This is a model of psychoanalytically-oriented couples theory based on ideas from various relational approaches and other psychoanalytic traditions.

Philip A. Ringstrom, PhD, PsyD, is a Senior Training and Supervising Analyst and faculty member at the Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. He is a member of the editorial boards of both the International Journal of Psychoanalytic Self Psychology and Psychoanalytic Dialogues. He is also a member of the International Council of Self Psychologists, and on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.

Prologue. Introduction: Three Main Themes. Theoretical Perspectives. Step 1: The Therapist's Attunement. Step 2: The Assertion of Subjectivities. Step 3: The Exploration of Developmental History. Step 4: The Awakening of the "Slumbering Giant." Step 5: The Enrichment of Self-Actualization. Step 6: The Facilitation of Mutual Attunement and Personal Growth. Frequently Asked Questions.