Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis

With the drama of a novel, Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis tells the story of a turbulent and transformative psychoanalysis in this first ever in-depth patient's account. Joan K. Peters's story lays bare the inner workings of this complex treatment, which takes place behind closed doors, is rarely spoken about, and is largely unknown outside of professional circles. A polished, poetic, and often funny writer, Peters's willingness to expose her own demons brings psychoanalysis to life, from the intense strife to the fierce love that can develop between patient and analyst. Joan's first analyst, Lane, helped Joan alleviate tormenting and recurring nightmares and to find herself by discovering her family's secret past. Her second analyst, Kristi, guided her through the frightening depths of that past to a yearned-for freedom. In another first, Kristi writes an afterword about the challenge of analyzing Peters. Unique in its reach, Untangling reveals the mysteries that lurk beneath the surface of our psyches.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Why Would Anyone Do This? Chapter 1: It Would Never Have Occurred to Me Chapter 2: Beginning Chapter 3: Him Chapter 4: Lane Explains Me to Me Chapter 5: Father Number Two: My Stepfather Dan Chapter 6: The Mother Lode Chapter 7: Schizoid Chapter 8: The Shattering Chapter 9: Men Chapter 10: The Floodgates Open Part II: Rapt: At the Peak of Transference Chapter 11: Her Work and Mine Chapter 12: Rupture and Repair Chapter 13: Attachment Trouble Chapter 14: The Anti-Force Chapter 15: Transference 101 Chapter 16: The Thaw Chapter 17: Zen, Psilocybin, and Psychoanalysis Chapter 18: Advanced Transference Chapter 19: Good Grief Coda Afterword by Dr. Kristi Walsh Notes Bibliography Index About the Author Acknowledgments

About the Author :
Joan K. Peters is professor emeritus of literature and writing at California State University at Channel Islands. She has published a novel, Manny and Rose, two books on the psychology and politics of working mothers, When Mothers Work and Not Your Mother's Life, as well as stories and literary criticism. As a feminist spokesperson, she's appeared on Dr. Phil, The View, Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, NBC Weekend News, and was writer and host for Working Mothers: Balance without Guilt, CPTV, Connecticut PBS (1999). She lives with her husband, dogs, and chickens in California.

Review :
A compelling memoir as well as an unusually in-depth therapeutic narrative that promises the possibility of redemption from early trauma at any age ... A stirring book that will be of interest to readers of memoirs about mental health or Jewish life, but also relevant to clinicians seeking a patient's perspective. An intriguing look at the experience of psychoanalysis and a thoroughly examined life. This is absolutely a book about transformation, but it's anything but precious. It's also an incredibly rare look at the process of psychoanalysis from the point of view of the patient (or the analysand), and not the doctor… Untangling offers a great modern self-portrait of a woman finding her footing after decades of private turmoil. I intended to dip into Joan Peters's memoir for half an hour, but couldn't stop reading. Page after page my admiration for Peters's bravery and generous spirit grew. Pitch-perfect and unpretentious, Untangling is a powerful testimonial to confronting rather than running from the past, however painful. In Untangling, Joan Peters courageously pulls back the curtain on the profound, often mysterious relationship between analyst and patient. This beautifully written memoir invites readers into the intimate space of psychoanalysis, where vulnerability and longing take center stage. With honesty and insight, Peters explores the delicate threads of human intimacy and the many paths to emotional truth. Untangling is a poignant reflection on love, dread, and the analytic process. A triumph! Peters's memoir reads like a spellbinding novel-a testimony to what psychoanalysis can be. Her analyst's afterword is thoughtful, intelligent, and daring. Joan Peters's uniquely brave and luminous Untangling explains why and how analysis works-or doesn't. Trauma cauterizes a child's ability to trust she can be loved. To 'untangle' her primal knots, a patient must recover that trust-and an analyst must be worthy of it. It requires an almost heroic effort of mutual attunement from both parties. It took Peters a lifetime, but she succeeded. This is a personal saga with universal wisdom to impart.