Revenge: Narcissistic Injury, Rage, and Retaliation addresses the ubiquitous human wish to take revenge and settle scores. Featuring the contributions of eleven distinguished mental health professionals, it offers a panoramic and yet deep perspective on the real or imagined narcissistic injury that often underlies fantasies of revenge and the behavioral trait of vindictiveness. It describes various types of revenge and introduces the concept of a 'good-enough revenge.' Deftly blending psychoanalysis, ethology, religious studies, literary criticism, and clinical experience, the book goes a long way to enhance empathy with patients struggling with hurt, pain, and desires to get even with their tormentors. This volume is of great clinical value indeed!

In this tribute to Selma Kramer, eminent child analyst and colleague and close friend of the late Margaret Mahler, senior analysts explore the continuing relevance of Mahler's separation-individuation theory to developmental and clinical issues. Editors Salman Akhtar and Henri Parens have grouped the original contributions to Beyond the Symbiotic Orbit into sections that reevaluate Mahler's theory. Section I is a timely reassessment of Mahler's working model from the standpoint of contemporary clinical and research findings. It includes comparisons of Mahler with Winnicott and Kohut, and commentaries on the status of separation-individuation theory in relation to psychosexual theory, early ego development, and observational infancy research. Section II addresses the contribution of separation-individuation theory to our understanding of pathogenesis. Neurosis, severe character pathology, psychosomatic phenomena, eating disorders, and sexual perversions are among the topics of specific chapters. The final section explores the role of separation-individuation theory in the treatment of analysands of different ages and with different kinds of psychopathology; it also considers separation-individuation theory with respect to specific aspects of the treatment process, including reconstruction, transference, and termination. A fresh reappraisal of a major perspective on early development, Beyond the Symbiotic Orbit is a fitting testimonial to Selma Kramer, who has played so important a role in elaborating Mahler's theory. Following from Kramer's own example, the contributors show how separation-individuation theory, in its ability to accomodate ongoing clinical and research findings, is subject to continuing growth and refinement. They not only advance our understanding of Mahler's working model, but pursue the implications of this model in new directions, underscoring the many areas of exploration that separation-individuation theory opens to us.

From childhood onwards, humans use their environment's responses to construct models or schemata to link feelings and impulses with actions and effects. If the environment during those formative years is unreliable, frustrating, or violating, the construction of those internal models can be disrupted and create a disjointed perception of the world, where violence is the only way to feel strong or good about oneself. Before and After Violence explores the complex network of experiences and relationships that contribute to both the origins and consequences of violence, starting in the early stages of life and compounding over time. The contributors to this collection examine the different settings in which violence takes place, look at the variables that propel its occurrence in local and global instances, and depict how each can be traced back to profound feelings of betrayal, helplessness, and anger that manifest in the physical discharges of aggression towards a single person or a whole group. Through a psychoanalytic lens, the contributors analyze and explain violence in its many forms, delve into its myriad of causes, as well as offer a variety of solutions that can be applied to various instances of violence whether it be physical or mental, self-directed or other-directed.

Hostile, destructive kids become hostile destructive adults and create serious problems for society. Handling Children's Aggression Constructively: Toward Taming Human Destructiveness shows how to prevent the development of disturbed aggressive behaviors in children, giving caregivers and educators the tools they need to handle problems in the making so they won't become more difficult and costly problems to deal with later on. Unlike the fine books previously published on how to handle children who already suffer from significant aggressive behavior disorders, this book takes a preventive approach. It focuses on how the ways in which young children are raised contribute toward aggressive behaviors and recommends techniques to manage children's aggression constructively that can be applied from birth through adolescence.

