Protecting the Self (English, Phebe Cramer)

A must for anyone interested in the subject

First of all I have to say that I never studied psychology or something similar. Instead I came across this book because I was trying to gain a deeper insight in what people in my surroundings do and why they do it. It seemed that defense mechanisms play an important role in that. Thus, being only remotely familiar with the subject I read this book and I was not disappointed.I can definitely recommend this book since it not just only explains very precise and very well illustrated how defense mechanism evolve and how they come into action at different stages in life. It is incredibly well written and also understandable for Non-Experts without being shallow on the subject. Cramer frequently uses folk tales to clarify how different defense mechanism work. I liked this approach very much, especially in the chapter about projection.It is not often that you can tell that the author must have decades of experience in the field, but this is definitely the case here.

State of the art resource on defenses

This book integrates all of the current research on defenses, revealing the empirical basis for this unconscious phenomenon that creates the symptoms and presenting problems in patients. It is not a book for the therapist who wants to know how to work with defenses. Instead, it is a book that shows the developmental origin of defenses, their evolution during development, and the research into the effects of defenses on psychic functioning. As such, it is an essential resource for the clinician who wants to know the research basis for the concept of defense.Jon Frederickson, MSW Author of "Co-Creating Change: Effective Dynamic Therapy Techniques."

the last work of the greatest living expert at defense mechanisms

were you looking for an empirical approach to the Ego's defense mechanisms and to the adaptational process?well this book is for you. in this book, the EBM approach confirms the psychodynamic theories of the twentieth century

Five Stars

Absolutely essential for understanding the unconscious mind and those mechanisms that bring out defenses, when confronted

essential for clinicians

Very helpful in organizing one's understanding of TAT responses and other storytelling tasks. Highly recommended, though not for lay readers.