The Craft of the Psychodynamic Case Study

The Craft of the Psychodynamic Case Study: A Practical Guide is the first comprehensive guide to help clinicians transform their therapeutic experiences into compelling, meaningful case narratives that honor both clinical truth and literary craft.

Every therapist faces the challenge of translating profound clinical experiences into coherent written case studies. This groundbreaking guide bridges a critical gap in professional training, offering practical tools for crafting compelling narratives while maintaining ethical boundaries and theoretical integrity. The book explores five major psychoanalytic approaches―Klein, Bion, Winnicott, Kohut, and Relational―each with specific writing strategies. Rich with clinical examples, it guides practitioners through diverse phenomena, from Klein’s manic repair and envy, through Bion’s alpha function and reverie, to relational self-disclosure. Readers learn to develop their narrative voice, structure long-term therapy into phases, write about transference and countertransference, and navigate confidentiality challenges.

More than a technical guide, this book revolutionizes how we think about case studies as creative non-fiction, introducing the concept of “responsible creativity” that empowers clinicians to move beyond formulaic reports. Perfect for psychodynamic psychotherapists and mental health practitioners at all levels writing cases for exams, publications, conferences, team presentations, or personal reflection.

Aner Govrin, PhD, is a psychoanalyst, philosopher, and clinical psychologist. He is the director of a doctoral program, “Psychoanalysis and Hermeneutics,” at The Program for Hermeneutics & Cultural Studies, Bar-Ilan University. He is a Tel-Aviv Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis (TAICP) member and Editor of the series Routledge Introductions to Contemporary Psychoanalysis.