Further Reading

To find out more about the Masterson Approach, there are many books by Dr James Masterson, and his colleagues, which can be sourced online. While most of these works are aimed at psychotherapy practitioners, 'The Search for the Real Self: unmasking the personality disorders of our age' is a less technical book which has been well received by the general public.

Books by Dr James Masterson and associates

• The Psychiatric Dilemma of Adolescence, J. Masterson, 1967.
• Treatment of the Borderline Adolescent: a developmental approach, J. Masterson, 1972.
• Psychotherapy of the Borderline Adult: a developmental approach, J. Masterson, 1976.
• From Borderline Adolescent to Functioning Adult: the test of time, J. Masterson, 1980.
• The Narcissistic and Borderline Disorders: an integrated developmental approach, J. Masterson, 1981.
• Countertransference and Psychotherapeutic Technique: teaching seminars on the psychotherapy of the borderline adult, J. Masterson, 1983.
• The Real Self: a self, object relations and developmental approach, J. Masterson, 1985.
• The Search for the Real Self: unmasking the personality disorders of our age, J. Masterson, 1988.
• Psychotherapy of the Disorders of the Self: the Masterson approach, J. Masterson and R. Klein, 1989.
• Comparing Psychoanalytic Psychotherapies: developmental, self and object relations, self psychology and short term dynamic, J. Masterson, M. Tolpin, and P. Sifneos, 1991.
• The Emerging Self: a developmental self and object relations approach to the closet narcissistic disorder, J. Masterson, 1993.
• Disorders of the Self: new therapeutic horizons, J. Masterson and R. Klein, 1995.
• The Personality Disorders: a new look at the developmental self and object relations approach, ed. J Masterson, 2000.
• A Therapist’s Guide to the Personality Disorders: the Masterson Approach, ed. J. Masterson and A. Lieberman, 2004.
• The Personality Disorders Through the Lens of Attachment Theory and the Neurobiologic Development of the Self: a clinical integration,
• ed.J. Masterson, 2005.
• Trauma in Personality Disorder - a Clinician’s Handbook: the Masterson Approach, C. Orcutt, 2012.

New Publications

Candace Orcutt:  The Unanswered Self: The Masterson Approach to the Healing of Personality Disorders,2021, Karnac.

"In this unique blend of academic scholarship and clinical wisdom, Candace Orcutt compellingly describes the pioneering and seminal work of James Masterson on a spectrum of personality disorders. As the highly informative text and rich case material demonstrate, his writings were clearly ahead of their time, and thus his psychotherapeutic contributions are perhaps even more relevant today."  Dr Allan Schore

Video Trailer: Candace Orcutt speaks about Masterson and her recent book: click here.

Loray Daws:  James F Masterson: A Contemporary Introduction, 2024, Routledge

Daws shows how Masterson's approach to Object Relations and the developmental self can serve clinicians in both conceptualizing and treating borderline, narcissistic, and schizoid disorders of self. Considering the pioneering and innovative nature of Masterson's work, Daws looks at how he creatively expanded on Freud's theories on repression, successfully developing therapeutically sound ways to touch and transform developmental trauma and trauma reflected in a deep abandonment depression. (publisher description)

Articles on Disorders of Self (Loray Daws):

• Borderline Disorder of Self: Living Between Rewarding and Withdrawing Paradigms of Experience, Contemporary Psychotherapy, Vol 4, No 2, Winter 2012
• Narcissistic Disorder of Self: Grandiosity and Perfection, Contemporary Psychotherapy, Vol 3, No 2, Winter 2011
• Schizoid Disorder of Self: Is There Anybody Out There?  Contemporary Psychotherapy, Vol 5, No 1, Spring 2013