Between Winnicott and Lacan: A Clinical Engagement

Winnicott and Lacan are arguably two of the most important psychoanalysts after Freud. Who would have thought that their methods and techniques could converge in clinical practice? I wondered how it could work. This book shows how it can be done and makes a strong case for the advantages of combining the contributions of these two psychoanalytic innovators. These essays, rich in clinical material, will intrigue all who are interested in the talking cure. This unique book will also be a valuable teaching tool. Between Winnicott and Lacan brings fresh perspective for rethinking psychoanalytic theory and practice. - Patricia Gherovici, Ph.D., author, Please Select Your Gender: From the Invention of Hysteria to the Democratizing of Gender (Routledge, 2010)

This volume breaks new ground in opening up a dialogue between the seemingly divergent ideas of psychoanalysts Donald Winnicott and Jacques Lacan. Essentially (but not entirely) a clinical book, the authors bring for discussion familiar concepts - transitional phenomena, the ego and the mirror stage, subjectivity, the true and false self, human nature, lack, among others - offering interpretations of their similarities and differences that challenge us anew in our understanding in the consulting room. Between Winnicott and Lacan stimulates us to question the relationships between different theoretical paradigms without collapsing them into a confusing eclecticism, and helps to refresh our approach to what is useful in the clinic. - Angela Joyce, Ph.D., co-editor, Reading Winnicott

For Lacan, abstract theory and the function of the father are pivotal. For Winnicott, clinical practice and the presence of the mother are crucial. This difference is reflected in their most famous inventions: Lacan's objet a denotes an irretrievable lack, Winnicott's transitional object an attempt to instill separation. In the best of both worlds a marriage between these objects and their protagonists can be imagined - and this book is an excellent starting point. Clinicians from both sides discuss how Lacan and Winnicott have inspired them in their clinical practice, while at the same time producing surprising conceptual links. A new middle group is in the making, and thanks to the efforts of Lewis Kirshner, we can participate in its first steps. - Paul Verhaeghe, Ph.D., University of Ghent, Belgium

In its sustained theoretical and clinical engagement with Donald Winnicott and Jacques Lacan, Kirshner's collection argues for their value in advancing an understanding of what makes psychoanalysis - and life itself - meaningful. - Lesley Caldwell, Ph.D., editor, the Winnicott Trust

This is the first time I have read a book about psychoanalytic practice where Lacanian ideas have come to life in an accessible way...This book cannot be summed up easily- it is full of complex and sometimes contentious ideas and really deserves a wide readership. It creates a potent relationship between two different kinds of psychoanalysis and opens up possibilites of greater understanding of clinical situations and theory for anyone interested in psychic life. - Geraldine Shipton, University of Sheffield, UK