Paul L. Wachtel: Relational Theory and the Practice of Psychotherapy

Books that successfully integrate two or more theoretical approaches without becoming a muddle of ideas are rare, as are books that are accessible to beginning and seasoned clinicians alike. In Relational Theory and the Practice of Psychotherapy, Paul Wachtel sets forth a goal of meeting both of these aims with regard to educating readers about the oft-referenced, but generally vague notion of relational theory. In particular, this book is a theory-driven exploration of modern relational theory in psychotherapy, with a particular focus on its similarities and differences (both theoretical and practical) with psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Wachtel works to put both psychoanalytic and relational ideas in a historical context, including distinguishing carefully between traditional and more modern psychoanalytic approaches, and elucidates the assumptions that guide each approach. The book is divided into 12 chapters, with roughly the first half of the book being strongly theoretical and the second half being more applied (although still strongly grounded in theory). Wachtel writes with a generally conversational style to make an otherwise very dense text readable, especially in discussing his own relational model of psychotherapy (which he refers to in a couple of ways, but primarily as the Cyclical-Contextual Model). …