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A Clinical Introduction to Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Theory and Technique

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My familiarity with the language of psychoanalysis has come primarily through its usage by post-structural and feminist theorists. Reading this text has been like discovering a rosetta stone. The clinical examples that Fink uses has put flesh, so to speak, on some difficult and disembodied ideas with which I have previously struggled. Politically I find myself at great odds with Fink's forays into social commentary, but even this has been incredibly instructive.

It is the first time ,in my opinion,that an ambitious attempt to approach a "difficult"discourse achieves its aim :to develop in a brief and explicit way without any extravagant simplifications a theoritical laying concerning the function of human psychic apparatus.The detailed footnotes and the lucid bibliography form one more advantage of the book. In short,although this could be characterised as an unusual attempt for the American psychoanalytic scheming ,the overall outcome is enviable. Alkis Melidoniotis,MD Department of Psychiatry Naval Hospital of Crete Greece

"A Clinical Introduction to Lacanian Psychoanalysis" is a much more accessible book that its factual title implies. Author Bruce Fink does an admirable job of presenting the thought of Jacques Lacan, a French "poststructuralist" who built his theory on the work of Freud. After reading Fink on Lacan, I wondered if Lacan himself was ever as accessible. What makes this book so comprehensible is that Fink bases his discussion on Lacan's own admirably simple schemata of the varieties of mental disorders. At the same time, Fink understands and explains those cultural tendencies in the thought of Lacan that might put off an English-speaking reader. And Fink's writing style is nothing short of clear. His discussion of Freud's "Rat man" case is an excellent introduction to Freud's clinical style. In short, "Clinical Introduction" is a highly attractive book whose success both enhanced, in my eyes, the reputation of Lacan, a tough French thinker, and, through the example of Fink, showed Anglo-American appreciation of Continental thought at its sensitive best.

It is the first time ,in my opinion,that an ambitious attempt to approach a "difficult"discourse achieves its aim :to develop in a brief and explicit way without any extravagant simplifications a theoritical laying concerning the function of human psychic apparatus.The detailed footnotes and the lucid bibliography form one more advantage of the book. In short,although this could be characterised as an unusual attempt for the American psychoanalytic scheming ,the overall outcome is enviable. Alkis Melidoniotis,MD Department of Psychiatry Naval Hospital of Crete Greece

Along with his book "The Lacanian Subject," this book of Fink's is THE best introduction for the English reader. To be sure, this book does not present the entire Lacanian project, but that is not its intention. Rather, Fink is trying to give the reader a basis with which s/he can go to the Seminars of Lacan. Indeed, it effectively accomplishes just this! For me, the highlight of this book is how it presents Lacan in his relation to Freud. By doing this, we get a very good look at what Lacan meant by performing his now famous "Return to Freud." To get a good introductory handle on Lacan, one MUST read these two books by Fink!

Having read Annie Rogers' The Unsayable first, I felt I had a better understanding of the therapy to which Fink alluded. I would definitely recommend The Unsayable, simply because it is a much more in-depth look at cases, allowing the reader to take on the technique him/herself. However Fink goes further with the theory, opening up new passage ways to understanding different types of aberrant behavior. His book just opened my appetite for more Lacan.

Dr. Fink has managed in this text to provide readers from various backgrounds with crucial links between Lacanian theory and practice. It is especially useful for those already acquainted with Lacan's writing from a philosophical perspective who wish to see the application of his work. Whether one is a clinician or not, anyone with an interest in Lacan and psychoanalytic theory should read this book. The discussion is penetrating and the case studies illuminating. A very rewarding read.

After having a go at Lacan's writings directly- I fell back to the common piece of advice: read about Lacanian theory before you read it directly. Fink's Clinical Introduction was the first text I went to, and found it extremely helpful. Notions that are used in various contexts in other author's works, like the 'Real,''object a,' etc., finally came to life through Fink's focus on their clinical application. For this reason, I can see how this book would also suit the psychoanalytically minded clinical psychologist ,despite only being a student myself; throughout the book, he also compares and contrasts ego-psychology (the prevalent approach in the Anglo-Saxon world) with Lacan's thoery. As Fink explains in the opening pages, Lacan's seminars were meant to be taught, to help practicing clinicians diagnose/treat patients under three structural categories: psychosis, neurosis, and perversion. Understanding these fundamental structural categories in the clinical context, brought the theory back down to earth for me- making other abstract theorists work- like the Lacanian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, more approachable reads as well.

One bit of information I will mention, however, is that in going into an overview of Lacan from a clinical perspective, Fink is forced to cut some corners on the theory side of things. For this, of course, he has another book: 'The Lacanian Subject.' I'm reading it now, and wish I had even read it before reading this one, because it delves into how all of the theoretical points- object a, fantasy, unconscious as language, etc. tie into one another...Heck, I'll just read this one again afterward. So I suppose it depends on what it is you are hoping to get out of your reading, in deciding which to read, or in what order.

I am very thankful to Dr. Fink for his capacity to distil a coherent message from the body of the work of such an important but quite unreadable thinker. (I have tried to read Lacan in French quite a few times, but it was just too frustrating.) The implications of what Dr. Fink explains in his book are so far-reaching, that just a tiny fraction of people at this time would be able to understand. You can understand only from an already higher perspective. ( It could also be called overstand.) That's why the angry man shouts: "I am NOT angry" or the addict has two dozen explications of how his "drug" actually helps him. Only somebody who was able to escape the net of his own environmental and cultural inheritance inside of which he created his own individuality would be able to understand what it would mean to stand outside of the symbolic, outside of signification, outside of desire. Very few human beings would understand that "desire" is created within a virtual and alienated symbolic existence, a bit as the blues was created to alleviate a hopeless situatuion. It functions like the proverbial carrot to keep us going in a life that lacks spontaneous inspiration and connection.
Unfortunately the ocean of all these individual desires is responsible for the battlefield of conflicts that we call human existence. Now we are at a dead end ecologically and will have to envision Zero-growth. But if we do not start to understand ourselves with the help of people like Lacan, we will not find a way to live a meaningful and respectful life towards ourselves, our fellow (human)beeings and the earth!

After having read Lionel Bailly's book on Lacan, I was ready to dive into this amazing book! Fink explains via Lacan the hysteric, the obsessive, the pervert,the psychotic...It was very illuminating. No where else have I found such a clear understanding of various disorders. I only wish Fink would write the sequel he alludes to in his book!! I want to learn more but unfortunately find many of the other books a bit obtuse. Definitely a wonderful read.