Modes of Therapeutic Action by Martha Stark Martha Stark presents one of the best overviews of the various approaches to psychoanalytic therapy ranging from classical psychoanalysis through contemporary psychoanalysis. Building from Stephen Mitchell's writing, she identifies three major traditions in psychoanalytic thought which she refers to as Model 1 (classical or Freudian psychoanalysis), Model 2 (self psychology and object relations), and Model 3 (contemporary psychoanalysis or relational psychoanalysis). Stark's overview is intended for clinicians, not academicians. In other words, she doesn't spend too much time focusing on the intellectual trends in these theories. For that, the reader would be better off reading Stephen Mitchell's Relational Concepts in Psychoanalysis: An Integration. Instead, Stark focuses on the how these approaches are different in the actual therapeutic applications. Modes of Therapeutic Action is filled with a number of very good illustrative clinical examples which help the reader understand the difference in the three traditions. The book is also very accessible in the way it was written, further adding to its value. The book is highly recommended as a great starting point for those trying to gain an understanding of the psychoanalytic process across time. February, 2006
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