Psychoanalytic Case Formulation (Hardcover)

by Nancy McWilliams (Author) "THIS book represents an elaboration of my deeply held conviction that for therapy to be therapeutic, it is more important for the clinician to understand..." (more)
Key Phrases: psychoanalytic case formulation, pathogenic beliefs, pathogenic ideas, Assessing What Cannot Be Changed, Assessing Self-Esteem, Anna Freud (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Psychoanalytic Case Formulation is aimed at both the student who may not have had a lot of exposure to psychoanalytic ideas as well as the more seasoned clinician. Chapters cover assessing what cannot be changed; developmental issues, defences, affects, identifications, relationships, self esteem needs and pathogenic beliefs. Each chapter concludes with a concise summary of key points....This book is highly readable and describes patients and situations that can be readily identified. I am sure that it will find a comfortable home on the bookshelves of many experienced clinicians and particularly those learning the art of psychotherapy."--Australasian Journal of Psychotherapy

"Her straightforward language, as illustrated in her title choices, makes the book user-friendly for even the most junior student. Her introductory chapter, with its excellent overview of the goals of psychoanalytic therapy, could be a very useful section for teachers, particularly of psychiatric residents. Her review of developmental theory in chapter 4 is comprehensive and easy to digest. The entire book has an informal, chatty style reminiscent of a seminar, and McWilliams generously includes examples drawn from her life and practice."--Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)
-- Review

Review

"Books by Nancy McWilliams used in unison make the best psychodynamic resources I have yet encountered in more than 60 years in the field."--Robert C. Lane, PhD, Department of Psychology, Nova Southeastern University

"This beautifully written, uniquely accessible guide to the psychoanalytic understanding of clinical cases will be of immense value to students and practitioners of all theoretical persuasions. I predict it will be among the most important and widely used books in this field for years to come." --George E. Atwood, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

"Psychoanalytic Case Formulation is a worthy successor to Psychoanalytic Diagnosis. Nancy McWilliams has a pellucid writing style that brings complex concepts within the easy grasp of the reader. She has produced a book that is intelligently psychoanalytic without being restricted to any single vision of psychoanalysis. The critical concepts are developed well and the issues important to assessment--a concept that goes well beyond diagnosis--are explicated clearly and helpfully. This is a rare book that can serve as a text for beginning students and still has much to offer to accomplished professionals." --George Stricker, PhD, The Derner Institute, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY

"It is a pleasure to review Dr. McWilliams' second book, which nicely complements diagnosis....Dr. McWilliams has the knack of being profound without being heavy; within this text one finds the incisively written, well thought-out observations of a seasoned and compassionate practitioner."--The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry

"Psychoanalytic Case Formulation is aimed at both the student who may not have had a lot of exposure to psychoanalytic ideas as well as the more seasoned clinician. Chapters cover assessing what cannot be changed; developmental issues, defences, affects, identifications, relationships, self esteem needs and pathogenic beliefs. Each chapter concludes with a concise summary of key points....This book is highly readable and describes patients and situations that can be readily identified. I am sure that it will find a comfortable home on the bookshelves of many experienced clinicians and particularly those learning the art of psychotherapy."--Australasian Journal of Psychotherapy

"Her straightforward language, as illustrated in her title choices, makes the book user-friendly for even the most junior student. Her introductory chapter, with its excellent overview of the goals of psychoanalytic therapy, could be a very useful section for teachers, particularly of psychiatric residents. Her review of developmental theory in chapter 4 is comprehensive and easy to digest. The entire book has an informal, chatty style reminiscent of a seminar, and McWilliams generously includes examples drawn from her life and practice."--Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (March 26, 1999) Language: English ISBN-10: 1572304626 ISBN-13: 978-1572304628 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,990 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #4 in  Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Internal Medicine > Psychiatry > Diagnosis #8 in  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Testing & Measurement #35 in  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Personality

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
THIS book represents an elaboration of my deeply held conviction that for therapy to be therapeutic, it is more important for the clinician to understand people than to master specific treatment techniques. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
psychoanalytic case formulation, pathogenic beliefs, pathogenic ideas, psychopathic people, diagnosis meaningful, dynamic formulation, analytic therapists, identificatory processes, self psychologists, intake session

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Assessing What Cannot Be Changed, Assessing Self-Esteem, Anna Freud, Assessing Relational Patterns

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 8 books:

• Working With Religious Issues in Therapy by Robert Lovinger on page 135
• New Guinea (The World's Wild Places) by Roy D. MacKay in Back Matter
• Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Dependencies, and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow by Judith Viorst on page 120
• Structural Analysis by J. C. Smith on page 142
• Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis in Back Matter

