Avoiding Emotions, Living Emotions - Psychoanalytic Clinical Guide

In this review of Avoiding Emotions, Living Emotions the reviewer finds a focused clinical text best suited to practitioners and advanced trainees. Antonino Ferro, with Ian Harvey, presents a thoughtful examination of how emotions develop and are experienced by both patient and analyst, and the single biggest reason to buy is the book's steady linking of theory to clinical vignettes that demonstrate applications in adult and child analysis. This is a review for readers seeking deeper understanding of transference, countertransference and the role of narration in psychoanalytic work.

Key Features

• Clinical case material: Detailed vignettes from adult and child analysis illustrate theoretical points and show how emotional processes play out in sessions.
• Theoretical synthesis: The author connects Bion's thinking with later developments, offering clinicians a framework to interpret emotional experience.
• Transference focus: Clear discussion of variations on transference and countertransference helps clinicians recognise relational patterns in therapy.
• Image and narration: Emphasis on how image and narration interact provides practical guidance for fostering patient storytelling and meaning-making.
• Clinical exercises: Exercises included in the text give practitioners concrete ways to practice and refine observational and interpretive skills.

Who It's For

This book is aimed squarely at psychoanalysts, psychotherapists and psychiatrists who want a closer look at the microdynamics of emotion in the analytic encounter and who value clinical examples over abstract theorising. It is useful for advanced trainees who already have grounding in psychoanalytic concepts and are ready to apply them to casework.

Readers looking for an introductory overview of psychotherapy, a step-by-step self-help manual, or a general psychology textbook should look elsewhere, since the material assumes familiarity with psychoanalytic language and clinical practice.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Rich clinical material that makes theoretical concepts concrete for practicing clinicians.
• Productive linking of Bion's thinking to clinical implications, helpful for supervisory and training contexts.
• Useful clinical exercises and attention to narration enhance therapeutic technique.

Cons

• The text assumes prior knowledge of psychoanalytic theory, which limits accessibility for beginners.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Avoiding Emotions, Living Emotions is a compact, clinically oriented contribution to psychoanalytic practice that rewards readers who already know the basics of analytic theory. Its best value is the way it translates Bionian ideas and relational topics into concrete cases and exercises, making it a practical resource for clinicians and supervisors seeking refined tools to work with emotion and narration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include clinical examples?
Yes. The text contains case reports from both adult and child analysis used to illustrate theoretical points.

Is this suitable for beginners?
The book presumes familiarity with psychoanalytic concepts, so it is more suitable for clinicians and advanced trainees than for novices.

Are there practical exercises?
Yes. The author provides clinical exercises intended to help practitioners apply the ideas in therapeutic work.