This book covers the works and life of Harry Stack Sullivan (1892–1949), who has been described as "the most original figure in American psychiatry".
Challenging Freud’s psychosexual theory, Sullivan founded the interpersonal theory of psychiatry, which emphasizes the role of interpersonal relations, society, and culture as the primary determinants of personality development and psychopathology. This concise and coherent account of Sullivan’s work and life invites the modern audience to rediscover the provocative, ground-breaking ideas embodied in Sullivan’s interpersonal theory and psychotherapy that continue to advance. This revised second edition is updated to reflect new research and ideas - such as an expanded section on Sullivan’s groundbreaking ideas about homosexuality and new sections on his concept of anxiety in infancy and on psychological trauma and how interpersonal theory impacts attachment theory, human sexuality, psychopathology, personality assessment, psychotherapy, and social issues.
This book, which has been a primary resource on Sullivan’s works for over 25 years, will continue to be of interest to a range of psychotherapy professionals and practitioners including beginning and experienced psychotherapists, psychological assessment practitioners, interpersonal researchers, and teachers of personality theory.