The conflict and process theory of Melanie Klein

Article Abstract:

Melanie Klein's psychoanalytic theory connects the conflict theory of Freud and the process theory of the British object relations school. Klein reformulated conflicts between sexual and aggressive drives as conflicts between love and hate for internal objects, setting the stage for the development of object relations theory. Process aspects of Klein's theory include her analysis of the mourning process, alternation between paranoid-schizoid and depressive positions, and the developmental progress of affects.

Biography, Beliefs, opinions and attitudes, Klein, Melanie (Austrian psychoanalyst)

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Object relations issues in the treatment of the preoedipal character

Article Abstract:

Patients affected by preoedipal trauma, whether narcissistic or borderline, suffer from a blocked mourning process as a result of a lack of psychic structure capable of supporting internal dialogue. The analyst, by surviving the patients' infantile rage, functions as a transitional object to facilitate an external dialogue leading to development of the capacity to mourn. Two case studies, one of a narcissistic patient and one of a borderline patient, illustrate this therapeutic process.

Analysis, Narcissism, Borderline personality disorder

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Opening up blocked mourning in the preoedipal character

Article Abstract:

Suppressed grief over the death of a parent in childhood can spawn aggression and hinder self-integration, as illustrated through a case study of a woman. The 'object survival' treatment approach is used to open up the blocked mourning, which led to dialogue and the modification of the defensive hatred and archaic rage reactions she was prone to manifest. The release from the childhood trauma has also enabled the woman to expand her capacity to love.

Case studies, Death, Oedipus complex

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