Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from Psychoanalysis is written by practicing child psychoanalysts with extensive experience treating children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and uneven development. The authors bridge the gap between a psychodynamic approach to ASD and burgeoning data from the fields of neurobiology and neurofunction. Based on current research showing neuroplasticity of the brain, the authors posit that treating ASD through intensive engagement of caregiver and child makes possible the successful psychoanalytic treatment of a neurobiological disorder. To this...

In this elegantly written book, eight distinguished psychoanalysts address the ubiquitous phenomenon of guilt. They describe the childhood experiences that form the bedrock of this emotion and delineate various types of guilt, including pre-oedipal guilt, oedipal guilt, survivor guilt, separation guilt, induced guilt, and so on. Noting that guilt, by itself, is neither good nor bad, these master clinicians highlight the adverse (e.g. self-punishment, masochism, irritability) and potentially positive (e.g. reparation, helpfulness towards others) outcomes of guilt. They critically assess...