In this uniquely intimate and clinical book, Mark Kinet explores the vital role of psychodynamic psychotherapy in psychiatric work.

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in Psychiatric Practice: Premises and Clinical Portraits includes over 70 case studies of patients receiving psychiatric care in various settings, from (semi-)residential treatment to outpatient support. Kinet draws on his extensive experience of conducting group and individual psychotherapy sessions, psychoanalysis in a traditional setting, and his integration of play therapy techniques. He introduces and explores seven foundational premises essential to the success of psychodynamic psychotherapy with these patients: the integration of intrapsychic and interpersonal forces and perspectives, the key impact of unconscious content and processes, the vital importance of the therapeutic relationship, the mobilisation of mentalising capacities, the interpretation of hidden motives, the emancipation resulting from enlightenment, and the importance of approaching this work with realism rather than an idealised perspective. The case studies highlight common mental issues such as anxiety, low mood and clinical depression, PTSD, and personality disorders, equipping the reader with the tools to understand and help a wide range of patients.

Written in accessible language, this volume will be of great interest to psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and psychotherapists, as well as anyone interested in gaining insight into real-life psychiatric practice.