The Mind and I

Psychoanalysts must be patients for years before they can practice. The “talking cure”—the basis of all psychotherapy—is best explained from two perspectives: one patient lying on the couch and the other seated behind it. The author of this memoir was both. He candidly discusses his own analysis, describing his emotional misfires and their causes. He then uses case studies from his practice to elucidate the meaning of dreams, the causes of neuroses, depression, relationship problems and other issues that affect the lives of many.

James Joyce is the author of Pucker Factor 10: Memoir of a U.S. Army Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam and has written numerous articles for newspapers such as the Durango Herald and the Chicago Tribune. He is CEO of Green Mountain International, a global purveyor of polyurethane construction products, and lives in Waynesville, North Carolina.

James Joyce

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9762-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1936-1
Imprint: McFarland

Preface  1

1. Colorado: Splitting to the Rockies  5

2. Why I Became a Psychoanalyst: It Made Sense  12

3. Can a Catholic Do It? Yes  19

4. My First Patient: She Was Perfect  27

5. It’s Not Academic: It’s Empathetic  33

6. What It’s Like to Be a Shrink: A ­God-Like Business  39

7. Making a Diagnosis: It’s All About Age  48

8. Sex and Sexuality: A Big Deal  55

9. The History of You: HX  62

10. Transference: Don’t I Know You from Someplace?  69

11. Oh, No, Not Again! Bad Broken Records  78

12. Gotcha: The Pain in the Ass People  85

13. Dreams: The Royal Roads  92
14. Herr Professor Doktor Sigmund Freud: Giant  106

15. Use Eagles, If Necessary: Breaking Protocol  116

16. Sometimes We Make Mistakes: Of Course  122

17. Big Boys Don’t Cry: Men Do  129

18. The Safe Haven: INT  135

19. Pissed Off: And Then Some  148

20. Who Saved Your Butt? Find Out  157

21. Ways to Screw Up Kids: Oh So Many  163

22. They’re Just Babies, Too, You Know: Fragility Is Ours  173

23. Should I See a Shrink? Why Do You Ask?  179

24. A Shrink’s Eye View: Why People Think We’re Nutty  188

25. The Final Session: RES  196

Bibliography  201

Index  203