Plea for a Measure of Abnormality

First published in 1993. Within this classic volume can be heard the wise and compassionate voice of an analyst in constant motion, carefully and respectfully map­ping new territories in the understanding of the human psyche. Dr. McDougall is vigilant in her attention to the ongoing dialogue between the patient's inner drama and her own internal world, not willing to stay planted safely in the realm of existing precepts, favoring instead a position of evolving creativity. At the center of this fascinating book stand Dr. McDougall's patients -those individuals labelled abnormal by some, but who, for the author, represent the most challenging encounters. Exploring such topics as The Sexual Scene and the Anonymous Spectator, Creation and Sexual Deviation, The Psychosoma and the Psychoanalytic Process, and Plea for a Measure of Abnormality, Dr. McDougall celebrates the wide range of human difference. In the author's words: This book contains a trajectory of reflection on the experience I have shared with my analysands over a period of years, for the psychoanalytic adventure, like a love affair, requires two people. At the foundation of her work, then, is the need to call into question again and again not only the psychoanalyst's skill, but her identity. This book reveals both the human and practical imperative behind that commitment.