Withdrawal, Silence, Loneliness

Book excerpt: With contributions from Silvia Allari, Leigh Bettles, Dan Eastop, Richard G. Erskine, Amaia Mauriz Etxabe, Linda Finley, Ray Little, Lynn Martin, Marye O'Riely-Knapp, Eugenio Peiro Orozco. Richard G. Erskine is a master clinician who, through more than fifty years of practice, has integrated diverse schools of psychoanalytic thought - self psychology, object relations, transactional analysis, and Gestalt therapy - with his client-centered background to form his relationally focused, integrative psychotherapy. Alongside eight colleagues, he presents an authoritative guide on working with the schizoid process. Part I provides an introduction to the schizoid process and an understanding of the concepts and therapeutic interventions required, helpfully illustrated through relevant vignettes that retain the subjective experience of therapist and client. Part II, the heart of the book, contains a longitudinal case study of Allan. This focuses on the narrative of the psychotherapy sessions interwoven with several salient concepts. It is followed by the observations of two colleagues on the process of the psychotherapy. A representation of professional dialogue, which is so central to refining the practice of psychotherapy. Part III looks at the clients' perspective, including a chapter written by a client to provide her personal views on her internal experience of psychotherapy. The final part contains a chapter on the five-year psychotherapeutic journey of a client, Louise. This chapter demonstrates how the theory of the schizoid process is put into therapeutic practice. This is an essential book for all psychotherapists to widen their understanding of therapeutic practice.