When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Westerners watched those who had survived the era of Soviet trauma emerge into what we hoped would be the exhilarating light of freedom. What we have witnessed, however, is a slow and painful process of progression and regression, of hope and disillusionment, of unexpected psychological barriers: invisible walls that block the progress we had hoped for. In Beyond Invisible Walls, East European therapists, themselves, draw a compelling picture of the waves of trauma that their people endured, the institutions of trauma that remained well after Stalin's era, and their impact on survivors and their families. They describe the psychological remnants of those years: walls that confine people by unconsciously preserving old adaptations to political terror, walls that divide one part of the mind from another, and walls that rise between one generation and the next. These therapists' stories allow us a striking glimpse into how patients' trauma evokes the therapists' own wounds; how both speaker and empathic listener find their way to a healing process, how the two begin to dismantle these invisible walls.

In this volume, John Wilson and Jacob Lindy explore the language of both individual and collective trauma in an era dominated by globalization and interconnectedness. As Wilson points out in the first chapter, Western psychiatrists have increasingly found that their ideas of trauma were not always easily translated to other cultures.

Through lucid, careful discussion, this important book builds a bridge between the etymology of trauma-related terms commonly used in Western cultures and those of other cultures, such as the Burundi-Rwandan ihahamuka. It also provides the clinician with a framework for working with trauma survivors using a cross-cultural vocabularya "one often based in metaphora "to fully address the experienced trauma and to begin work on reconnection and self-reinvention.

In this volume, John Wilson and Jacob Lindy explore the language of both individual and collective trauma in an era dominated by globalization and interconnectedness. As Wilson points out in the first chapter, Western psychiatrists have increasingly found that their ideas of trauma were not always easily translated to other cultures.

Through lucid, careful discussion, this important book builds a bridge between the etymology of trauma-related terms commonly used in Western cultures and those of other cultures, such as the Burundi-Rwandan ihahamuka. It also provides the clinician with a framework for working with trauma survivors using a cross-cultural vocabularya "one often based in metaphora "to fully address the experienced trauma and to begin work on reconnection and self-reinvention.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Westerners watched those who had survived the era of Soviet trauma emerge into what we hoped would be the exhilarating light of freedom. What we have witnessed, however, is a slow, painful process of progression and regression, of hope and disillusionment, of unexpected psychological barriers: invisible walls that block the progress we had hoped for. In Beyond Invisible Walls, East European therapists, themselves, draw a compelling picture of the waves of trauma that their people endured, the institutions of trauma that remained well after Stalin's era, and their impact on survivors and their families. They describe the psychological remnants of those years, walls that confine people by unconsciously preserving old adaptations to political terror; walls that divide one part of the mind from another, and walls that rise between one generation and the next. These therapists' stories allow us a striking glimpse into how patients' trauma evokes the therapists' own wounds; how both speaker and empathic listener find their way to a healing process, how the two began to dismantle these invisible walls.
Editors Jacob D. Lindy and Robert J. Lifton have assembled compelling cases from Hungary, East Germany, Romania, Russia, Croatia, and Armenia and added their own commentary elucidating the interaction between multigenerational trauma, culture, and history. Historical sketches by eminent scholars provide further perspective on these times and events, In the detailed clinical discussions and poignant case studies, clinicians will find unique perspectives and understanding applicable to their work with anyone who has suffered under political repression. Rich with personal voices, Beyond Invisible Walls is a book into whose pages clinicians and lay readers alike will be drawn.

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It is now widely recognized that mental health professionals who work with trauma victims are themselves at risk for powerful countertransference reactions (CTRs), vicarious victimization, and stress-related burnout. This volume is the first book in the field of traumatic stress studies to systematically examine the unique role of countertransference processes in psychotherapy outcome. Emphasizing the need for carefully deliberated action, this volume offers vital new insights into the victim-healer relationship and presents detailed techniques to promote awareness of affective reactions for anyone working with sufferers of PTSD and its comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Part I introduces readers to theoretical and conceptual foundations of countertransference in post-traumatic therapies. Illustrated with case examples, the relationship of empathic strain to countertransference and two types of therapist defenses are examined. Chapters in Part II discuss countertransference issues that arise in the treatment of victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, including survivors of rape and early childhood trauma; children traumatized by urban violence; patients with multiple personality disorder; and acutely traumatized children. Part III examines therapists' reactions in work with victims of war trauma, civil violence, and political oppression, as well as other groups whose trauma must be understood in specific cultural and historical context. Explicit examples of avoidant and overidentification responses are presented. Finally, Part IV expands the discussion of trauma and countertransference to survivors of both direct and indirect trauma, such as that of rescue workers who, during natural disasters, are exposed to the threat of the disaster and the plight of those they attempt to help. Throughout, case vignettes illustrate the signs and symptoms of trauma-specific CTRs as they unfold during treatment. The roles through which clinicians can successfully engage survivors are also detailed. Rich with explicit suggestions for providing compassionate and intelligent care, this insightful volume is ideal for psychotherapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals working with people suffering from PTSD. Similarly, Countertransference in the Treatment of PTSD is a valuable classroom text for courses dealing with the treatment of trauma victims and its implications for psychotherapists.

Much has been learned about PTSD in the past two decades, yet many questions remain about the complex pathways by which trauma disrupts people's lives. This authoritative volume presents an innovative psychobiological framework to help clinicians and researchers better understand the myriad difficulties facing patients and navigate the array of available intervention approaches. Incorporating the latest theory and clinical research, the book provides a crucial reformulation of diagnostic criteria and treatment goals. It then brings together leading treatment experts to describe and illustrate their respective approaches, facilitating the selection and implementation of the most effective interventions for individual patients. The book first delineates a holistic, organismic model of PTSD. Particular attention is given to how the concept of allostatic load has enabled contemporary investigators to gain a more dynamic view of human stress responses and how they may go awry. Aided by clearly presented tables and charts, the volume elucidates the process by which traumatic experiences can give rise to 65 symptoms contained within five symptom clusters. Augmenting the traditional domains of PTSD symptomatology/m-/physiological disturbances, traumatic memory, and avoidance/m-/are two additional clusters dealing with frequently encountered problems with self and identity and with attachment, intimacy, and personal relationships. Contributors then provide detailed presentations of core therapeutic approaches: acute posttraumatic interventions, cognitive-behavioral approaches, pharmacotherapy, group psychotherapy, and psychodynamic techniques, as well as approaches for special populations. The concluding section reviews and synthesizes all case material presented, examining which symptoms are addressed by each modality, which treatment objectives are met, and which clients are likely to be helped.

This volume presents an innovative psychobiological framework for understanding and treating PTSD. A major emphasis is the need to reformulate diagnostic criteria and treatment goals to reflect emerging knowledge about the complex pathways by which trauma disrupts people's lives. Within a holistic, organismic framework, the editors identify 65 PTSD symptoms contained within five (rather than the traditional three) symptom clusters, and spell out 80 target objectives for treatment. Expert contributors then provide detailed presentations of core therapeutic approaches, including acute posttraumatic interventions, cognitive-behavioral approaches, pharmacotherapy, group psychotherapy, and psychodynamic techniques, as well as approaches to working with specific populations, including children, refugees, and the dually diagnosed. The concluding section reviews and synthesizes all case material presented, examining which symptoms are addressed by each of the core approaches, which treatment goals are met, and which clients can most effectively be helped. Combining cutting-edge theoretical exposition with clear-cut recommendations for practice, this is an ideal resource for clinicians, students, and researchers.