Play and Playfulness

Appearing nearly forty years after the last significant text on the topic, this book brings the psychoanalytic theory on play truly up to date and elucidates its significance for clinical work with the help of illustrative clinical vignettes.

Monisha C. Akhtar, PhD, is a faculty member at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia, PA. She maintains a private practice in Ardmore, PA.

Part 1 Part I-Development Chapter 2 Chapter 1-Self-Other Action Play: A Window into the Representational World of the Infant Chapter 3 Chapter 2-Fathers and Play Chapter 4 Chapter 3-Adolescence as a Time to Play Part 5 Part II-Psychopathology Chapter 6 Chapter 4-Neurotic Inhibitions of Play Chapter 7 Chapter 5-Normal and Pathological Playfulness Chapter 8 Chapter 6-Remembering, Replaying, and Working Through: The Transformation of Trauma in Children's Play Part 9 Part III-Sociocultural Aspects Chapter 10 Chapter 7-Cultural Pathways to Understanding Children's Play: Mythology and Folklore Chapter 11 Chapter 8-Playing for Survival during the Holocaust Chapter 12 Chapter 9-Play and Creativity Chapter 13 Chapter 10-Play and Track II Diplomacy Part 14 Part IV-Technical Implications Chapter 15 Chapter 11-Aggression in Children: Origins, Manifestations, and Management through Play Chapter 16 Chapter 12-Play and Very Young Children in Object Relations Family Therapy Chapter 17 Chapter 13-Playfulness in the Adult Analytic Relationship Chapter 18 References