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Literature and the therapeutic imagination. Adoption, Charles Dickens and psychoanalysis.

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Title: Literature and the therapeutic imagination. Adoption, Charles Dickens and psychoanalysis.
Authors: Fleming, Robert
Source: Journal of Child Psychotherapy. Apr2025, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p26-45. 20p.
Subjects: Adoption & psychology, Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis, English language, Authors, Imagination, Narrative medicine, Case studies, Literature, Child behavior
Abstract: This paper begins with the idea that English literature contains many explorations of the psychological processes of adoption. Although adoption is an intriguing narrative device, it could be argued that psychoanalysis adds further understanding of the deeper reasons for this. There is a long tradition of psychoanalysis being interested in literature and the paper traces the roots of this from Freud to more recent writers. A good exemplar of literature exploring adoption is found in many of the works of Charles Dickens such as David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist. Although Bleak House is often regarded as being mainly about a dysfunctional legal system, the paper argues that it also contains a perceptive account of a child in the adoption process. Themes of 'not knowing', searching and re-unification, identity and the use of transitional objects are all present in this novel. Finally, the paper suggests that any clinicians working with the inner world could be enriched by paying close attention to the novelist's imaginative exploration of the adoption process. This point is made through the consideration of the work of Jeremy Holmes. The therapeutic imagination could be enhanced by bringing the study of literature into the training and development of psychotherapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Child Psychotherapy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Literature and the therapeutic imagination. Adoption, Charles Dickens and psychoanalysis.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Child+Psychotherapy%22">Journal of Child Psychotherapy</searchLink>. Apr2025, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p26-45. 20p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adoption+%26+psychology%22">Adoption & psychology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychotherapy%22">Psychotherapy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychoanalysis%22">Psychoanalysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+language%22">English language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Authors%22">Authors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Imagination%22">Imagination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Narrative+medicine%22">Narrative medicine</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Case+studies%22">Case studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literature%22">Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+behavior%22">Child behavior</searchLink>
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  Data: This paper begins with the idea that English literature contains many explorations of the psychological processes of adoption. Although adoption is an intriguing narrative device, it could be argued that psychoanalysis adds further understanding of the deeper reasons for this. There is a long tradition of psychoanalysis being interested in literature and the paper traces the roots of this from Freud to more recent writers. A good exemplar of literature exploring adoption is found in many of the works of Charles Dickens such as David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist. Although Bleak House is often regarded as being mainly about a dysfunctional legal system, the paper argues that it also contains a perceptive account of a child in the adoption process. Themes of 'not knowing', searching and re-unification, identity and the use of transitional objects are all present in this novel. Finally, the paper suggests that any clinicians working with the inner world could be enriched by paying close attention to the novelist's imaginative exploration of the adoption process. This point is made through the consideration of the work of Jeremy Holmes. The therapeutic imagination could be enhanced by bringing the study of literature into the training and development of psychotherapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Child Psychotherapy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/0075417X.2024.2440485
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 26
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Adoption & psychology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychotherapy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychoanalysis
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      – SubjectFull: English language
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      – SubjectFull: Authors
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      – SubjectFull: Imagination
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      – SubjectFull: Narrative medicine
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      – SubjectFull: Case studies
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      – SubjectFull: Literature
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      – SubjectFull: Child behavior
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      – TitleFull: Literature and the therapeutic imagination. Adoption, Charles Dickens and psychoanalysis.
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2025
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              Y: 2025
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