The work of Jacques Lacan is associated more with literature and philosophy than mainstream American psychology, due in large part to the dense language he employs in articulating his theory – often at the expense of clinical illustration. As a result, his contributions are frequently fascinating, yet their utility in the therapeutic setting can be difficult to pinpoint. Lacanian Psychotherapy fills in this clinical gap by presenting theoretical discussions in clear, accessible language and applying them to several chapter-length case studies, thereby demonstrating their clinical relevance. The central concern of the book is the usefulness of Lacan’s notion that the unconscious is structured like and by language. This concept implies a peculiar manner of listening (“to the letter”) and intervention, which Miller applies to a number of common clinical concerns – including case formulation, dreams, transference, and diagnosis – all in the context of real-world psychotherapy.
Introduction: AnOther Psychoanalysis. Shattering Discourse to Bring Free Speech. Evidence and Psychotherapy: A History of Case Histories. Strength in Letters. Aggressiveness in Psychotherapy. Organa Non-Grata. Che Vuoi? The Letter and the Desire of the Other. Conclusions.
Michael J. Miller, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University, New York, USA and an adjunct professor at Syracuse University, USA. He has been published in The Humanistic Psychologist as well as Lacan and Addictions (Karnac, 2011), and has presented to groups of psychoanalytic clinicians on clinical applications of Lacan.