In 1932 Einstein asked Freud, 'Is there any way of delivering mankind from the menace of war?' Freud answered that war is inevitable because humans have an instinct to self-destroy, a death instinct which we must externalize to survive. But nearly four decades of study of aggression reveal that rather than being an inborn drive, destructiveness is generated in us by experiences of excessive psychic pain. In War is Not Inevitable: On the Psychology of War and Aggression, Henri Parens argues that the death-instinct based model of aggression can neither be proved nor disproved as Freud's answer is untestable. By contrast, the 'multi-trends theory of aggression' is provable and has greater heuristic value than does a death-instinct based model of aggression. When we look for causes for war we turn to history as well as national, ethnic, territorial, and or political issues, among many others, but we also tend to ignore the psychological factors that play a large role. Parens discusses such psychological factors that seem to lead large groups into conflict. Central among these are the psychodynamics of large-group narcissism. Interactional conditions stand out: hyper-narcissistic large-groups have, in history, caused much narcissistic injury to those they believe they are superior to. But this is commonly followed by the narcissistically injured group's experiencing high level hostile destructiveness toward their injury-perpetrator which, in time, will compel them to revenge. Among groups that have been engaged in serial conflicts, wars have followed from this psychodynamic narcissism-based cyclicity. Parens details some of the psychodynamics that led from World War I to World War II and their respective aftermath, and he addresses how major factors that gave rise to these wars must, can, and have been counteracted. In doing so, Parens considers strategies by which civilization has and is constructively preventing wars, as well as the need for further innovative efforts to achieve that end.

Revenge: Narcissistic Injury, Rage, and Retaliation addresses the ubiquitous human wish to take revenge and settle scores. Featuring the contributions of eleven distinguished mental health professionals, it offers a panoramic and yet deep perspective on the real or imagined narcissistic injury that often underlies fantasies of revenge and the behavioral trait of vindictiveness. It describes various types of revenge and introduces the concept of a 'good-enough revenge.' Deftly blending psychoanalysis, ethology, religious studies, literary criticism, and clinical experience, the book goes a long way to enhance empathy with patients struggling with hurt, pain, and desires to get even with their tormentors. This volume is of great clinical value indeed!

In 1932 Einstein asked Freud, 'Is there any way of delivering mankind from the menace of war?' Freud answered that war is inevitable because humans have an instinct to self-destroy, a death instinct which we must externalize to survive. But nearly four decades of study of aggression reveal that rather than being an inborn drive, destructiveness is generated in us by experiences of excessive psychic pain. In War is Not Inevitable: On the Psychology of War and Aggression, Henri Parens argues that the death-instinct based model of aggression can neither be proved nor disproved as Freud's answer is untestable. By contrast, the 'multi-trends theory of aggression' is provable and has greater heuristic value than does a death-instinct based model of aggression. When we look for causes for war we turn to history as well as national, ethnic, territorial, and or political issues, among many others, but we also tend to ignore the psychological factors that play a large role. Parens discusses such psychological factors that seem to lead large groups into conflict. Central among these are the psychodynamics of large-group narcissism. Interactional conditions stand out: hyper-narcissistic large-groups have, in history, caused much narcissistic injury to those they believe they are superior to. But this is commonly followed by the narcissistically injured group's experiencing high level hostile destructiveness toward their injury-perpetrator which, in time, will compel them to revenge. Among groups that have been engaged in serial conflicts, wars have followed from this psychodynamic narcissism-based cyclicity. Parens details some of the psychodynamics that led from World War I to World War II and their respective aftermath, and he addresses how major factors that gave rise to these wars must, can, and have been counteracted. In doing so, Parens considers strategies by which civilization has and is constructively preventing wars, as well as the need for further innovative efforts to achieve that end.

In this classic study, Henri Parens and Leon J. Saul provide a comprehensive review of Freud s writings on the subject of dependence, drawing attention to the fact that Freud said much more about dependence than is generally recognized. The authors proceed to supplement the theory of dependence from their own perspective, drawing on the formulations of Rene Spitz and the findings of ethologists (especially in imprinting and primary socialization) in order to shed further light on the singularity of early human development. They postulate the libidinization of dependence and trace the effects of this on psychic development, and also consider the dependence continuum in dynamic and economic terms ( inner sustainment ), which reflects the equilibrium between dependency and self-reliance. Utilizing Anna Freud s developmental lines and Margaret Mahler s sub phases of separation and individuation, they trace the epigenesis of dependence and provide illuminating clinical examples."

'At long last there is a book that brings the issue of religious belief into the consulting room. Deliberately avoiding the one debate about whether or not God exists, the editors have marshaled papers that take seriously the fact that patients are affected by their religious convictions. Experts on Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam refract the clinical process through the prisms of these religions, and commentaries on their papers are offered by distinguished psychoanalysts who provide vigorous challenges and supplementary visions. Therapists will be informed by reading this book and will find their understanding of patients enriched.' --David M. Sachs

