Intimate Warfare: Regarding the Fragility of Family Relations

Description

It is in families that people have the biggest chance to be threatened, slapped, beaten, molested, sexually abused or murdered. The authors, both systemic therapists, address the dynamics of intimacy and violence in family relations. In this book, they integrate theory and clinical practice that captures the central themes around violence in families. They deal with the dynamics of violence from different perspectives. Issues of power, gender, shame, revenge and politics are addressed. When violent behavior has ceased, revenge feelings of the victim can be the starting point for a new cycle of violence. In this book, revenge rituals are suggested to negotiate this phase. The authors present clearly how harmful it is for children to grow up in a violent home. They also outline the possible harm to psychotherapists themselves, in a chapter that deals with the consequences for psychotherapists that work frequently with violent cases. Burn out and symptoms of secondary traumatization are described, as well as possible methods to prevent this. A special chapter by a guest author deals with the treatment of violent men.