Publications
Books
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The Oedipus Complex: A Contemporary Introduction
Poul Rohleder
Coming out in September 2025 Routledge
"Poul Rohleder has gifted the mental health profession with a superb volume, exploring the much-overlooked and often misunderstood concept of the Oedipus Complex. Written with much clarity and concision and with tremendous historical accuracy, the author has investigated numerous psychoanalytical perspectives and, also, has explored the impact of contemporary views regarding gender and sexual orientation. I recommend this book warmly to every single psychological worker"
- Prof. Brett Kahr, Senior Fellow, Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology, London; Visiting Professor of Psychoanalysis and Mental Health, Regent’s University London; and Honorary Director of Research, Freud Museum London.
"This is a refreshingly straightforward appraisal of one of Freud’s most controversial claims. Those who have eyes to see cannot deny the existence of the facts that Freud described, but how are we to conceptualize them? Poul Rohleder helps you find your own answer to this surprisingly important question"
- Prof. Mark Solms, member of the British Psychoanalytical Society, and editor of The Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.
"Poul Rohleder’s introduction to one of the most debated and controversial psychoanalytic concepts provides a comprehensive yet succinct overview of the Oedipus Complex. Taking the reader from Freud’s original formulation right through to contemporary reformulations of the Oedipus Complex, this text is a core resource for psychoanalytic training programmes"
- Prof. Alessandra Lemma, Visiting Professor, Psychoanalysis Unit, UCL and Consultant, Anna Freud Centre.
Sexual Minorities and Mental Health: Current Perspectives and New Directions
Joanna Semlyen and Poul Rohleder (Editors)
Published December 2023.by Palgrave MacMillan
“The key strength of Sexual Minorities and Mental Health is the interweaving of salient issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer trans and cisgender people with therapeutic modalities and wider strategies for positive individual and societal change. Semlyen and Rohleder should be commended for producing a psychological collection that will be theoretically and practically illuminating for psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, and social work and social policy students. Newly qualified and experienced practitioners will also find this book beneficial for enhancing their cultural humility with clients"
- Prof. Elizabeth Peel, Professor in Communication and Social Interaction, Loughborough University, and Fellow of the British Psychological Society
“I am incredibly excited to see this new book featuring the latest research and thinking about Sexual Minorities and Mental Health. This is a must-have and must-read book for all working in the field to inform clinical practice and guide further research.”
- Dominic Davies, Founder, Pink Therapy
A Clinical Guide to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Deborah Abrahams and Poul Rohleder (with a foreword by Prof. Peter Fonagy)
Published 2021 by Routledge.
"This is a scholarly textbook giving a comprehensive and detailed view of the field of psychotherapy based on psychodynamic principles, addressing history, concepts and their divergences; it plunges into the many conflicting research studies comparing psychodynamic psychotherapy with other, often more popular therapies. It presents interestingly the debate between following protocols versus developing competences. The fundamental principles and indeed competences necessary for clinical practice are carefully laid out with their rationale. And a useful final section details difficulties, complexities and adaptations. The promise is of a teaching and reference work on a thoroughly established and well-thought-through professional practice – a promise it keeps, handsomely. As a study guide for students and for practitioners, it deserves to have pride-of-place in the libraries of the most experienced practitioners. The reader senses the coming-of-age of an intensely skilled and respected mental health practice."
- Prof. R.D. Hinshelwood, Psychoanalyst and Emeritus Professor, Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex
　
"In this excellent and user-friendly text, Deborah Abrahams and Poul Rohleder combine their extensive clinical experience as clinicians and trainers to bring a contemporary overview of psychodynamic practice. The book is comprehensive and covers essential competences for the practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy, with useful reading and resources for therapists. It engages thoroughly with pressing questions for psychodynamic therapists such as how to work briefly as well as addressing the challenges of online therapy. I highly recommend this text, which will no doubt become a staple both for the psychodynamic therapist in training as well as established therapists. Highly recommended."
- Prof. Alessandra Lemma, Consultant, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and Visiting Professor, Psychoanalysis Unit, UCL, London.​
Qualitative Research in Clinical and Health Psychology
Published 2014 by Palgrave.
Critical Issues in Clinical and
Health Psychology.
Published 2012 by Sage Publications.
Selected Articles and Book Chapters
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Rohleder, P. (2025). Homophobia, heteronormativity and melancholia: A Psychoanalytic essay on the film ‘All of Us Strangers’. International Journal of Psychoanalysis.
Rohleder, P. & Walsh, J. (2025). Gay men’s experiences of holding hands in public: Psychosocial dilemmas and the discourse of homophobia. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society.
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Rohleder, P. (2023). Homophobia and the psychic life of LGBTQ people. In S Frosh, M Vyrgioti and J Walsh (Eds.), Palgrave Handbook of Psychosocial Studies. London: Palgrave MacMillan
Taylor, L., Kegerreis, S. and Rohleder, P., (2023). Loss and survival: Experiences of psychoanalytic psychotherapists working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. British Journal of Psychotherapy. 39 (1), 182-197
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Rohleder, P., Ryan-Flood, R. and Walsh, J., (2023). Holding hands: LGBTQ people’s experiences of public displays of affection with their partner(s). Psychology and Sexuality, 1-13
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Semlyen, J. and Rohleder, P., (2022). Critical psychology perspectives on LGBTQ+ mental health: current issues and interventions. Psychology & Sexuality. 13 (5), 1105-1108
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Rohleder, P., Watermeyer, B., Braathen, SH., Hunt, X. and Swartz, L., (2019). Impairment, socialization and embodiment: The sexual oppression of people with physical disabilities. Psychoanalysis, Culture and Society. 24 (3), 260-281
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Rohleder, P., (2019). Homophobia, heteronormativity and shame. In: Sexuality and Gender Now: Looking beyond heteronormativity. Editors: Hertzmann, L. and Newbigin, J., . Routledge. 40- 56. 9780367254100
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Rohleder, P., (2019). (No) time for love: Reflecting on relationships in psychotherapy. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling. 21 (3-4), 276-287
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Watermeyer, B., Hunt, X., Swartz, L. and Rohleder, P., (2019). Navigating the relational psychic economy of disability: The case of M. Psychoanalytic Dialogues. 29 (5), 515-531
Rohleder, P., (2016). Othering, blame and shame when working with people living with HIV. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. 30 (1), 62-78
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Rohleder, P., (2014). Othering. In: Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. Editors: Teo, T., . Springer. 1306- 1308
Rohleder, P., (2014). Projection, overview. In: Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. Springer New York. 1520- 1522
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Contributions to press articles
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My mother’s grief is making our relationship toxic. The Guardian, April 2023
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My boyfriend is older, richer and better educated than me. Should I marry him? The Guardian, December 2022
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How do I cope with a friend who is consistently flaky? The Guardian, September 2022
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The summer of stress – how to cope with fear and uncertainty in a pandemic, The Guardian, July 2020
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I'm anxious about returning to the world after lockdown. Is this normal?, The Guardian, June 2020
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Academic Publications and Research
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For 15 years I was an academic and researcher, and last had a post as a senior lecturer at the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex. I have published a number of academic papers on matters of sexuality, diversity, and mental health, which are listed on my ResearchGate profile.
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