NCJ Number
185653
Date Published
2000
Length
248 pages
Annotation
Although murder, rape, and other violent acts are serious social problems, the reasons for such destructive behavior still elude contemporary psychological theories.
Abstract
Based on 40 years of clinical experience as a humanistic psychoanalyst, the author uses case studies of dangerous people from all walks of life to demonstrate that even those who have led destructive lives can be restored to more hopeful, compassionate, and responsible lives. The book provides insights about the most troubling aspects of human nature and addresses social and psychological challenges to psychoanalysis in the next century. The case studies involve a prostitute, an adolescent murderer, a client whose rage translated into violent action, a client who assumed another identity, a client who arranged to have her husband murdered, a suspected rapist, and other violent persons. The author considers psychoanalysis and moral responsibility; the psychology of self-deception, consciousness, and memory; psychological defenses as emotional strategies; and the role of shame in constructive behavior. The discussion of destructive behavior also looks at the dilemmas of American society, primary and secondary factors that promote destructive behavior, and basic emotional communication for intimacy and interpersonal connectedness. References and notes