Work, Love, Play

The eminent psychoanalyst Joel Shor is known for his staunch defense of the individual's fight to self-determination in the face of an authoritarian element that is sometimes present in psychoanalysis. This book contains 15 eassays in which Dr. Shor traces the evolution of his ideas. Embracing the label of "radical humanist" that his position has earned him, Dr. Shor emphasizes three major themes that inform his view of psychoanalysis; the linking of trauma with instinct, the ethic of client centeredness, and the ongoing quest for understanding. His discussions of encounters with Ernst Kris, Theodor Reik and Michael Balint provide insight into the potential and the paradox of the psychoanalytic dialogue.