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"With this outstanding book John Fiscalini proposes a bold new concept of mutuality and coparticipation in clinical psychoanalysis based on the multifaceted interpersonal and uniquely individual dimensions of the self. In a voice that reflects the creative spontaneity and aliveness that are the hallmarks of the post-prescriptive psychoanalysis he sets forth for a new generation of analysts, Fiscalini leads the reader through the evolution of the self in the major schools of psychoanalysis in a virtual textbook history of interpersonal and relational psychoanalysis, then develops his own radical theory of coparticipant inquiry which places him squarely in the tradition of Ferenczi as a true innovator of psychoanalytic technique." -- Elizabeth Goren, Ph.D., chair, Interpersonal Orientation, New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis "In developing the concept of 'coparticipant inquiry' and placing it in the foreground of this scholarly, lively, and extremely readable new work, Fiscalini achieves a remarkable synthesis of a wide range of ideas and values that contribute to the emerging paradigm that is radically altering the landscape of contemporary psychoanalytic practice. Tracing the historical roots, theoretical underpinnings and cutting-edge therapeutic implications of an approach to analytic therapy that emphasizes analytic egalitarianism, emotional reciprocity, relational mutuality, and psychic symmetry, Fiscalini's creative integration of these trends and his elaboration of an original theory of clinical inquiry informed by them makes an important contribution to the field of contemporary psychoanalysis and related therapies. It is a book that should not be missed by practitioners or students of the contemporary psychoanalytic scene." -- Anthony Bass, Ph.D., executive editor, Psychoanalytic Dialogues: A Journal of Relational Perspectives " Coparticipant Psychoanalysis is a major contribution to the field of psychoanalytic thinking and practice and commands our attention. At a time when much of psychoanalysis is entrenched in the dichotomy of drive and relational models, John Fiscalini elaborates an emerging third paradigm: coparticipant inquiry. Fiscalini's original and creative voice deepens our understanding of the interpersonal analytic process by articulating the role of the personal self and agency in the clinical setting. In weaving together a rich array of clinical experience with lucid theoretical perspectives on the self, Fiscalini provides an exciting and timely alternative to the reductionisms present in much classical and postmodernist psychoanalysis. This book is indispensable for anyone interested in understanding the necessary evolution of psychoanalytic thinking and practice and for all who wish to appreciate the complex nature of personal and interpersonal experience." -- Roger Frie, Ph.D., Psy.D., editor, Understanding Experience: Psychotherapy and Postmodernism

Table of Contents

Introduction Coparticipation Coparticipation and Coparticipant Inquiry The Core Principles of Coparticipant Inquiry The Evolution of Coparticipant Inquiry in Psychoanalysis: A Comparative Study The Self The Multidimensional Self Clinical Dialectics of the Self Narcissism The Self and Narcissism Clinical Narcissism: Psychopathology of the Self Coparticipant Inquiry and Narcissism The Analytic Working Space Narcissistic Dynamics and Coparticipant Therapeutics: Further Considerations Explorations in Therapy Openness to Singularity: The Facilitation of Aliveness in Analysis Coparticipant Transference Analysis: Observations and Conjectures The "Living Through" Process: The Experiential and Relational Foundations of Therapeutic Action

About the Author

John Fiscalini is a training and supervising analyst and faculty member at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology; director of clinical training at the Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis; and an associate clinical professor at the New York University postdoctoral program in psychoanalysis. He is the coeditor of Narcissism and the Interpersonal Self and a coeditor of The Handbook of Interpersonal Psychoanalysis.

Reviews

In this well written and scholarly book, John Fiscalini extends interpersonal and relational theories of therapeutic action. Built on the seminal work of his mentor, Benjamin Wolstein, Fiscalini elaborates a most original way of conceptualizing psychoanalytic interaction, subtly navigating some of the shortcomings of more traditional explications of praxis. His coparticipant psychoanalytic model privileges the idiosyncratic humanity and the unique individuality of both parties in the analytic dyad. This challenging and exciting book merits wide readership among analysts representing all schools of though and all levels of clinical experience.