Psychoanalysis And Society S Neglect Of The Sexual Abuse Of Children Youth And Adults

This book takes a comprehensive look at the understanding and treatment of child sexual abuse in psychoanalytic theory and practice, and in society as a whole. This book demonstrates how prophetic Ferenczi’s ideas about sexual abuse and trauma were, and how relevant they are for contemporary psychoanalysis and society. Sexual abuse, its traumatic effect, and the harm caused to children, youth, and adults will be described in the neglect of confronting sexual abuse by psychoanalysis and society. This neglect will be discussed in chapters about the abuse of children by religious leaders, students by teachers, youth in sports by coaches, and aspiring actors by authorities in the entertainment industry. It covers key topics such as why there has been silence about abuse in psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic theories, and practices that can be counterproductive or even harmful, case studies of abuse in the wider community, and how psychoanalysis as a profession can do better in its understanding and treatment of child sexual abuse both in psychoanalytic treatment and in its interaction with other parts of society. This book appeals to all psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists, as well as scholars interested in the history of psychoanalysis.

This important and wide-ranging book explores the world of a child or young person who has been abused or neglected. It seeks to understand their world, to ease the pain from which they suffer, and to heal the wounds that the abuse has left. Examining how abuse always takes place in the context of relationships, and involves a misuse of power that causes a traumatic overwhelming of the child or adolescent, abuse also evokes strong countertransference. This affects interventions, particularly when clinicians struggle with feelings of which they may feel ashamed. A difficulty in coming to terms with and addressing child abuse relates to unconscious factors which, by freezing the emotional area surrounding the abuse (or by blinding the area of personality), makes some thoughts unthinkable. Considering traditional and novel ways of helping children who feel they have been maltreated, the book offers suggestions for individual treatment as well as describing the successful work carried out with child refugees. It also offers a glimpse into what child psychoanalysts interpret and do with children who feel a parent hates them.

Following a case study approach organized around the psychoanalytic process, this book addresses clinical issues that arise in analytic work with adults who were sexually abused as children. Special emphasis is given to the way in which childhood sexual trauma affects the treatment process and influences the contents and quality of transference. Contributors also focus on the formation of the therapeutic alliance, countertransference issues, and disturbances in ego functions.

This book presents a coherent and readable narrative review of current views on the effects and role of psychoanalytic psychotherapy in the treatment of children and adults who have experienced childhood abuse and neglect. Recent decades have seen an explosion of research into the extent of child abuse and into the effects of early relational trauma on the developing minds and brains of children. The lasting effects on survivors are increasingly recognized and can be addressed psychotherapeutically. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy After Child Abuse is unique in two ways. Firstly, in bringing together for the first time the considerable scientific evidence of effectiveness and the vast body of accumulated clinical experience using psychoanalytical approaches in the treatment of people who have experienced childhood abuse. Secondly, in being the product of the widest collaboration of individuals and organizations concerned about the effects of child abuse, and experts on child abuse and psychotherapy. These include experts by experience, survivor groups, activists, academics, and clinicians: paediatricians, physicians, child and adult psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, psychologists, and psychoanalytic psychotherapists.

Leadership, Psychoanalysis, and Society describes leadership as a relationship between leaders and followers in a particular context and challenges theories of leadership now being taught. This book includes essays that view leadership from psychoanalytic, social psychological, sociological, evolutionary, developmental anthropological, and historical points of view to fully describe the complexity of leadership relationships and personalities. These essays analyze the different kinds of leadership needed in organizations; the development of Black Leadership that provides hope for people who have been oppressed; the difference between charismatic and inspirational leadership and the kind of training needed to develop leaders from diverse backgrounds who inspire followers and collaborate with them to further the common good. This book offers a guide to understanding the different types of leadership and will be of interest to business, government, health care, universities, and other organizations.

Arnold Wm. Rachman and Clara Mucci provide a detailed examination of the significance of Sándor Ferenczi’s paradigm shifting theory of trauma, the Confusion of Tongues, and confirm its relevance for the psychoanalytic theory and analysis of trauma today. As the first alternative to Freud’s theory of the Oedipal complex, Ferenczi’s Confusion of Tongues theory expanded the theoretical and clinical boundaries of psychoanalysis to establish that psychological trauma as a result of childhood sexual abuse and trauma experiences are a significant contributing factor to the development of psychological disorders. The authors address the lack of attention paid to the significance of sexual abuse trauma to understanding psychological ill health in psychoanalysis, and integrate the latest research on neurobiology to demonstrate how Ferenczi’s theory is meaningful to understanding many aspects of human behavior today. This work will be formative to psychoanalysts and psychotherapists both in training and in practice and provide renewed insight into the treatment of childhood sexual abuse and psychological trauma.

Beginning in 1933, after Sandor Ferenczi’s death, this volume draws extensively from interviews, personal correspondence, and scholarly essays to explore the latter part of Clara Thompson’s life and professional career. The reader is afforded an understanding of Thompson's development with the luminaries who influenced her, and who she, in turn, influenced, including Harry Stack Sullivan, Erich Fromm, and other "cultural" social scientists. Building on her collaborative work with Ferenczi, and influenced by Sullivan, Thompson’s pioneering essays expand the psychoanalytic perspective to embrace the dynamic interpersonal encounter between patient and analyst. Critical of Freud's views on women, Thompson also argues against the inequality of women and men in society, reflecting her own moral compass. This volume clarifies Thompson’s role in psychoanalytic history, reclaiming her numerous and valuable contributions to both the interpersonal psychoanalytic tradition and to the field of psychoanalysis as we know it today. D’Ercole’s artfully woven account of Thompson’s life will prove essential reading for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, psychologists, and anyone interested in the history of psychoanalysis.

Ann D’Ercole tells the story of Clara M. Thompson, drawing extensively on unpublished archival interviews and correspondence, to provide a full and complex picture of an early American pioneer of psychoanalysis. The book begins by exploring Thompson’s youth, which was steeped in evangelical Christianity, and conveys the difficulty that Thompson experienced as she resisted the restrictive conventions of femininity prevalent at the time. Despite this, Thompson’s talent as a student continually shines through, as D’Ercole gives readers an account of Thompson’s life at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she would work alongside the innovative psychiatrist, Adolf Meyer. Thompson’s ground-breaking theoretical and clinical achievements continue to be celebrated, as D’Ercole explores Thompson’s life-changing experiences whilst in psychoanalytic treatment with Sándor Ferenczi. By allowing her voice to prevail, this book recognizes Thompson’s vital work in the formulation of interpersonal psychoanalysis, rendering it invaluable for interpersonal psychoanalysts wishing to understand Thompson’s role in the development of the school.