"In Repair of the Soul, Karen Starr has provided us with a sophisticated and well-informed discussion of the ways in which kabbalistic metaphors of transformation can be related to the work of psychic change in psychoanalysis. Writing with intelligence, passion, and a rigorously imaginative grasp of her two fields of discourse, she succeeds in delineating areas of vital conversation between them. Not the least of her achievements is a writing style in which the kabbalistic and the analytic encounter each other without strain. Starr's book makes a valuable contribution to the contemporary awareness of issues of faith, of the ineffable other, and of the 'transcendent Third,' in analytic work."
- Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, Ph.D., author, The Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis
"An exciting interaction of sparks between psychoanalysis and Kabbalah, showing how fruitful it is when diverse dimensions of psyche and spirit meet."
- Michael Eigen, Ph.D., author, Feeling Matters
"Repair of the Soul marks a milestone in the ongoing and often troubled dialogue between psychoanalysis and religion. Karen Starr offers a deep and serious reading of both Kabbalah and psychoanalytic thought. Her consideration of the roles of faith, interpretation, and multi-leveled truth in both traditions will open many doors for the therapeutic community, to whom her work is primarily addressed. Thoughtful therapists should find both challenge and inspiration in this most interesting and truly barrier-breaking work."
- Rabbi Arthur Green, Ph.D., Hebrew College
"This is a challenging interdisciplinary dialogue, which is likely to be meaningful for specialists."
- David J. Zucker, Journal of Pastoral Theology
"Starr repositions one of the most essential psychological considerations: How do people change? A beautifully written and thought-provoking book providing a vivid framework for exploring the relationship of the individual to the universal. By bringing the esoteric principles of the ancient Kabbalah into dialogue with contemporary psychoanalytic theory - in particular, the relational model - Starr examines the question of how one may achieve transformation that leads not only to insight but also to meaningful change." - Sirreadalot.org, July 2009, Issue # 123