Otto F Kernberg
Biographic Data
| ID | 3474241 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Otto F Kernberg |
| GIVEN NAMES | Otto F |
| FAMILY NAME | Kernberg |
| SIGNATURE | KERNBERG O F |
| AFFILIATIONS | NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 87 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 653 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 87 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1965 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 15 |
Aging, Dying, and the Analytic Process
The panel discussion presented at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute's 1066th Scientific Meeting held on June 8, 2023, takes up aging and dying of an analyst and their impact on patients and on the nature of analytic process. Participants reflect on conflicts and challenges arising with more analysts and patients living to an advanced age, on the unregulated nature of analysts’ retirement, and on multilayered meanings of analysts’ …
Psychoanalytic object relations theory revised
This paper explores the concept of drives as basic motivational neurobiological structures determining the organization of psychic life. I express my agreement with Mark Solms' radical reformulation of the general principles organizing human behaviour at the neurobiological and psychodynamic levels, his combination of Friston's computational information theory and Panksepp's affect systems. I agree with him that the affect systems described by Pa…
Handbuch psychoanalytischer Grundbegriffe
Dieses Handbuch, verfasst von rund 140 Wissenschaftlern, erläutert nach einem einheitlichen Schema die grundlegenden Begriffe der Psychoanalyse. Neben ihrer Definition, ihrer klassischen Auffassung und ihrem ideengeschichtlichen Hintergrund wird die Weiterentwicklung der klassischen Psychoanalyse in den einzelnen Schulrichtungen detailliert beschrieben. Zugleich knüpft das Handbuch an den interdisziplinären Diskurs an, indem es in einen Dialog mi…
Psychotherapy For Psychosis
Development and Validation of the Interview of Personality Organization Processes in Adolescence (Ipop-A)
The assessment of personality and personality pathology in adolescence represents a critical topic to understand adolescent's difficulties, predict long-term outcome in adulthood, and indicate adequate treatment. Personality Organization, and its underlying dimensions, plays an essential role in shaping how adolescents face their developmental tasks as they are connected with psychosocial functioning and psychopathological severity. However, few …
Challenges for the Future of Psychoanalysis
The Analyst’s Reveries
Malignant Narcissism and Large Group Regression
This paper explores the mutual relationship between large group regression and leadership with the characteristic of the syndrome of malignant narcissism. Regressed large groups intuitively search for such leadership and personalities with these characteristics are prone to aspire to the correspondent role. The underlying dynamics of groups and leaders are complementary and determine a mutually reinforcing psychopathology. This paper will explore…
Reflections on Supervision
Therapeutic Implications of Transference Structures in Various Personality Pathologies
Definitions of specific organizations of transference developments are proposed for neurotic, borderline, narcissistic, schizoid, symbiotic, and psychotic character structures. These distinct organizations of transference developments correspond to the underlying characteristics of internalized object relations stemming from the conflictual implications of split-off, idealized, and persecutory self- and object representations. The transference st…
Commentary on the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, 2nd Edition
Hass, Wut, Gewalt und Narzissmus
In diesem Buch werden Ursprung und Bedeutung primitiver Aggressionen in der psychodynamischen Psychotherapie von Patienten mit schweren Persönlichkeitsstörungen erörtert. Die klinischen Manifestationen dieser Entwicklungen und ihre prognostische Bedeutung, die wirkungsvollen psychotherapeutischen Techniken und ihre Grenzen werden in einem Überblick dargestellt. Der wichtige Einfluss von Grenzsetzungen, Gegenübertragungsanalyse und Toleranz werden…
Response to Commentaries
New developments in transference focused psychotherapy
This paper will summarize recent clinical developments in the treatment of borderline patients at the Personality Disorders Institute at Cornell. The experiences under review will include the careful, ongoing monitoring of developments in the patient's life outside the sessions, and their consideration in diagnosing affective dominance during the hours. Other issues include the discussion of a 'second chance' approach to contract violations; the …
Thoughts on the Present and Future of Psychoanalytic Education
This paper originated in a series of dialogues between the authors over a period of approximately one year, focused on present problems (and possible solutions) in psychoanalytic education, internationally but particularly in the U.S. Both authors have been involved in psychoanalytic education and governance over many years and share a concern with where psychoanalysis presently stands and where it is going. They share the experience of being par…
Borderline (Patient) Personality
Neurobiological correlates of object relations theory
The author proposes a general developmental frame that integrates the psychoanalytic theory of development, rooted in psychoanalytic object relations theory, with neurobiological aspects of the development of social cognition, the theory of mind, and the complex issue of empathy. It represents the next step in the integration of the author's earlier work on the developmental hierarchy of motivational systems with recent findings on affective neur…
Narcissistic Defenses in the Distortion of Free Association and Their Underlying Anxieties