Taming Aggression in Your Child: How to Avoid Raising Bullies, Delinquents, or Trouble-Makers is a guide to preventing children from developing aggressive behaviors from birth through adolescence. Hostile destructive kids become hostile destructive adults and often create serious problems for society, and Dr. Henri Parens argues that effective parenting can help prevent aggressive behaviors like bullying, delinquency, and even criminal behavior from developing. Parens explains to caregivers and educators what causes aggression to develop in children and how it affects them as they grow, differentiates between compliance (the goal of effective parenting) and obedience (an often mis-used term, signifying an unquestioning yielding to authority), and explains how to achieve compliance in children through effective limit-setting, discipline, and punishment. He also demonstrates how to help children learn to express hostility in acceptable ways, how to handle temper tantrums in growth-promoting ways, and how to optimize the parent-child relationship in order to minimize the development of aggression in children. Offering concrete strategies for dealing with aggression, Taming Aggression in Your Child is a must read for all parents, whether you are frustrated by your toddler's temper tantrums or worry that your older child is bullying siblings or classmates.

Taming Aggression in Your Child: How to Avoid Raising Bullies, Delinquents, or Trouble-Makers is a guide to preventing children from developing aggressive behaviors from birth through adolescence. Hostile destructive kids become hostile destructive adults and often create serious problems for society, and Dr. Henri Parens argues that effective parenting can help prevent aggressive behaviors like bullying, delinquency, and even criminal behavior from developing. Parens explains to caregivers and educators what causes aggression to develop in children and how it affects them as they grow, differentiates between compliance (the goal of effective parenting) and obedience (an often mis-used term, signifying an unquestioning yielding to authority), and explains how to achieve compliance in children through effective limit-setting, discipline, and punishment. He also demonstrates how to help children learn to express hostility in acceptable ways, how to handle temper tantrums in growth-promoting ways, and how to optimize the parent-child relationship in order to minimize the development of aggression in children. Offering concrete strategies for dealing with aggression, Taming Aggression in Your Child is a must read for all parents, whether you are frustrated by your toddler's temper tantrums or worry that your older child is bullying siblings or classmates.

What constitutes a lie? What are the different types of lies? Why do people lie? Is dishonesty ubiquitous in human experience? And what should be done with individuals who seek pschotherapeutic help and yet can not reveal important aspects of their lives and even fabricate histories, associations, and dreams? Such questions form the backbone of this exceptional book. Starting with the emergence of the capacity to lie in childhood and the formative influence of the family in children's moral development, the discourse goes on to include the variety of adulthood lies, including social lies, existential lies, pathological lies, narcissistic lies, and sociopathic lies. Contributions from distinguished psychoanalysts like Salman Akhtar, Harold Blum, Ruth Fischer, Lucy LaFarge, Henri Parens, and Michael Stone, along with others, explore the impact of dishonesty on the internal and external realities of an individual. Malignant forms of lies involving serious character pathology and criminality, as well as their detection, are also discussed. The book's aim is to help therapists enhance their empathy with patients who are compelled to lie and to provide them with better therapeutic strategies to deal with the clinical dilemmas that arise in working with such children and adults.

What constitutes a lie? What are the different types of lies? Why do people lie? Is dishonesty ubiquitous in human experience? And what should be done with individuals who seek pschotherapeutic help and yet can not reveal important aspects of their lives and even fabricate histories, associations, and dreams? Such questions form the backbone of this exceptional book. Starting with the emergence of the capacity to lie in childhood and the formative influence of the family in children's moral development, the discourse goes on to include the variety of adulthood lies, including social lies, existential lies, pathological lies, narcissistic lies, and sociopathic lies. Contributions from distinguished psychoanalysts like Salman Akhtar, Harold Blum, Ruth Fischer, Lucy LaFarge, Henri Parens, and Michael Stone, along with others, explore the impact of dishonesty on the internal and external realities of an individual. Malignant forms of lies involving serious character pathology and criminality, as well as their detection, are also discussed. The book's aim is to help therapists enhance their empathy with patients who are compelled to lie and to provide them with better therapeutic strategies to deal with the clinical dilemmas that arise in working with such children and adults.

How do individuals cope constructively with significant trauma? How do they recover from it? What factors seem most codetermining of coping with and recovering from trauma? Can these be not only identified but also influenced by our interventions? Addressing these questions-questions about human beings' capacity for resilience-is the prime challenge taken up in this book by an assortment of international psychoanalytic, attachment, and biological mental health theorists and clinicians. While mental health professionals are well trained to identify and treat psychopathology, little is taught about how to look for strengths in patients that assist them in their coping and that, on their own and with our nurturance, can foster their recovery. Some of the contributors to this volume, having themselves been subjected to severe trauma, speak of resilience both from within their own experience, from those around them, and from their work with traumatized patients.

