Ronald Fairbairn

In this concise and introductory book, David Celani examines the work of Ronald Fairbairn, one of the pioneers of Object Relations Theory.

Ronald Fairbairn: A Contemporary Introduction adopts a unique approach to Fairbairn’s work and legacy. Organising the book thematically, Celani makes connections between Fairbairn’s disparate and often convoluted papers, offering the reader a more accessible insight into the work of this eminent analyst. He looks in turn at Fairbairn’s field-defining work on Object Relations, split consciousness, repression and the impact of parental neglect on a child’s developing personality. Celani also explores Fairbairn’s assessment of infants’ dependency on their maternal figure and brings his ideas into the 21st century. Considering the work of Philip Bromberg in tandem with that of Fairbairn, Celani considers the practical, clinical and theoretical implications of Fairbairn’s model.

This volume is essential reading for analysts in practice and training interested in the work of Fairbairn and the impact Object Relations have had on psychoanalysis as a whole.