Object Relations and the Family Process

Front Cover
Bloomsbury Academic, Jan 9, 1990 - Psychology - 201 pages

Joining two usually distinct areas of psychoanalytic treatment, this volume explores the psychoanalytic theory of object relations and its application to the study of marital and family interaction. Freud's object relations model lends itself well to the study of internalized object relations and external personal relations. Integrating various psychoanalytic approaches as well as contributions of Piagetian scholars, this essay also incorporates general systems theory. The study covers the breakdown of marital relationships, narcissism of partners, separation and individuation of adolescent offspring, role typing, family communication, defense mechanisms, entrapping, and emotional processes. It concludes with a synthesis of marital and family object relations models.

Object Relations and the Family Process introduces the reader to the object relations model. It describes the process of acquiring object concepts of both permanence and libidinal strivings. The concept of libidinal object is then defined. An overview of the psychoanalytic theory of object relations is given and the intrapersonal and interpersonal spheres of object relations are described. The remainder of the book is devoted to the author's presentation of his hypothetical model. Both psychoanalysts and therapists will find this model a useful one.

From inside the book

 

Contents

A Conceptual Base
1
The Acquisition of the Concepts of Permanent and Libidinal Objects
11
Toward a Definition of the Object Its Origins and Its Functions
17
Copyright

15 other sections not shown

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Object Relations and the Family Process
Randall Klein
No preview available - 1990

Common terms and phrases

adolescent children anxiety aspects attempt autonomy becomes behavior Brodey cathected cathexis child cognitive collusively conceptualization conflict context defensive stature delineations developmental differentiation disavowed dyadic dynamic effect ego psychology ego system ego-ideal ego-syntonic environment experienced external object external world extrafamilial facilitate family group family members family system family therapy family's fantasies and assumptions fear Gedo gratification healthy human ideal identity individual infant infantile inherent inner Insofar instinctual integral interac interaction interpersonal relations interpersonal relationships intrapsychic introjection libidinal object maintain marital and family marital partner marital relationship marital system marriage mature Meissner mother-infant mothering object mutual narcissism narcissistic object needs object relations theory object relationship object representation object world organization paradigm parent-child parents pattern perceived perceptions person phenomenon projective identification psychic psychoanalytic reality reciprocal regressive relations model role Sandler self-esteem sense Shapiro significant splitting Stierlin structure tion tional transaction transpires uncon wherein Winnicott world of object

References to this book

About the author (1990)

RANDALL S. KLEIN is in private practice of the psychoanalytic psychotheraphy of individuals, couples, and families in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Bibliographic information

TitleObject Relations and the Family Process
AuthorRandall Klein
PublisherBloomsbury Academic, 1990
Original fromthe University of Michigan
DigitizedOct 1, 2008
ISBN0275932680, 9780275932688
Length201 pages
Subjects › 

Psychology / General
  
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