Vital Flows Between the Self and Non-Self

Vital Flows explores the concept of the Interpsychic, or that which exists in our unconscious or preconscious inter- and intra-human exchanges and demonstrates its significance for understanding psychoanalytic theory and practice.

Drawing on rich clinical material, Bolognini explains how interactions between the self and the ego may be affected by pre-conscious associations, and how these can hinder the development of our self-concept and social interaction. Combining his international theoretical and clinical knowledge, Bolognini provides meaningful ways to understand the unconscious and renders patients’ preconscious channels viable and liveable in a transformative way. With the understanding that the psychic life consists of internal and external interactions equivalent to those that occur by bodily exchange, this text provides an insightful account of how internal life can shape our development from childhood onwards.

As an instructive and topical text which draws meaningfully from Italian, British and North-American psychoanalysis, Vital Flows will be critical for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists alike, as they seek to understand and apply the inter-psychic within their own practice.