Trauma and the Supernatural in Psychotherapy: Working with the Curse Position in Clinical Practice

Trauma and the Supernatural in Psychotherapy explores how traumatic experience interacts with unconscious phantasy based in folklore, the supernatural, and the occult, offering clinical perspectives on working with clients who feel cursed and manifest self-sabotaging states. It also considers the historically conflicted relationship between psychoanalysis and the supernatural and proposes treatment perspectives that are not implicitly dependent upon a materialist paradigm.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 170 pages
Publication date: 16 June 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Trauma and the Supernatural in Psychotherapy delves into the intricate interplay between traumatic experiences and unconscious phantasies rooted in folklore, the supernatural, and the occult. Through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing psychoanalysis, anthropology, the arts, and esoteric philosophy, Alex Monk presents a comprehensive exploration of this subject. He offers rich case illustrations drawn from folklore and literature, providing valuable clinical perspectives for therapists working with clients who grapple with feelings of curses and perpetuate self-sabotaging states. The book meticulously examines the challenges inherent in working with this client population, showcasing effective strategies for navigating potent transferences and projective identifications. Monk sheds light on how clients with developmental trauma may perceive the supernatural and its psychic representatives as either persecutory or a source of empowerment and healing. Additionally, the book explores the historically fraught relationship between psychoanalysis and the supernatural, proposing treatment perspectives that transcend a materialist paradigm. This insightful work will captivate psychotherapists and counselors with a keen interest in clinical work exploring the intricate connections between relational trauma, unconscious forms of communication, and uncanny phenomena that arise between therapist and client.

Weight: 288g
Dimension: 155 x 236 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367707477