This influential work brings together papers written or presented by Otto F. Kernberg between 1966 and 1975, supplemented by additional material. It develops his approach to object-relations theory and explores its implications for clinical psychoanalysis. The book examines the formation and integration of internalized object relations, ego identity, character structure and defensive processes. It also addresses the clinical understanding and treatment of borderline personality organization, narcissistic pathology, love relationships, transference and group processes. Combining theoretical discussion with clinical applications, the volume is an important contribution to psychoanalytic theory and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Otto F. Kernberg (born 1928) is an Austrian-born American psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, widely recognized for his contributions to object-relations theory, the understanding of borderline personality organization and the treatment of severe personality disorders. His work integrates psychoanalytic theory with clinical research and has had a substantial influence on contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy.