Synopsis

The starting point for this book is the Winnicott paper 'Ego distortion in terms of True and False Self' which is reprinted here. The contributors include: Frances Tustin on autism; Ken Wright on personal selfhood; Nina Coltart with insights from philosophy and Buddhism; and Katherine Cameron on Winnicott and Lacan.

Description

The Squiggle Foundation has for many years produced Winnicott Studies, a journal which celebrates and reconsiders the work of Donald Winnicott, the groundbreaking pediatrician and psychoanalyst. This is the first time that a monograph has been produced by Winnicott Studies, with the aim of concentrating on just one aspect of his thought. It focuses on one of Winnicott's most enduring and resonant formulations, the True and False Self.

Winnicott's classic paper Ego distortion in terms of True and False Self is reprinted here together with contributions from some of the most eminent figures in psychotherapy. Val Richards presents some implications for clinical work and thinking; Katherine Cameron discusses the worth of Winnicott's formulation to Lacanians; Francis Tustin relates it to her work with autistic patients; Ken Wright considers its impact on one's personal selfhood; and Nina Coltart uses the insights from philosophy and Buddhism to put our ideas of the self in an entirely new light. Together, these papers make this book indispensable for anyone interested in Winnicott's work.