Stephen A. Mitchell's integration of psychoanalytic theories

In recent decades, psychoanalysis has been characterized by a huge diversity of its approaches. In this review study, I introduce the development of Stephen A. Mitchell´s thoughts. I use mainly his most cited, nevertheless in the Czech Republic hardly accessible, books Object relations in psychoanalytic theory, Relational concepts in psychoanalysis and Hope and dread in psychoanalysis. He was one of psychoanalytic theorists who attempted to integrate these approaches. He claimed that all psychoanalytic theories can be divided into drive and relational theories and took a critical stance towards more traditional drive theories. He focused his following research primarily on the development of relational theories and divided them by the focus on self-pole, on external objects or on space between self and objects. Relational theory, in Mitchell´s interpretation, emphasize proactive approach of the analyst, mutual construction of reality and indicate that the goal of psychoanalysis is not only a deeper self-knowledge, but the restoration and expansion of experiences that are experienced real, valuable and meaningful. These ideas gave rise to relational psychoanalysis, currently very popular psychoanalytic approach in the US.

Jakub Kuchař, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic e-mail: jakub.kuchar@email.cz