettes from clinical practice and day-to-day life to bring theory to life. This fascinating exploration is essential reading for practising clinicians and trainees to broaden their understanding of the impact of the wide network that surrounds us all. AUTHOR: Salman Akhtar, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. He has served on the editorial boards of The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the Psychoanalytic Quarterly. His nearly 400 publications include 99 books, of which the following 20 are solo-authored: Broken Structures (1992), Quest for Answers (1995), Inner Torment (1999), Immigration and Identity (1999), New Clinical Realms (2003), Objects of Our Desire (2005), Regarding Others (2007), Turning Points in Dynamic Psychotherapy (2009), The Damaged Core (2009), Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (2009), Immigration and Acculturation (2011), Matters of Life and Death (2011), The Book of Emotions (2012), Psychoanalytic Listening (2013), Good Stuff (2013), Sources of Suffering (2014), No Holds Barred (2016), A Web of Sorrow (2017), Mind, Culture, and Global Unrest (2018), and Silent Virtues (2019).

Full Product Details

9781800131774

Table of Contents

Reviews

 ‘This edited volume by Salman Akhtar and his colleagues methodically addresses the often neglected developmental impact of relationships with people other than one's parents and siblings. This is a fresh topic indeed. For all of us who constantly strive to understand ourselves and our patients, a thoughtfully compiled collection of papers on this novel orbit of psychic development is a superb gift.’ -- Aisha Abbasi, MD Training and Supervising Analyst, Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute Author of Rupture of Serenity: External Intrusions and Psychoanalytic Space ‘Besides Family uncovers an important lacuna in psychoanalytic literature. It reveals fertile furrows to plough in this wide-ranging and engaging book.’ -- Dr Jonathan Sklar, Training Analyst, British Psychoanalytical Society ‘As psychoanalysts, our emphasis has traditionally been on the effects of various family members on psychic development. Non-familial figures important for ego growth have been neglected. Such “significant others” differ for each of us but it is valuable for the clinician to know which “others” support a person undergoing psychotherapy or psychoanalysis. Besides Family stimulated me to think more deeply about my internally significant others and pay closer attention to such presences in the lives of my patients.’ -- Mary Kay O'Neil, PhD Training and Supervising Analyst, Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis Author of 'Mothering Alone: A Plea for Opportunity'

'This edited volume by Salman Akhtar and his colleagues methodically addresses the often neglected developmental impact of relationships with people other than one's parents and siblings. This is a fresh topic indeed. For all of us who constantly strive to understand ourselves and our patients, a thoughtfully compiled collection of papers on this novel orbit of psychic development is a superb gift.' -- Aisha Abbasi, MD Training and Supervising Analyst, Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute Author of Rupture of Serenity: External Intrusions and Psychoanalytic Space 'Besides Family uncovers an important lacuna in psychoanalytic literature. It reveals fertile furrows to plough in this wide-ranging and engaging book.' -- Dr Jonathan Sklar, Training Analyst, British Psychoanalytical Society 'As psychoanalysts, our emphasis has traditionally been on the effects of various family members on psychic development. Non-familial figures important for ego growth have been neglected. Such significant others differ for each of us but it is valuable for the clinician to know which others support a person undergoing psychotherapy or psychoanalysis. Besides Family stimulated me to think more deeply about my internally significant others and pay closer attention to such presences in the lives of my patients.' -- Mary Kay O'Neil, PhD Training and Supervising Analyst, Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis Author of 'Mothering Alone: A Plea for Opportunity'

Author Information

Salman Akhtar, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. He has served on the editorial boards of The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the Psychoanalytic Quarterly. His nearly 400 publications include 99 books, of which the following 20 are solo-authored: Broken Structures (1992), Quest for Answers (1995), Inner Torment (1999), Immigration and Identity (1999), New Clinical Realms (2003), Objects of Our Desire (2005), Regarding Others (2007), Turning Points in Dynamic Psychotherapy (2009), The Damaged Core (2009), Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (2009), Immigration and Acculturation (2011), Matters of Life and Death (2011), The Book of Emotions (2012), Psychoanalytic Listening (2013), Good Stuff (2013), Sources of Suffering (2014), No Holds Barred (2016), A Web of Sorrow (2017), Mind, Culture, and Global Unrest (2018), and Silent Virtues (2019). Dr Akhtar has delivered many prestigious invited lectures including a Plenary Address at the 2nd International Congress of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders in Oslo, Norway (1991), an Invited Plenary Paper at the 2nd International Margaret S. Mahler Symposium in Cologne, Germany (1993), an Invited Plenary Paper at the Rencontre Franco-Americaine de Psychanalyse meeting in Paris, France (1994), a Keynote Address at the 43rd IPA Congress in Rio de Janiero, Brazil (2005), the Plenary Address at the 150th Freud Birthday Celebration sponsored by the Dutch Psychoanalytic Society and the Embassy of Austria in Leiden, Holland (2006), and the Inaugural Address at the first IPA-Asia Congress in Beijing, China (2010). Dr Akhtar is the recipient of numerous awards including the American Psychoanalytic Association’s Edith Sabshin Award (2000), Columbia University’s Robert Liebert Award for Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychoanalysis (2004), the American Psychiatric Association’s Kun Po Soo Award (2004) and Irma Bland Award for being the Outstanding Teacher of Psychiatric Residents in the country (2005). He received the highly prestigious Sigourney Award (2012) for distinguished contributions to psychoanalysis. In 2103, he gave the Commencement Address at graduation ceremonies of the Smith College School of Social Work in Northampton, MA. Dr Akhtar’s books have been translated into many languages, including German, Italian, Korean, Persian, Romanian, Serbian, Spanish, and Turkish. A true Renaissance man, Dr Akhtar has served as the Film Review Editor for The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, and is currently serving as the Book Review Editor for the International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies. He has published 9 collections of poetry and serves as a Scholar-in-Residence at the Inter-Act Theatre Company in Philadelphia.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available