Paths of Symbolization explores philosophical and psychoanalytic questions about the concept of symbolization.

Alain Gibeault connects symbolization with concepts like enactment and the practice of imaginative play. With reference to Freud’s metapsychology and the French context specifically, Gibeault explores the significance of symbolization in analytic work. This book explores the theoretical questions raised by the concept of symbolization in the history of psychoanalytic thought and clarifies what is at stake when symbolization is impaired—particularly in the treatment of psychotic, borderline, and neurotic states. Through a wealth of clinical material, the author illustrates how symbolization mediates between inner and outer realities, enabling the emergence of thought, representation, and transformation. By comparing these cases, readers are invited to grasp the specific therapeutic contributions of French psychoanalysis in fostering psychic integration and the working through of unconscious conflict.

Paths of Symbolization will be of great interest to psychoanalysts in practice and in training, particularly those looking to better understand theoretical, clinical and technical aspects of French psychoanalysis. It will also be relevant for academics and scholars of psychoanalytic studies, other areas of mental health and philosophy.