Projective Identification in the Clinical Setting: A Kleinian Interpretation

How do Kleinians work with projective identification? The concept of projective identification, first introduced by Melanie Klein in 1946, has been widely studied by psychoanalysts of different persuasions. However, these explorations have neglected to show what Kleinians actually do with the projective identification phenomenon in their daily casework. Projective Identification in the Clinical Settingpresents a detailed study of Kleinian literature, setting a background of understanding for the day-to-day analytic atmosphere in which projective identification takes place. Extensive clinical material illustrates issues clearly identified for clinical practice, including: the ways projective identification occurs within various psychological constellations; the role of the analyst in countertransference experiences; work with difficult patients who experience life within a paranoid or psychotic framework; the role of projective identificationin pathological greed. This comprehensive account of Kleinian literature on projective identification and wealth of clinical material provide a powerful and clear account of clinical practice around projective identification that all practitioners, psychoanalytic psychotherapists and trainees will benefit from reading.