Psychodynamic Formulation

These biases have been reflected in prior editions of this book. They are embedded in the institutional and systemic racism present within our field of psychoanalysis and its psychodynamic psychotherapeutic treatments. We have undertaken this new edition to examine these biases within our profession; biases that have led not only to marginalization of our clinicians of color, but also to the prioritization of Whiteness, and to a lack of appropriately formulating the racial and ethnic contributions that are so important to the people we treat. Our patients come from rich and diverse backgrounds and bring so much that is not often reflected in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic formulation and treatment. Additionally, we have not adequately considered and formulated the trauma, discrimination and systemic oppression that individuals from these backgrounds have experienced as a result of their racial backgrounds, and how that trauma affects their view of themselves, how others perceive them, and their presentation to mental health providers. In this edition, we have attempted to highlight these blindspots, to place their evaluation within our field and with our patients front and center, and to give equal and heavy consideration to the impact of these inequities in a new and expanded approach to psychodynamic formulation--