Psychoanalytic Thinking in Occupational Therapy: Symbolic, Relational and Transformative

“This is a valuable book in stimulating our thinking around psychoanalytic theory and how this can be embraced into occupational therapy practice. It provides many references to seminal materials and the reader should explore these for a greater breadth of understanding.” (British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1 April 2014)

Divided into three overarching themes, theory, application and research, this cutting edge book explores the influence of psychoanalytic theories on occupational therapy practice and thinking. It incorporates a new conceptual model (the MOVI) to guide practice, which uses psychoanalysis as a theoretical foundation for understanding therapeutic relationships and the ‘doing’ that takes place in clinical practice.

Using practice models and incorporating many clinically applied examples in different occupational therapy settings, this introductory text to psychoanalytic theory will appeal to students and practising clinical and academic occupational therapists worldwide and from different fields of practice from paediatrics and physical disability to older adult care and mental health. 

• The first book in fifty years to concentrate entirely on a psychoanalytic approach to occupational therapy
• Distills cutting edge theory into clinically relevant guidance
• Features clinical examples throughout, showing the links between psychoanalytic theory and occupational therapy practice
• Written by an experienced international team of authors