Treatment of Alcoholism and Other Addictions : A Self-Psychology Approach

Presents psychotherapists and counselors who treat alcoholism and other addictive states with an understanding of the inner world of their patients, and the dynamics of these disorders.

This comprehensive work by Jerome D. Levin provides psychotherapists and counselors who treat alcoholism and other addictive states with a solid understanding of the inner world of their pa-tients, the dynamics of these disorders, and a repertoire of therapeutic interventions to improve the effectiveness of their psychotherapy. The author demonstrates how the therapeutic relationship can re-place addiction and promote integration and growth. Levin''s approach to the treatment of alcoholism serves as a model for the therapy of the other addictions as well. He draws on material from medicine, biology, anthropology and sociology, chemistry, psychology, and the basic principles of psychoanalysis, focusing on the concepts of transference, countertransference, therapeutic alliance, resistance, and internalization and their application to the psychodynamic treatment of individuals involved in self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.