This paper examines particular distortions in the process of free association characteristics of patients with narcissistic personality disorders. The author proposes that the dominant narcissistic transference developments typical of the early and middle phases of the analytic treatment of these patients are reflected in these distortions of free association. This paper gathers the various patterns that these defensive distortions present, along…
Obituary for Robert Wallerstein (1921–2014)
Key words: Education Section, Obituaries
Wilfred Bion
An Innovative Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
An overview of the treatment of severe narcissistic pathology
This paper provides an overview of narcissistic personality disorders as they present clinically along a spectrum of severity ranging from the best functioning forms of pathological narcissism to the most threatening to the patient's psychosocial and physical survival. It proposes a general interpretive psychoanalytic stance with all these clinical syndromes that range from standard psychoanalysis to a specific psychoanalytical psychotherapy for …
Psychoanalytic Diagnosis
Response to Zepf and Gerlach
Three Problematic Assumptions about Psychoanalytic Education
Institutional Problems of Psychoanalytic Education
I believe that psychoanalytic education is suffering from serious disturbances, which, by analogy, might be examined as an illness affecting the educational structures of psychoanalytic institutes and societies. After describing the symptoms of this illness, I shall explore its causes and suggest a possible course of treatment. My objective is not to present “ideal solutionsy” to problems, but to provide a theoretical frame that might facilitate …
A Concerned Critique of Psychoanalytic Education
The author explores some central problems in contemporary psychoanalytic education. He compares strengths and limitations of the two dominant models of psychoanalytic training, the traditional Eitingon model and the French model, and reviews current efforts to modify these models in order to overcome their limitations. In examining problems common to both educational systems, the author highlights the following issues: a tendency to infantilise p…
Borderline Personality Organization
Psychoanalysis, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Supportive Psychotherapy
The author explores the controversies involving psychoanalytic psychotherapy from conceptual, clinical and educational perspectives. He proposes an integrated concept of psychoanalytic modalities of treatment, and their subdivision into standard psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalytically based supportive psychotherapy. Indications and contra-indications for these therapeutic approaches are outlined in the light of clinica…
Notes on Countertransference
wo CONTRASTING approaches in regard to the concept of counter-transference could be described. Let us call the first approach T the “classical ” one, and define its concept of countertransfer-ence as the unconscious reaction of the psychoanalyst to the pa-tient’s transference. This approach stays close to the use of the term as first proposed by Freud (8) and to his recommendation that the analyst overcome his countertransference (9). This ap-pro…
Sadomasochism, Sexual Excitement, and Perversion
Sadomasochism, an ingredient of infantile sexuality, is an essential part of normal sexual functioning and love relations, and of the very nature of sexual excitement. Sadomasochistic elements are also present in all sexual perversions. Sadomasochism starts out as the potential for erotic masochism in both sexes, and represents a very early capacity to link aggression with the libidinal elements of sexual excitement. Sexual excitement may be cons…
Recent Developments in the Technical Approaches of English-Language Psychoanalytic Schools
This paper summarizes developments in the major approaches to psychoanalytic technique derived from the ego psychology, Kleinian, British independent, self psychology, intersubjectivist, and interpersonal schools over the past fifty years. The author proposes that two major contemporary currents may be differentiated from each other, namely, the psychoanalytic "mainstream"--derived from contemporary Kleinian, contemporary Freudian, and British in…
The coming changes in psychoanalytic education
The author presents a critical overview of the literature on psychoanalytic education, focusing on criticism regarding structural aspects of our educational institutions. He then presents arguments for the need of radical changes in the organizational structure of institutes, and focuses on the problems of the training analysis system. He proposes concrete solutions for these problems, in the form of changes both in the assignment of responsibili…
Self, Ego, Affects, and Drives
I have explored the concepts of self, ego, affects, and drives, with special emphasis on terminological confusions and Freud's use of Selbst and Ich. I have also proposed a modification of the dual instinct theory in the light of the relation between affect and drives. Finally, I have proposed a developmental model on the basis of all the above considerations, and stressed its relevance for the classification of nonorganic psychopathology
Projection and Projective Identification
Projective identification and projection are defined, described, and contrasted. Projective identification is seen as an early or primitive defensive operation, and projection as later or more advanced and derivative in nature. The developmental origins and adaptive functions of projective identification are examined with an emphasis on the cognitive preconditions for the operation of this defense. The varying functions of both defensive operatio…
The coming changes in psychoanalytic education
The author presents a critical overview of the literature on psychoanalytic education, focusing on criticism regarding structural aspects of our educational institutions. He then presents arguments for the need of radical changes in the organizational structure of institutes, and focuses on the problems of the training analysis system. He proposes concrete solutions for these problems, in the form of changes both in the assignment of responsibili…
