Discussion of “edith Jacobson's major contributions to psychoanalytic theory of development”
We are all indebted to Dr. Tuttman for his effort in bringing to us Dr. Jacobson's contributions to psychoanalytic metapsychology, developmental ego psychology, and clinical psychoanalysis. Dr. Jacobson possessed, among other qualities, the ability to integrate the various currents in the field of psychoanalysis. Her writing touches on many areas of the field. Dr. Tuttman states, "Hers was the first attempt to trace within a strictly psychoanalytic framework the development of the self-a term introduced into psychoanalysis by Hartmann to signify the whole person as a subject in contrast to the world of objects." Kernberg believes that her most valuable contribution was the development of a "comprehensive, developmental, and psychostructural model that includes an integrated object relations theory, a sophisticated model that provides a clearly circumscribed, yet broad frame of reference for the psychoanalytic understanding of the entire spectrum of psychopathology and normal development." Indeed, in her work can be seen the enormous breadth of her contribution. She was able to work well with very disturbed patients, and from this enterprise was able to hypothesize regarding early development. She was able to integrate a theory of object relations with the tripartite structural model of classical psychoanalysis. By doing this she increased the likelihood of the extension of treatment to the more disturbed so-called preoedipal patients by the competent analysts of the day. Although Dr. Jacobson never really parted company with classical psychoanalytic drive theory, she was able to broaden it somewhat, by integration with ideas about early human relations. She noted especially the