See all 8 books this book cites

 

3 books cite this book:

• Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: A Practitioner's Guide by Nancy McWilliams on 5 pages
• Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process by Nancy McWilliams in Back Matter
• I Love You Madly! On Passion, Personality and Personal Growth, second edition by Robert M. Gordon in Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Psychoanalytic Diagnosis by Nancy McWilliams

Discusses:

• pathogenic beliefs
• psychopathic people
• depressive psychology

Handbook of Psychotherapy Case Formulation, 1st Edition, 1997) by Tracy D. Eells

Discusses:

• psychoanalytic case formulation
• pathogenic beliefs
• diagnosis meaningful

Advanced Abnormal Psychology by Michel Hersen

Discusses:

• pathogenic beliefs
• diagnosis meaningful
• Anna Freud

The Psychoanalytic Process by Joseph Weiss

Discusses:

• psychoanalytic case formulation
• pathogenic ideas
• particular pathogenic belief

Psychoanalytic Theories of Affect by Ruth Stein

Discusses:

• pathogenic ideas
• identificatory processes
• Anna Freud

Handbook of Psychology, Clinical Psychology by George Stricker

Discusses:

• pathogenic beliefs
• diagnosis meaningful
• Anna Freud

Psychoanalytic Diagnosis by Nancy McWilliams Discusses: pathogenic beliefs psychopathic people depressive psychology Handbook of Psychotherapy Case Formulation, 1st Edition, 1997) by Tracy D. Eells Discusses: psychoanalytic case formulation pathogenic beliefs diagnosis meaningful Advanced Abnormal Psychology by Michel Hersen Discusses: pathogenic beliefs diagnosis meaningful Anna Freud The Psychoanalytic Process by Joseph Weiss Discusses: psychoanalytic case formulation pathogenic ideas particular pathogenic belief Loading...

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	77% buy the item featured on this page: Psychoanalytic Case Formulation 4.3 out of 5 stars (7) $36.00
	11% buy Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process 4.9 out of 5 stars (16) $36.03
	5% buy Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: A Practitioner's Guide 5.0 out of 5 stars (7) $40.00
	5% buy Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual: (PDM) 4.9 out of 5 stars (14) $23.10

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (5) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 32 of 32 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Better than any other five books on psychology, May 29, 2000 By  Paul Tierney (Pittsboro, NC) - See all my reviews While I agree with another reviewer that "The book could be much more valuable ... had there been a greater focus on relating findings more clearly and thoroughly to the actual work of therapy," it wouldn't then be about "case formulation," would it? There is more wisdom in this book that in any other five books on psychology I've read recently, and I read a lot. It's full of seemingly obvious insights I've never heard anyone say before. Simplicity and clarity are misleadingly difficult to pull off and are the sign of someone with real understanding. You may not be able to have Nancy McWilliams supervise your work but you can buy this book. She's not infallible; I don't agree with everything she says, but I also don't think you can go wrong by spending a few evenings with her. 31 of 32 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, July 9, 2000 By  Susan G. Dunn (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews Nancy Mc Williams is imminently readable. She has the gift of de-mystifying difficult concepts; or, put another way, she does not apparently have ego-needs that compel her to make the concepts of psychotherapy, or the field itself, obtuse. She also has quite an ability to cut-to-the-chase. Consider, for example, her description of "insight": "Part of the emphasis on understanding is that the two of them [patient and therapist] need something to talk about while the nonspecific relational factors are doing their quiet healing." Her personality shows through in her writing, so you will learn at two levels -- what she is telling you explicity,which is invaluable, and what she is telling you implicitly -- what it is about her that makes her so effective -- and believe me, you would want her to be your therapist, supervisor, whatever. As an aside, she seems to have a particular interest in, and gift for working with, addicts and sociopaths. Read the book, make charts, keep it at hand. It's a good read. 22 of 22 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic for (psychodynamic?) therapists, April 16, 2003 By  Fellow consumer "yoyo_at_ca" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews Few books on *psychoanalytic* therapy offer such an excellent combination of theory and *application*. Want to know what to do in therapy once you recognize your patient's defenses, patterns, level of self-esteem, issues with affect, etc? Get this book. You do not know basic psychoanalytic tenets? The theory is there as well. Some people think this book is only for beginners. I disagree. It seems simple because McWilliams is a gifted writer and teacher, and has a knack to explain the most difficult concepts with everyday language that a 6 year old would understand. If you want an easy read with a lot of substance, read McWilliams. If you want a painful read with little substance, read Lacan (haha.) I am a beginner therapist, and this book has helped me immensely. The professor that recommended it has been practising for 35 years and *still* finds it useful. (Note: he is a renowned clinician and scholar... not just anybody) Every sentence counts. There is no superfluous material here. You get your every penny's worth of information. The book is also a page-turner--since when is a textbook supposed to be this enjoyable??? And McWilliams, who is obviously comfortable in her own skin, does not show the dogmatism that is typical in other writers. She is open to admit the usefulness of other approaches to therapy, and this very openness makes this text a useful resource for anyone interested in psychotherapy, even if they are coming from a different approach (cognitive behavioral, humanistic...).		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 2.0 out of 5 stars Of Little Substance I bought this book thinking that the author would go through some cases, explaining how she does psychotherapy. Not exactly. Read more Published on August 13, 2006 by A reviewer 5.0 out of 5 stars Access into the literature I think the most important use of this book and the others that Nancy Mcwilliams has written is the access they provide into the literature. Read more Published on December 19, 2005 by A. Peters 5.0 out of 5 stars Our class loved this book! Tonight as we handed in our "take home final exams" for a Psychoanalytic Theory and Therapy class we all agreed that this book (a required text) was a good read. Read more Published on November 24, 2003 by Patrizia 3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not invaluable Psychoanalytic Case Formulation provides some insight on the manner by which the analytic practitioner assesses a patient. Read more Published on March 24, 2000 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (March 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572304626
• ISBN-13: 978-1572304628
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,990 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Internal Medicine > Psychiatry > Diagnosis
  #8 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Testing & Measurement
  #35 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Personality

