The Presence of the Absent: Therapy with Families and their GhostsWhere live our most cherished (or painful) memories? Where do our beloved (or dreaded) exist when departed? In the gray zone between our self and our world, they can exist as internal reminiscences for some and striking images for others; individually or collectively perceived and interacted; vividly or as tenuous presences. This book familiarizes us with six examples of individuals and families in therapy who live and interact with the presence of their absent, pivotal people in their lives who either died or disappeared, but are still there. It familiarizes us with their plight in a tender, compassionate style, describing in detail interviews and therapeutic transformations and, in several cases, follow-ups as well as echoes of those processes. It teaches us to respect those presences as well as how to help families and individuals treasure them...and in many cases to let them go. Written in a vivid, intense language, The Presence of the Absent offers a marvelous insight into these processes that may prove transformative for the therapist (both family and individually-oriented), as well as enlightening to the general public. |
Contents
1 Ethereal Presences | 1 |
Semantic and Somatic Effects of Political Repression in a Family with a Hole in its Center | 10 |
Ghosts of a Dictatorship and Reverberations in a Liberating Process | 34 |
Culture Migration and Developmental Cycle in a Moroccan Family Overtaken by Ghosts | 45 |
When Therapists Trade Curiosity for Certainty | 68 |
The Awakening of Two Ghost Children | 80 |
7 Saudades at the Edge of the Self and the Merits of Portable Families | 89 |
8 Wrap Up | 100 |
| 105 | |
| 110 | |
Other editions - View all
The Presence of the Absent: Therapy with Families and their Ghosts Carlos E. Sluzki Limited preview - 2015 |
The Presence of the Absent: Therapy with Families and Their Ghosts Carlos E. Sluzki No preview available - 2016 |
The Presence of the Absent: Therapy with Families and Their Ghosts Carlos E. Sluzki No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
able alive Ancient Cult answers Apria Argentina assumptions aunt aunt/mommy become behavior believe brother chapter clinical colleagues CONADEP consultation context continued conversation couple Cult of Madame cultural daddy daughter dead desaparecidos described disappeared discussed dreams Dustin emotions experience express fact family members family therapy family’s frequently ghost girl grandmother Guaraní hallucinations Hassan Heinz von Foerster honorary father Hopkins informed interview issues Jane kidnapped kids Kohen Latino living Luisa ma’am Madame’s magic magic realism Marcos military Moroccan mother narrative neuroleptic nightmares occasional one-way mirror painful parents patients Paul Watzlawick person Plaza de Mayo political practice present problem professional psychiatric psychiatrist question Rashid reasonable regime role Salvador Minuchin Samotracia schizophrenia seen the dog session shared silence Sluzki social network story style symptoms talk theme therapeutic therapists tion torture transformation uncle uncle/daddy victims visits voice witness