The concepts presented in this volume were described and discussed at international conferences organized by the authors in Nice (1982), Munich (1984) and Amsterdam (1985).

This is a book about relationship. It is not a how-to or self-help book, but instead an anatomy of the relationship experience itself, its inherent significance and intrinsic value. The relationships that a person has with other people are the central core of that person's existence. The people you meet, the members of your family, those whom you love and even your sworn enemy, are the motivating forces behind everything you do and the reason for your stay on this planet. In short, the meaning of life is relationship.What if life were relationship, pure and simple, the be-all and end-all, the end and the beginning? If life is relationship, it is not wealth or fame. It is not winning or acquiring or what you accomplish or where you live or how much education you have or the honors you have been given. It is not how law-abiding you are or how devout you are in your religious faith. Your "worth" is measured not by your bank account, the property in your name, or the trust you established for your child or children. Your worth is measured by the relationships you have formed in your lifetime and the care with which you have conducted them, and the way that you treated those other persons. This view of people as enmeshed in relationships with others, living in, by, and for them, rejects the Cult of Self and the selfishness nourishing that demon. Your life's meaning is before your eyes each day. In every encounter that you have with another person, every word or glance or touch, life reaches out and embraces you and fulfills your purpose for being here.

This book provides an overview of the problem of the molestation of children, and includes the issue of false accusations. It analyzes the subject of incest, and discusses both treatment and assessment.

Strategic Interventions for People in Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster enables therapists to walk into difficult situations with a thorough understanding of interactional dynamics and a plan of action. With the stressful turbulence of our present culture, more and more clinicians are called upon to intervene in crisis situations. Violent interactions, once considered rare or beyond the province of the therapist, have become familiar events to many practitioners. This volume provides them with both the theoretical background and practical techniques to help people learn from crisis experiences and move toward change and growth. Of special interest are practical guidelines and specific intervention strategies for conducting psychotherapy with different types of violent persons and of victims. Treatment principles for each crisis situation are then illustrated in detailed case studies. As the authors demonstrate, with these troubled people a therapist must be ready to make quick decisions, draw upon all available resources from the family and community, and offer continuing support as traumas are worked through and new behavior patterns are learned. In addition, the authors discuss the legal and ethical responsibilities of the therapist.

"People in Crisis" will enable therapists to walk into potentially explosive situations with a thorough understanding of the interactional dynamics and a plan of action. Here, the communication principles for high stress or dangerous situations developed and confirmed in clinical practice are outlined. The steps of intervention, such as making telephone contact, arriving at the scene, and initiating strategies to defuse the emergency, are described in detail. Once the situation has been defused, interactional patterns that have led to violent fighting, child abuse, sexual assault, wife-beating, incest, or suicidal attempt are explored and the process of change begins.
Of special interest are practical guidelines and specific intervention strategies for conducting psychotherapy with different types of violent persons and of victims. Treatment principles for each crisis situation are then illustrated in detailed case studies. As the authors demonstrate, with these troubled people a therapist must be ready to make quick decisions regarding hospitalization, to draw upon all available resources from the family and community, and to offer continuing support as traumas are worked through and new behavior patterns are learned. In addition, the authors discuss the legal and ethical responsibilities of the therapist.
With the stressful turbulence of our present culture, more and more clinicians are called upon to intervene in crisis situations. Violent interactions, once considered rare or beyond the province of the therapist, have become familiar events to many practitioners. This volume provides them with both the theoretical background and practical techniques to help people learnfrom crisis experiences and move toward change and growth.

This is a book about relationship. It is not a how-to or self-help book, but instead an anatomy of the relationship experience itself, its inherent significance and intrinsic value. The relationships that a person has with other people are the central core of that person's existence. The people you meet, the members of your family, those whom you love and even your sworn enemy, are the motivating forces behind everything you do and the reason for your stay on this planet. In short, the meaning of life is relationship. What if life were relationship, pure and simple, the be-all and end-all, the end and the beginning? If life is relationship, it is not wealth or fame. It is not winning or acquiring or what you accomplish or where you live or how much education you have or the honors you have been given. It is not how law-abiding you are or how devout you are in your religious faith. Your "worth" is measured not by your bank account, the property in your name, or the trust you established for your child or children. Your worth is measured by the relationships you have formed in your lifetime and the care with which you have conducted them, and the way that you treated those other persons. This view of people as enmeshed in relationships with others, living in, by, and for them, rejects the Cult of Self and the selfishness nourishing that demon. Your life's meaning is before your eyes each day. In every encounter that you have with another person, every word or glance or touch, life reaches out and embraces you and fulfills your purpose for being here.