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than any other five books on psychology, May 29, 2000

By	Paul Tierney (Pittsboro, NC) - See all my reviews

While I agree with another reviewer that "The book could be much more valuable ... had there been a greater focus on relating findings more clearly and thoroughly to the actual work of therapy," it wouldn't then be about "case formulation," would it? There is more wisdom in this book that in any other five books on psychology I've read recently, and I read a lot. It's full of seemingly obvious insights I've never heard anyone say before. Simplicity and clarity are misleadingly difficult to pull off and are the sign of someone with real understanding. You may not be able to have Nancy McWilliams supervise your work but you can buy this book. She's not infallible; I don't agree with everything she says, but I also don't think you can go wrong by spending a few evenings with her.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, July 9, 2000

By	Susan G. Dunn (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

Nancy Mc Williams is imminently readable. She has the gift of de-mystifying difficult concepts; or, put another way, she does not apparently have ego-needs that compel her to make the concepts of psychotherapy, or the field itself, obtuse. She also has quite an ability to cut-to-the-chase. Consider, for example, her description of "insight": "Part of the emphasis on understanding is that the two of them [patient and therapist] need something to talk about while the nonspecific relational factors are doing their quiet healing." Her personality shows through in her writing, so you will learn at two levels -- what she is telling you explicity,which is invaluable, and what she is telling you implicitly -- what it is about her that makes her so effective -- and believe me, you would want her to be your therapist, supervisor, whatever. As an aside, she seems to have a particular interest in, and gift for working with, addicts and sociopaths. Read the book, make charts, keep it at hand. It's a good read.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic for (psychodynamic?) therapists, April 16, 2003

By	Fellow consumer "yoyo_at_ca" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Few books on *psychoanalytic* therapy offer such an excellent combination of theory and *application*. Want to know what to do in therapy once you recognize your patient's defenses, patterns, level of self-esteem, issues with affect, etc? Get this book. You do not know basic psychoanalytic tenets? The theory is there as well.

Some people think this book is only for beginners. I disagree. It seems simple because McWilliams is a gifted writer and teacher, and has a knack to explain the most difficult concepts with everyday language that a 6 year old would understand. If you want an easy read with a lot of substance, read McWilliams. If you want a painful read with little substance, read Lacan (haha.) I am a beginner therapist, and this book has helped me immensely. The professor that recommended it has been practising for 35 years and *still* finds it useful. (Note: he is a renowned clinician and scholar... not just anybody)

Every sentence counts. There is no superfluous material here. You get your every penny's worth of information. The book is also a page-turner--since when is a textbook supposed to be this enjoyable??? And McWilliams, who is obviously comfortable in her own skin, does not show the dogmatism that is typical in other writers. She is open to admit the usefulness of other approaches to therapy, and this very openness makes this text a useful resource for anyone interested in psychotherapy, even if they are coming from a different approach (cognitive behavioral, humanistic...).