Divorce: Emotional Impact and Therapeutic Interventions

by Salman Akhtar professor of psychiatry, Jefferson Medical College; training and supervisin (Editor)

Overview

Divorce: Emotional Impact and Therapeutic Interventions offers a broad survey of psychodynamic observations on the antecedents and consequences of divorce. In this volume, distinguished clinical psychologists and psychoanalysts explore the emotional divorce that invariably precedes the one granted by a court and focus as well upon the emotional impact of the actual divorce upon the spouses, children, friends, and family. Examining a variety of modern families, chapters address both short-term and long-term sequelae of divorce, transgenerational reverberations, and the occasional, unsung benefits of divorce. The concept of a “good-enough divorce” further illustrates how the adverse effects of divorce can be kept at a minimum, and the process itself can allow patients unexpected self-reflection. A valuable resource for clinicians, Divorce: Emotional Impact and Therapeutic Interventions demonstrates how therapists and patients can work through a divorce to yield deeper insights into the self, greater tolerance of one’s own limitations, and lay the groundwork for contentment with a future partner.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442279315
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/14/2016
Series:	Margaret S Mahler (jar) , #19
Pages:	150
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Salman Akhtar, MD, is professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and training and supervising analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

1 The Emotional Impact of Divorce: An Overview Salman Akhtar Shawn Blue 1

2 Divorce Is Not Good for Children and Other Living Things Martin A. Silverman 31

3 The Role of Hostility and Destructive Aggression Between Parents in the Lives of Their Children Corinne Masur 47

4 Some Countertransference Challenges in Working with Divorcing Adults Joshua Ehrlich 55

5 Transference and Countertransference in the Divorce Process: A Psycho-legal Challenge for Lawyers and Judges Stephen J. Anderer 60

6 Stories from the Edge: Divorce as Redemption Elizabeth H. Thomas 77

7 On Fragments, Metaphor, and the Edge Kathleen Ross 93

8 The Intersection of Divorce, Psychoanalytic Theory, and Clinical Practice: A Concluding Commentary Suzanne Benser 103

References 119

Index 131

About the Editor and Contributors 139