Three Texts Conclusion

 The third book in the Wise/Gerkin psychoanalytic tradition in pastoral psychoanalytic psychotherapy was written in 2007 by Pamela Cooper-White. Her text is entitled, Pastoral Psychotherapy in Relational and Theological Perspective. Cooper-White is also a professor, writer, and pastoral psychoanalytic psychotherapist. It is clear from her text that she followed the same path as many before her, first integrating Freudian psychoanalysis into her pastoral psychotherapy work, and then later adding object relations and self psychology perspectives as well. ( I wish I could find a direct relationship of Cooper-White with Wise and Gerkin but so far no luck. But she does reference both in her book!) Relational psychoanalysis is the latest psychoanalytic theory and practice to come on the scene. Cooper-White writes:

"This book incorporates the many exciting developments in contemporary psychoanalytic thinking...The goal...(of this book)...is to bring contemporary psychoanalytic understandings back into dialogue with the pastoral psychotherapeutic field."

So the Wise/Gerkin/Cooper-White psychoanalytic influence remains strong among those who have continuedin the analytically informed pastoral psychotherapy profession ( though today unfortunately their numbers have declined). Why has psychoanalysis continued to influence pastoral psychotherapy? Because as Charles Gerkin has written, psychoanalysis and pastoral psychotherapy are both interested in "getting to the depths of the human soul."(Gerkin,1984). Gerkin writes:

"...psychoanalysis, because of its depth richness and realism about the human condition, continues to offer challenging and fruitful possibilities of dialogue with pastoral (counseling) theory and practice...it seems likely that pastoral theory and practice will continue to appreciate and struggle with the insights of psychoanalysis for some time to come." (p. 983, Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 1980.)

I hope it is clear from this review of these three books, that I have lived in both of these worlds-- the pastoral psychotherapy and psychoanalysis worlds. For the last 30 years I have practiced psychoanalysis informed psychotherapy, where you see patients once to twice a week sitting up rather than four to five times a week lying down. Practicing this type of therapy as well as experiencing it myself has confirmed for me the quote above of its depth richness and realism about the human condition that all three of these texts speak about. I am grateful that these authors helped introduce me to psychoanalysis and the practice of psychoanalytic therapy. Thanks for reading!!

1Ellen Bennett Burrell

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