Murder: A Psychotherapeutic Investigation

“This book is a sequel to the edited book Dangerous Patients: A Psychodynamic Approach to Risk Assessment and Management. It brings together clinicians who specialise in various aspects of forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy in order to consider the difficult and problematic issues of dangerousness and murder. This particular volume places the emphasis on working in psychodynamic psychotherapy with patients that have killed in order to gain a greater understanding of their internal world and object relationships. I am proposing that by entering into the intensity of the clinical experience itself, meeting and facing the feelings as they emerge within the microcosm of the transference and countertransference, provides an 'experience based' opportunity for therapist and patient to discover and explore the violence, both conscious and unconscious, within a safe environment.”
–Ronald Doctor, from the Introduction

“…I am delighted to welcome this book, which shines a bright light on a murky world. The contributors attempt to understand the origins of murder, but they also deal with the detail of treatment and show us how professionals are affected by powerful psychological forces. The impartial detachment of the observer/supervisor is an artificial construct, and once we realise that we will be in a better position to do the job properly. The approach is psychodynamic but there is plenty here to stimulate non-believers. In fact, the book is a challenge to the world of cognitive behavioural therapy; there is more to murder than relapse prevention. It made me think, and what more can you ask?”
–Tony Maden Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, Imperial College London, from the Foreword

Contributors: Peter Aylward and Gerald Wooster, Gwen Adshead, Sarita Bose and Julia Cartwright, Ronald Doctor, Philip Lucas, Maggie McAlister, Tony Maden, Anna Motz.