Factors in the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Narcissistic Personalities
The Analyst’s Authority in the Psychoanalytic Situation
(1996). The Analyst’s Authority in the Psychoanalytic Situation. The Psychoanalytic Quarterly: Vol. 65, Knowledge and Authority in the Psychoanalytic Relationship, pp. 137-157
Boundaries and Structure in Love Relations
Barriers to Falling and Remaining in Love
A Psychoanalytic Classification of Character Pathology
Psychoanalytic controversies
(2006). Psychoanalytic controversies: The pressing need to increase research in and on psychoanalysis. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis: Vol. 87, No. 4, pp. 919-936
Sanctioned social violence
This paper is the second in a series of two papers. In Part I, the first paper, the author reviewed the influence on the development of socially sanctioned violence of psychodynamics of group psychology and mass psychology, the regressive pull of ideologies, personality features of social and political leadership, and historical trauma and social crises. In this Part II, the author explores, from a psychoanalytic perspective, the dehumanization p…
Clinical Dimensions of Masochism
In this paper, I propose a general classification of masochistic psychopathology and describe relations between this clinical domain and, other types of psychopathology. My main objective is to provide an outline relevant for diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment considerations of masochistic pathology. This includes descriptions of and relations among a wide variety of masochistic phenomena from the depressive-masochistic personality to extreme …
Transference focused psychotherapy
This paper describes a specific psychoanalytic psychotherapy for patients with severe personality disorders, its technical approach and specific research projects establishing empirical evidence supporting its efficacy. This treatment derives from the findings of the Menninger Foundation Psychotherapy Research project, and applies a model of contemporary psychoanalytic object relations theory as its theoretical foundation. The paper differentiate…
Sanctioned social violence
This paper is the first of a series of two that present an effort to systematize the application of psychoanalytic theory of group processes to the outbreak of massive violence. It explores the origins and social amplification of primitive aggression by means of group psychology and mass psychology, and the combined influences of the regressive pull of ideologies, the personality features of social and political leadership, and the triggering imp…
Technical Considerations in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Organization
The Contributions of Edith Jacobson
Love in the Analytic Setting
In the context of viewing the analytic setting as a “clinical laboratory” to study the nature of love relations, this paper starts by outlining the relationships of transference love, “normal” love, neurotic love, and oedipal love. After a description of the vicissitudes of transference love when patient and analyst are of the same sex and of opposite sex, developments of transference love regarding homosexual and heterosexual longings in neuroti…
Identity
After a review of foundational contributions to the concept of identity, including Erikson's, the author discusses the research methods and findings of the Personality Disorders Institute of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University regarding the concepts of normal identity and identity diffusion, toward an elucidation of the psychopathology of personality disorders--their etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. The applicat…
Notes on Countertransference
wo CONTRASTING approaches in regard to the concept of counter-transference could be described. Let us call the first approach T the “classical ” one, and define its concept of countertransfer-ence as the unconscious reaction of the psychoanalyst to the pa-tient’s transference. This approach stays close to the use of the term as first proposed by Freud (8) and to his recommendation that the analyst overcome his countertransference (9). This ap-pro…
Borderline Personality Organization
Factors in the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Narcissistic Personalities
A Psychoanalytic Classification of Character Pathology
Prognostic Considerations Regarding Borderline Personality Organization
Contrasting Viewpoints Regarding the Nature and Psychoanalytic Treatment of Narcissistic Personalities
Barriers to Falling and Remaining in Love
Technical Considerations in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Organization
Boundaries and Structure in Love Relations
The Contributions of Edith Jacobson
Adolescent Sexuality in the Light of Group Processes
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is used to illustrate several connected theses regarding the relation of the couple to its surrounding social group: these include a couple's oedipal rebellion, the unconscious longing for and hatred of the idealized couple by the large group, the denial of aggression within the couple and its projection onto the group, the impotence of rationality and the conventionalization of sexuality in the large group, and the…
Love, the Couple, and the Group
After a brief summary of previous work on the intrapsychic preconditions of love relations, this paper explores the built-in contradictions between the sexual couple and its social group, their mutual equilibrium, and the formation and dissolution of couples within the group. Clinical case material illustrates how three dimensions of love relations-namely, sexual experience, object relations, and superego integration-jointly determine a couple's …
Self, Ego, Affects, and Drives
I have explored the concepts of self, ego, affects, and drives, with special emphasis on terminological confusions and Freud's use of Selbst and Ich. I have also proposed a modification of the dual instinct theory in the light of the relation between affect and drives. Finally, I have proposed a developmental model on the basis of all the above considerations, and stressed its relevance for the classification of nonorganic psychopathology
Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism
Institutional Problems of Psychoanalytic Education
I believe that psychoanalytic education is suffering from serious disturbances, which, by analogy, might be examined as an illness affecting the educational structures of psychoanalytic institutes and societies. After describing the symptoms of this illness, I shall explore its causes and suggest a possible course of treatment. My objective is not to present “ideal solutionsy” to problems, but to provide a theoretical frame that might facilitate …
An Ego Psychology-Object Relations Theory Approach to the Transference
This paper summarizes an ego psychology-object relations theory and its application to psychoanalytic technique, particularly to the analysis of the transference. The relative importance of verbal, nonverbal, and generally relational "channels" of communication in patients with differing degrees of transference regression is examined. The use of countertransference reactions in formulating transference interpretations is reviewed. The relations b…
Projection and Projective Identification
Projective identification and projection are defined, described, and contrasted. Projective identification is seen as an early or primitive defensive operation, and projection as later or more advanced and derivative in nature. The developmental origins and adaptive functions of projective identification are examined with an emphasis on the cognitive preconditions for the operation of this defense. The varying functions of both defensive operatio…
Object Relations Theory in Clinical Practice
This paper outlines the psychoanalytic techniques derived from ego psychology-object relations theory. It stresses the centrality of affects to interpretation and describes how the focus on dominant object relations in the transference modifies the economic, dynamic, and structural criteria for interpretation. Clinical examples illustrate this technique across a broad spectrum of psychopathology. The technique for genetic constructions and recons…
Clinical Dimensions of Masochism
In this paper, I propose a general classification of masochistic psychopathology and describe relations between this clinical domain and, other types of psychopathology. My main objective is to provide an outline relevant for diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment considerations of masochistic pathology. This includes descriptions of and relations among a wide variety of masochistic phenomena from the depressive-masochistic personality to extreme …
Aggression and Love in the Relationship of the Couple
In this paper I examine the interplay of love and aggression in a couple's emotional relationship. I explore the activation of dominant repressed or dissociated object relations with the parental figures, and the unconscious collusion of both partners to enact these past relationships in the present. I then examine the couple's relationship as determined by differences in male and female development, as well as the counterpart of these difference…
Sadomasochism, Sexual Excitement, and Perversion
Sadomasochism, an ingredient of infantile sexuality, is an essential part of normal sexual functioning and love relations, and of the very nature of sexual excitement. Sadomasochistic elements are also present in all sexual perversions. Sadomasochism starts out as the potential for erotic masochism in both sexes, and represents a very early capacity to link aggression with the libidinal elements of sexual excitement. Sexual excitement may be cons…
Aggression in Personality Disorders and Perversions
In this important new book, Dr. Otto F. Kernberg, one of the world's foremost psychoanalysts, explores the role of aggression in severe personality disorders and in normal and perverse sexuality, integrating new developments in psychoanalytic theory with findings from clinical work with severely regressed patients. The book also integrates Dr. Kernberg's recent studies of the descriptive, structural, and psychodynamic features of problems stemmin…
The Current Status of Psychoanalysis
Presented here is an overview of current challenges and controversies regarding psychoanalysis as a science, competing psychoanalytic theories, convergent and divergent trends in psychoanalytic technique, psychoanalytic education, psychoanalysis as a profession. Among other issues stressed are the importance of the relation of psychoanalysis to the University, the research implications of competing theoretical and technical orientations, the need…
The Couple's Constructive and Destructive Superego Functions
Just as the couple becomes the repository of both partners' conscious and unconscious sexual fantasies and desires, and of their consciously and unconsciously activated internalized object relations, so does the couple activate both partners' conscious and unconscious superego functions. The interaction of the partners' superego over time results in the forging of a new system, which I am calling the couple's superego. The functions of the couple…
Love in the Analytic Setting
In the context of viewing the analytic setting as a “clinical laboratory” to study the nature of love relations, this paper starts by outlining the relationships of transference love, “normal” love, neurotic love, and oedipal love. After a description of the vicissitudes of transference love when patient and analyst are of the same sex and of opposite sex, developments of transference love regarding homosexual and heterosexual longings in neuroti…
Psychology (82 works) · Psychoanalysis (73 works) · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications (60 works) · Psychoanalytic theory (52 works) · Psychotherapist (38 works) · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology (36 works) · Personality (27 works) · Philosophy (22 works) · Social Psychology (22 works) · Computer Science (20 works)