Minding the Body

Minding the Body: The Body in Psychoanalysis and Beyond outlines the value of a psychoanalytic approach to understanding the body and its vicissitudes and for addressing these in the context of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. The chapters cover a broad but esoteric range of subjects that are not often discussed within psychoanalysis such as the function of breast augmentation surgery the psychic origins of hair the use made of the analystâs toilet transsexuality and the connection between dermatological conditions and necrophilic fantasies. The book also reaches âbeyond the couchâ to consider the nature of reality television makeover show. The book is based on the Alessandra Lemmaâs extensive clinical experience as a psychoanalyst and psychologist working in a range of public and private health care settings with patients for whom the body is the primary presenting problem or who have made unconscious use of the body to communicate their psychic pain. Minding the Body draws on detailed clinical examples that vividly illustrate how the author approaches these clinical presentations in the consulting room and as such provides insights to the practicing clinician that will support their attempts at formulating patientsâ difficulties psychoanalytically and for how to helps such patients. It will be essential reading for psychoanalysts psychologists psychiatrists mental health workers academics and literary readers interested in the body sexuality and gender. . Language: English