This is Dr. Schore’s third book in a trilogy of books on affect regulation. This volume of 303 pages is devoted to the critical relationship between affect regulation and the organization of the self. Clinicians are likely to find this volume useful in their practice for two reasons. First, it mimics the comparatively new process of interdisciplinary integrated academic research, and second, it imparts the importance of affect regulation as a critical element in therapy, well accepted by most of us.
The book has two parts and eight chapters. The first part is devoted to discussion on developmentally oriented psychotherapy and the second on developmental psychoanalysis.
First two chapters contain a rich resource of information on the neurobiology and psychobiology of attachment bond formation. As if the detailed description was not enough, now readers are rewarded with implications of research findings, seen through: psychoanalytical metapsychology background. The opening chapters are descriptive in nature and very carefully tease out similarities between the different theoretical models and new interdisciplinary research. Some concepts described were new to me; some challenging and others reaffirmed stances that most of us put in our practice.
The viewpoints that were new were terms such as ‘psychological immune system ‘that is advocated as a function of security of attachments. Other challenging views were redefining “intuition” as the subjective experience associated with the use of knowledge gained through implicit learning. There was also affirmation of the concepts such as, limbic circuit working as a social editor.
In chapter 3, pages 58–107 are devoted to the discussion of model of projective identification. I started reading it with some skepticism. I was right. It is a full in -depth description of Melanie Klein’s original concept and then a scholarly debate about how this concept links clinical psychoanalysis with developmental psychoanalysis, psychology and more so with developmental neuroscience (especially affective neuroscience). By my third reading, I understood the essence of what was being conveyed. The most important message I learnt as how the therapist’s autoregulation of projected negative states helps with interactive repair (in a therapy situation). This, I felt was the real treasure I almost missed, as this is indeed one of the core statements that links with the title of the book.
I would definitely recommend readers to read Chapter 4 entitled “Advances in Neuropsychoanalysis, Attachment Theory and Trauma Research”. This is fabulous academic reading that is equally applicable to our clinical lives. Four topics from this chapter are absolutely essential reading: traumatic attachment, right brain pathomorphogenesis, right brain dysfunction and self-psychological deficits.
Chapter 5 is quite lengthy and contains another scholarly discussion on early superego development, and the emergence of shame and narcissistic affect regulation in the practicing period. I found this chapter very tedious. This chapter has many color plates of brain imaging that are somewhat helpful in understanding the concept overlaid in this chapter. Chapter 6 makes a point that the rapprochement between psychoanalysis and neurobiology could happen any moment. Chapter 7 on “The right brain, the right mind, and psychoanalysis.” cleverly combines the present state of psychoanalysis with future predictions. It addresses the historical aspects of developmental emotive theories as seen through Freud’s writings. Then it provides the evidence through neuropsychoanalytic contributions to affect theory. This chapter draws many interesting corollaries between two disciplines: psychoanalysis and neurobiology that are later explored fully in Chapter 8.
My rating is 9/10 for the academic content, new information, and bold ways of helping readers to step out of the routine and explore the unknown. My rating is 6/10 for readability of the book as a whole. It may not appeal in its entity, but again I am partial to Chapters 7 and 4. These chapters will appeal to clinicians who practice psychotherapy and should be required reading for clinicians in psychotherapy training.
Happy reading.