Adam Blatner

I’ve been reading Brent Willock’s, Comparative-Integrative Psychoanalysis: A Relational Perspective fro the Discipline’s Second Century (New York: The Analytic Press, 2007). Great book—erudite, and significant in its purpose: We should consider more how it is time (theoretically and practically) to get past the era of competing “schools” of analysis (e.g., the object relations, self-psychology, neo-Freudian interpersonal, ego psychology, drive theory, intersubjectivity, and so forth), and begin to consider how they can and should be integrated.

My small quibble is simple: Why stop there? The author’s arguments could equally apply to the challenge of integrating all the analytic approaches with the other approaches, such as Jungian, Adlerian, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt Therapy, Psychodrama, Bioenergetic Analysis (and other body therapy approaches), Psychosynthesis, and many others. I write more extensively about how and why this is appropriate in a recently posted paper on my website. Check it out if this challenge of integration interests you. I’d be open to your feedback and suggestions.