The Processes of Defense

In this direct and scholarly book, Dr. Joseph Fernando provides the first in-depth exploration and up-to-date revision of the psychoanalytic theory of defenses since Anna Freud's 1936 classic, The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense. The workings of three basic forms of defense—repression, denial, and post-traumatic defenses—are clearly described and illustrated with examples from Dr. Fernando's clinical practice. While comprehensive and authoritative in its coverage of defenses, the book is also highly original and clinically relevant, as Fernando introduces and illustrates new concepts including the zero process (a form of mental functioning related to trauma), contrast defenses (a type of denial defense that leads to repetition), and compound defenses (defenses formed by the tight melding of two or more basic defenses). This is a book not only of innovation but also of integration. Classical psychoanalytic concepts are integrated with new ideas related to current concerns with trauma, denial, and narcissism, and theoretical explications are integrated with practical advice about the handling of different defenses and clinical situations. This book will appeal to both beginners and seasoned clinicians and theoreticians, as well as to anyone interested in psychoanalytic thought.

Winner of 2010 Gradiva' Award Winner, Theoretical Category.

“Putting aside the theoretical fads that plague our field, Joseph Fernando returns to the nitty-gritty of the clinical process. Bringing a thorough study of psychoanalytic literature to bear upon the fundamental issues of therapeutic process and technique, Fernando evolves an integrated perspective on the ego's defensive activity and its resolution by the means of interpretation. His triad of attentional, counterforce, and zero process defenses helps us see in a fresh light what the patient says, what remains unspoken, how we respond to both of these, and why certain interventions unlock the doors of painful memories. Solidly grounded in theory and yet unabashedly helpful in fine-tuning technique, Fernando's book will go a long way in enhancing the skills of any psychotherapist!”

Putting aside the theoretical fads that plague our field, Joseph Fernando returns to the nitty-gritty of the clinical process. Bringing a thorough study of psychoanalytic literature to bear upon the fundamental issues of therapeutic process and technique, Fernando evolves an integrated perspective on the ego’s defensive activity and its resolution by the means of interpretation. His triad of attentional, counterforce, and zero process defenses helps us see in a fresh light what the patient says, what remains unspoken, how we respond to both of these, and why certain interventions unlock the doors of painful memories. Solidly grounded in theory and yet unabashedly helpful in fine-tuning technique, Fernando’s book will go a long way in enhancing the skills of any psychotherapist! -- Salman Akhtar, MD, is professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and training and supervising analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It has been a long time since the basic psychoanalytic theory of defense as Anna Freud articulated it in The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense has received a thorough review by anyone other than Anna Freud herself. Joseph Fernando has now offered us not only a review but a reconsideration and an effort at re-envisioning, re-systematizing. Like all the important contributions to psychoanalytic theory, his book is both conservative and revolutionary—in his case, more the former than the latter—and on both frequencies, provocative. -- Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Haverford College; author of Anna Freud: A Biography
Any experienced psychoanalytic clinician reading The Processes of Defense cannot but be impressed by the far-reaching nature of its contents. …[T]he integration of theoretical and clinical work is masterful, and the detailed examination of defensive processes goes well beyond what clinicians ordinarily address in their daily psychoanalytic sessions. …[T]his is a major contribution to the field of psychoanalysis, which I believe will have considerable impact on our thinking for years to come. Canadian Journal of Psychoanalysis

Dr. Joseph Fernando teaches clinical and theoretical classes in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis at the Toronto Psychoanalytic Society and the Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis, where he is also a training and supervising analyst. He has had a full-time practice in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy for over 20 years.

In this direct and scholarly book, Dr. Joseph Fernando provides the first in-depth exploration and up-to-date revision of the psychoanalytic theory of defenses since Anna Freud's 1936 classic, The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense. The workings of three basic forms of defense--repression, denial, and post-traumatic defenses--are clearly described and illustrated with examples from Dr. Fernando's clinical practice. While comprehensive and authoritative in its coverage of defenses, the book is also highly original and clinically relevant, as Fernando introduces and illustrates new concepts including the zero process (a form of mental functioning related to trauma), contrast defenses (a type of denial defense that leads to repetition), and compound defenses (defenses formed by the tight melding of two or more basic defenses). This is a book not only of innovation but also of integration. Classical psychoanalytic concepts are integrated with new ideas related to current concerns with trauma, denial, and narcissism, and theoretical explications are integrated with practical advice about the handling of different defenses and clinical situations. This book will appeal to both beginners and seasoned clinicians and theoreticians, as well as to anyone interested in psychoanalytic thought.

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