Tension in Marriage. From Clinical Research to Psychological Theory of Interaction

The book by Henry Dix "Tensions in Marriage. From Clinical Research to Psychological Theory of Interaction" is a foundational work in the field of couple psychoanalysis. In this extraordinary clinical study, the author systematically applies object relations theory, primarily the ideas of Ronald Fairbairn, to the theoretical interaction of personalities.

Tensions in marriage are understood by Dix as a field for the manifestation of unresolved early object relations. The pages of the book present a number of original concepts for understanding the unconscious forces at work in marriage, in particular: the deep potential of relationships, idealization as the main defense mechanism in marital relationships, the mutual entanglement of partners in collusion, the dyadic system of mutual projective identifications, the use of a spouse as a scapegoat, and the shared false self of the couple.

Furthermore, in this work, the reader will find more than 30 case descriptions of married couples, as well as a model of diagnostic assessment and psychoanalytic marital therapy.