This introductory textbook is addressed to those wishing to gain a clear overview on chosen aspects of psychoanalysis and wanting to understand why this discipline remains important in viewing psychological, medical phenomena as well as phenomena from the field of the social and cultural studies.
The following topics are presented in detail: psychoanalytical metapsychology, psychoanalytical developmental theories, general and special psychoanalytical theories on diseases, psychoanalytical techniques of treatment as well as implementation of psychoanalysis.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Mertens ist emeritierter Professor für Psychoanalyse und psychodynamische Forschung an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Er ist heute als Psychoanalytiker und psychoanalytischer Psychotherapeut (DGPT), Dozent, Lehranalytiker und Supervisor der Akademie für Psychoanalyse und Psychotherapie München/DGPT tätig.