Ferenczi's Language of Tenderness - by Robert W Rentoul (Paperback)

About the Book

Using Ferenczi's insights, Robert W. Rentoul draws on and integrates the subsequent work of the British Independents and recent American writers in Ferenczi's Language of Tenderness. He sees the two languages as being reflected in the differing atmospheres of cooperation and ...

Book Synopsis

Using Ferenczi's insights, Robert W. Rentoul draws on and integrates the subsequent work of the British Independents and recent American writers in Ferenczi's Language of Tenderness. He sees the two languages as being reflected in the differing atmospheres of cooperation and confrontation shown in relational and classical psychoanalysis. Rentoul argues that the distinction between the two models needs to be made sharper; a new paradigm for psychoanalysis has come into being as a result of Ferenczi's work.

Review Quotes

Ferenczi's Language of Tenderness presents Ferenczi's clinical contributions clearly and in a Language of Passion. Robert Rentoul tells his own story of discovering Ferenczi within the context of the British experience of psychoanalytic therapy where Ferenczi's work was, and remains, little known or appreciated. Ferenczi's contributions come to life from within Rentoul's clinical experience.

Robert Rentoul's Ferenczi's Language of Tenderness is a book worth the read. At its finest it describes Rentoul's own professional life, personal struggles, and the ways that these two are inextricably entwined. It is also quite good as a critique of classical Freudian theory and technique and an introduction to Ferenczi's
thinking. For those students or clinicians interested in these topics, I recommend it.

About the Author

Robert W. Rentoul is a retired associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and practiced psychotherapy for more than thirty years in the English Midlands.