Recent psychotherapy book releases

Staff and alumni of the Tavistock and Portman have recently released two new books, highlighting the importance of psychotherapy and the continuing impact of our pioneering mental health research.

The first book, Skills in Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy, has been re-released by course lead Katrina Wynne with co-author Susan Howard.

The second book builds on our ‘Tavistock Clinic Series’ entitled Learning and Unlearning through the Clinical Encounter: Becoming a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, and has been written by two Tavistock and Portman alumni Francesca Hume and Helen Barker.

Skills in Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy

Katrina Wynne, course lead for our popular adult psychoanalytic psychotherapy training course, recently released a new edition of the acclaimed book, Skills in Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy, with co-author Susan Howard.

The book, which is published by Sage and now in its third edition, is an essential step-by-step guide to using a psychodynamic approach during a therapeutic process.

Its previous two editions were penned by Susan Howard – a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and clinical psychologist with over forty years’ experience, including teaching roles at the University of Surrey.

Susan personally invited Katrina, also a psychoanalyst and consultant clinical psychologist at the Tavistock and Portman, to collaborate on this new edition. Together the pair updated several chapters, including one on the evidence base for psychodynamic therapy, where both authors share a common interest.

It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Susan as an established author on this project, which I hope will be useful to many exploring the richness of this type of work

Katrina Wynne

The updated version also includes the latest thinking on transference and countertransference – a phenomenon where a patient unconsciously redirects feelings, emotions, and desires from past relationships, particularly those from childhood, onto the therapist (and vice versa).

There is also new content on issues of difference and diversity in therapeutic relationships, inspired by recent national and global events. Online therapy and remote working are also considered in the context of a post-Covid world, and there are several new case studies for readers to consider.

On being published, Katrina said:

“Over the years I’ve had the privilege of working with such diverse patients and colleagues – including students – who have helped me learn a great deal. Supporting others to learn has been a major part of my practice for many years, and collaborating on the book feels a logical part of that ongoing process.

Learning and Unlearning through the Clinical Encounter: Becoming a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist

The latest book to be published as part of our ‘Tavistock Clinic Series’ sets out new approaches in the understanding and treatment of psychological disturbance in children, adolescents, and adults, both as individuals and in families.

The book, edited by Tavistock alumni Francesca Hume, a clinical psychologist, and Helen Barker, a psychoanalyst, examines the learning process involved in becoming a psychoanalytic practitioner and presents training experiences from the Tavistock and Portman, through the lens of both teachers and trainees.

The Tavistock Clinic Series book describes how psychoanalytic knowledge is acquired through a process of ‘learning from experience’ and the fostering of a ‘culture of enquiry’. The book’s contributors also present their interpretations of what is meant by analytic learning and how this is acquired for a psychoanalytic attitude to become possible.

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Tavistock Clinic Series

The Tavistock Clinic Series makes available to the public our most influencial clinical, theoretical, and research work. The series sets out new approaches in the understanding and treatment of psychological disturbance in children, adolescents, and adults, both as individuals and in families.

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Inside there are a range of chapters by experienced clinicians setting out what can be useful in training, balanced by other chapters from more recent trainees who reflect on their development and experience of that training. The book also focuses on the experience and importance of supervision and how someone can respond to clinical challenges in training and practice.

Reflecting on the book and its contribution to psychoanalysis, Francesca says:

“The book examines the learning process involved in becoming a psychoanalytic practitioner through the lens of both teachers and trainees. It has been described as ‘unique’ in showing how we acquire a psychoanalytic attitude, and it provides a model for training in psychoanalytic thinking.”