How do individuals cope constructively with significant trauma? How do they recover from it? What factors seem most codetermining of coping with and recovering from trauma? Can these be not only identified but also influenced by our interventions? Addressing these questions-questions about human beings' capacity for resilience-is the prime challenge taken up in this book by an assortment of international psychoanalytic, attachment, and biological mental health theorists and clinicians. While mental health professionals are well trained to identify and treat psychopathology, little is taught about how to look for strengths in patients that assist them in their coping and that, on their own and with our nurturance, can foster their recovery. Some of the contributors to this volume, having themselves been subjected to severe trauma, speak of resilience both from within their own experience, from those around them, and from their work with traumatized patients.

Now more than ever, understanding the nature of aggression is crucial to our understanding of individual and social ills produced by the accumulation in humans of hostile destructiveness. The Development of Aggression in Early Childhood, first published in 1979, is here reissued in a revised edition because the author's "multi-trends theory of aggression" and its clinical and social applications have held up cogently and productively for nearly thirty years. Dr. Parens' observation-based explication of highly different forms or trends of aggression is experience-near and is, he argues, of greater heuristic merit than the assumption that humans are inherently 'seething cauldrons of destructive excitations.' The responsibility for the hostility and hate we experience in our world today, according to Dr. Parens, lies with the way we are reared, educated, and treated individually and socially-and not with the assumption that we are ab ovo driven to destroy. In this revised edition, Parens' theory is offset by a two-part Preface that provides a historical overview of the multitudinous theories of aggression in psychoanalytic thought and discusses the clinical applications of the multi-trends theory of aggression with case studies and further clinical theorizing about hostile destructiveness and clinical technique. This book is intended not only for mental health professionals of all degrees and orientations, but also for all those who tend children, be they caregivers, pediatricians, educators, or pastoral counselors.

This volume addresses the critical psychoanalytic issue of effective listening. While this issue has been discussed widely in the literature, most often the discussions are from the standpoint of technique. Listening to Others is among the first texts to consider the listening process from the so-called 'two-person' perspective-i.e., that which is aligned with intersubjective, interpersonal, and relational theories. The contributors to this volume all are well-known experts in contemporary psychoanalytic theory.

This volume addresses the critical psychoanalytic issue of effective listening. While this issue has been discussed widely in the literature, most often the discussions are from the standpoint of technique. Listening to Others is among the first texts to consider the listening process from the so-called 'two-person' perspective-i.e., that which is aligned with intersubjective, interpersonal, and relational theories. The contributors to this volume all are well-known experts in contemporary psychoanalytic theory.

Mourning and the importance of the capacity to bear some helplessness, while still finding pleasure in life, are central to this tightly organized volume. The multi-faceted processes involved in mourning and adaptation are addressed.

Across the lifespan we may experience moments of sublime intimacy, suffocating closeness, comfortable solitude, and intolerable distance or closeness. In Interpersonal Boundaries: Variations and Violations Salman Akhtar and the other contributors demonstrate how boundaries, by delineating and containing the self, secure one's conscious and unconscious experience of entity and of self-governance. Interpersonal Boundaries reveals the complexities of the self and its boundaries, while identifying some of the enigmatic questions about how the biological, psychological, and cultural aspects of the self interrelate. The contributors skillfully integrate a wide range of theory with a wealth of clinical material. Examples range from the dark side of boundary-violating therapists to an extraordinary presentation of harrowing analytic work with a severely traumatized man. Readers will find that this volume makes a significant contribution to the knowledge of boundaries of the self in psychotherapeutic theory and practice.

This work analyses the concept of object constancy in the light of developmental research and clinical practice. The clinical implications of disturbances in object constancy are discussed with reference to therapeutic work with both children and adults.

In Growing Pains: Revising Child Development Theories and their Application to Patients of All Ages, editors Henri Parens and Salman Akhtar present a collection that draws on over 50 years professional experience in child development. Contributors to this collection touch on psychoanalytic conceptualizations of child development, separation-individuation theory, personal clinical experiences, the effects of trauma and neurodevelopmental disorders in the mother-child relationship, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma. This edited collection is recommended for scholars and practitioners interested in psychoanalysis, child development, and clinical psychology.