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Suggested Readings for Researchers, Clinicians and Students
(scroll down for the lists)
Neuroscience encapsulates many scientific disciplines and represents an ever-changing landscape. Modern neuroscience incorporates many fields of enquiry, some new, some old. It involves clinical, experimental and theoretical work, and draws on a wide range of theories, practices and technologies. Similarly, the field of psychoanalysis has a long, rich history, covering detailed and complex subject matter. Traditionally, and perhaps understandably to the casual observer at least, the fields of neuroscience and psychoanalysis have been polar opposites – biological versus psychological. One focused on the study of the objective brain, the other on the subjective mind. However, this disciplinary dichotomy has begun to change.
The emerging field of neuropsychoanalysis reflects the complexity inherent in both the neurosciences and psychoanalysis in that it encapsulates the merger of a number of different disciplines. This field can be viewed as comprising the coming together of converging lines of evidence: some from the mind side of the dialogue, others from the brain side. In light of the fact that the field of neuropsychoanalysis is truly multidisciplinary, it is inevitable that those drawn to this new and exciting field are going to lack key knowledge that is not traditionally part of the landscape of their particular fields. It is with this reality in mind that we have tailor made a series of specific reading lists that cover a number of pertinent topics under the broad umbrella of neuropsychoanalysis. This has been done in order to allow scholars and clinicians from various backgrounds to be able to comfortably and confidently engage with the new subject matter.
Regarding access to any articles in these lists that appear in Neuropsychoanalysis, our journal: Members of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society can choose a subscription level that includes access to all articles. To join or renew, please click here.
Our suggested readings are listed in specific categories.
The list entitled Bridging Psychoanalysis and the Neurosciences before 1999 and the Advent of Neuropsychoanalysis identifies a number of the key seminal works that helped to forge the path that led to the founding of neuropsychoanalysis as the field as we now know it. Many of these papers date back to the early 1900s and are of great historical significance and interest to the field. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 13/9/2018
The History of Neuropsychoanalysis reading list provides an overview of the genesis and evolution of the exciting field of neuropsychoanalysis. It highlights some of the key pioneers and advocates in this field and draws on their work in bringing the world of subjective experience into dialogue with neuroscientific disciplines. This reading list also offers explanations as to what neuropsychoanalysis is and what subject matter it involves. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 15/11/2022
The Clinical Neuropsychoanalysis list covers literature that documents how work with patients with organic brain injury has been successfully conducted therapeutically to improve outcomes. The readings included also highlight some of the key theoretical positions that serve to inform this much-needed work. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 15/11/2022
The Psychodynamic Neuroscience reading list identifies studies and literature that combine experimental and computational cognitive neuroscience with knowledge derived from metapsychological models – i.e. the brain mechanisms underlying subjective processes. This type of work involves testing psychoanalytic concepts with brain measures, and enriching ongoing neuroscientific exploration with psychoanalytic hypotheses. This exciting new field is shaping the way that metapsychological accounts and predictions are understood by exploring them through the lens of modern neuroscientific tools and techniques. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 15/11/2022
The Efficacy of Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Therapy reading list provides papers in the form of reviews and meta-analyses that demonstrate the efficacy of psychodynamic therapies. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 13/9/2018
The Clinical Neuroscience list provides references to some of the key auxiliary information from other fields within clinical medicine with which neuropsychologists and other professionals need to be familiar in order to understand the pathologies/conditions of the patients they encounter, along with various medical procedures/investigations that may have been performed. Such fields include neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 5/7/2018
The Neuropsychoanalytic Perspectives on Specific Psychoanalytic Concepts reading list offers meaning and neuropsychoanalytic insights into the fundamental concepts at the heart of psychoanalysis. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 15/11/2022
The Models and Theories reading list provides some of the key models and theories that have influenced the fields of psychoanalysis, neuropsychology and neuroscience in general. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 15/11/2022
The Neuropsychology for Psychoanalysts reading list offers important knowledge from the field of neuropsychology that will be valuable when working psychotherapeutically with patients with brain injury. It is especially aimed at those who do not have a background in neuropsychology. To view this reading list, please click here.
Last updated: 13/9/2018
More reading lists will be posted in the future.
Please note that the links provided go to the “version of record” and may require subscriptions in certain cases.
If you would like to recommend additional topics or suggest new readings, please email Dr Ross Balchin at rbalchin@npsa-association.org.