Off the Couch: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Applications

The contemporary relevance of psychoanalysis is being increasingly questioned; Off the Couch challenges this view, demonstrating that psychoanalytic thinking and its applications are both innovative and relevant, in particular to the management and treatment of more disturbed and difficult to engage patient groups. Chapters address:

clinical applications in diverse settings across the age range

the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of CBT, psychosomatics and general psychiatry

the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to mental health policy and the politics of conflict and mediation.

This book suggests that psychoanalysis has a vital position within the public health sector and discusses how it can be better utilised in the treatment of a range of mental health and problems. It also highlights the role of empirical research in providing a robust evidence base.

Off the Couch will be essential reading for those practising in the field of mental health and will also be useful for anyone involved in the development of mental health and public policies. It will ensure that practitioners and supervisors have a clear insight into how psychoanalysis can be applied in general healthcare.

The contemporary relevance of psychoanalysis is being increasingly questioned; Off the Couch challenges this view, demonstrating that psychoanalytic thinking and its applications are both innovative and relevant, in particular to the management and treatment of more disturbed and difficult to engage patient groups. Chapters address:

• clinical applications in diverse settings across the age range


• the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of CBT, psychosomatics and general psychiatry


• the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to mental health policy and the politics of conflict and mediation.

This book suggests that psychoanalysis has a vital position within the public health sector and discusses how it can be better utilised in the treatment of a range of mental health problems. It also highlights the role of empirical research in providing a robust evidence base.

Off the Couch will be essential reading for those practicing in the field of mental health and will also be useful for anyone involved in the development of mental health and public policies. It will ensure that practitioners and supervisors have a clear insight into how psychoanalysis can be applied in general healthcare.

Alessandra Lemma is the Trust-wide Head of psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. She is a Member of the British Psychoanalytic Society, an Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London and a Visiting Professor at Essex University. She has published widely on psychoanalysis and related fields.

Matthew Patrick is Chief Executive of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, where he is also a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy. He is a Fellow of, and Training and Supervising Analyst for the British Psychoanalytic Society.