To love repeatedly in an unsatisfying and self-destructive way cripples many people. The dynamics that underlie this painful way of relating often escape clinical attention, and people with subtle yet pervasive masochistic problems often tumble miserably through life with an undetected disorder. The authors propose an object relations approach to psychotherapy with the masochistic personality. In treatment, insight into unconscious conflict is complemented by opportunities for the patient to experience the therapist as a new object offering new possibilities for growth. Patients are offered...