Description
Book SynopsisIn this elegantly written book, eight distinguished psychoanalysts address the ubiquitous phenomenon of guilt. They describe the childhood experiences that form the bedrock of this emotion and delineate various types of guilt, including pre-oedipal guilt, oedipal guilt, survivor guilt, separation guilt, induced guilt, and so on. Noting that guilt, by itself, is neither good' nor bad,' these master clinicians highlight the adverse (e.g. self-punishment, masochism, irritability) and potentially positive (e.g. reparation, helpfulness towards others) outcomes of guilt. They critically assess previously published findings, review diverse theories, and offer illustrative material from treatment of children and adults. As a result, Guilt: Origins, Manifestations, and Management is replete with clinical pearls and highly useful tips for the management of patients driven by feelings of guilt and remorse.
Trade ReviewThis volume is a unique and comprehensive collection of writings on guilt, giving the reader important and clinically relevant insights into guilt not simply as an affect accompanying actual or wished – for transgressions, but as a moral regulator and compass. It will be of great use to psychotherapists at all levels of training and experience. -- Melvin R. Lansky, M.D., training and supervising analyst, The New Center for Psychoanalysis, Los Angeles; clinical professor of psychiatry, UCLA Medica
This is a valuable book on a topic of central importance to the work of all psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. It delves deeply into guilt and its related affects in the people we work with and in ourselves. Rich in clinical material, it consists of multiple views from within the intense and complex psychoanalytic work conducted by an impressive group of theoretically diverse experts in the field. It is a privilege to be invited to share their thinking, and even more compelling, their feelings. This volume is further enhanced by the editor’s masterful introductory chapter that defines, compares, and contrasts the related affects of guilt, shame, and remorse, and by the final chapter, which provides the reader with a concise overview and summary. -- Beth Seelig M.D., Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Chapter 1: Guilt: An Introductory Overview Salman Akhtar, MD Chapter 2: Pinocchio's Journey to a ‘Good Heart’: Guilt, Reparation, and Transformation William Singletary, MD Chapter 3: Conscience and ‘The Uncanny’ in Psychoanalysis and in Pinocchio Elaine Zickler, PhD Chapter 4: Bearable and Unbearable Guilt: A Kleinian Perspective Desy Safán-Gerard, PhD Chapter 5: Guilt: Some Theoretical and Technical Considerations Robert Kravis, PsyD Chapter 6: Guilt in the Therapist and its Impact upon Treatment Stanley Coen, MD Chapter 7: Reflections on the Absence of Morality in Psychoanalytic Theory and Practice Elio Frattaroli, MD Chapter 8: Guilt and Its Vicissitudes: a Concluding Commentary Jeanne Bailey, PhD References Index Editors and Contributors
