Book Announcement by Karen J. Maroda (USA)
Karen Maroda’s new book closely examines the analyst’s early experiences and character traits, demonstrating the impact they have on theory building and technique. Arguing that choice of theory and interventions are unconsciously shaped by clinicians’ early experiences, The Analyst’s Vulnerability: Impact on Theory and Practice argues for greater self-awareness, self-acceptance and open dialogue as a corrective.
By her admission always a bit of a gadfly, Maroda feels most motivated to express her opinions when they go against the grain. In this Routledge volume she challenges our established persona; our desire for perfection; our inclination to see our patients as victims and/or infants; our fear of doing harm; our misguided infatuation with mirror neurons; our elevation of enactment to a theory of therapeutic action; and our denial regarding the impact that our own childhood experiences continue to have on what we believe and how we practice. She advocates for embracing our vulnerability as a needed tool for understanding and treating others effectively.
Karen J. Maroda, Ph.D., ABPP is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin and in private practice in Milwaukee. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis. She has authored three prior books: The Power of Countertransference; Seduction, Surrender and Transformation; and Psychodynamic Techniques, as well as numerous journal articles and book reviews. She is corresponding faculty at ICP Los Angeles, and sits on the editorial boards of Psychoanalytic Psychology and Contemporary Psychoanalysis. She lectures and leads workshops nationally and internationally.
Karen J. Maroda, Ph.D., ABPP
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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