Understanding and exploring the role of instincts and impulses in the human psyche has been one of the primary goals of psychoanalysis. They have been studied both as separate entities and as the manner and degree of their integration for the balance of the psyche. While never neglecting the position of the body in the development of psychological mechanisms and the role of the somatic factor in the mind-body relationship (as well as in the psychosomatic expression of internal conflicts through the body or the somatic significance of the suffering body), the body remained a distinct pole in psychic life for many years. In this book, distinguished authors of psychoanalytic discourse present contemporary approaches in each of these significant areas. Even when theoretical schools differ, through a discourse with solid theoretical knowledge and clinical experience, this contributes to the development of fruitful compositions that promote thought rather than confrontation.

Violence participates by representing the exploration of extreme negative expression of aggression and the analysis of the various forms and roles it takes, positively participating in psychic functioning, or sometimes negatively, through psychopathological expressions. This book is not a psychoanalysis manual and certainly does not attempt an exhaustive development of the topics discussed. It is a collection of essays of authoritative thought, addressed to both the experienced psychodynamic therapist and the concerned mental health therapist, as well as to the exploratory student interested in the psychoanalytic approach.