In this groundbreaking book, Sidney J. Blatt proposes that psychological   development is a lifelong personal negotiation between the two fundamental  dimensions of relatedness and self-definition. Psychological development,   from youth to old age, is a synergistic balancing act between these two   polarities, with most individuals favoring to varying degrees either the   anaclitic (relatedness) dimension or the introjective (self-definition)   dimension. Exaggerated emphasis on one developmental line at the expense   of the other, however, can lead to a variety of mental disorders. Within   this framework, mental disorders are seen not as clusters of present or   absent symptoms, as in the current DSM diagnostic system, but rather as   compensatory exaggerations of the normal polarities of relatedness and   self-definition. The author argues that this conceptualization of   personality development has clear implications for therapy and describes   intriguing research indicating that anaclitic and introjective persons   respond differently to psychotherapy. The author applies this model in   great detail to the process of therapeutic change, with striking   implications for further research. Clinical researchers, therapists,   psychiatrists, and graduate students will find this book a rich source of   new ideas for research and practice.

Polarities of Experiences: Relatedness and Self-definition in Personality Development, Psychopathology and the Therapeutic Process PDF

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