Working with Violence: A Contemporary Psychoanalytic Approach

It has become an urgent priority to tackle the problem of violence. But in an age preoccupied with public protection and risk, violent behaviour is more likely to provoke a punitive response than any attempt to understand and address its root causes. Drawing on the field of psychoanalysis and the expanding discipline of forensic psychotherapy, this book offers a strong conceptual framework for understanding the motivations and dynamics that underlie violent behaviour in adults. Jessica Yakeley offers new insights into the therapeutic containment of aggression: exploring violence in relation to specific areas including mental illness and personality, sexuality, gender, and racism; describing in detail the assessment and treatment of violent patients, whether one to one, in groups or at an institutional level; looking closely at work in different forensic settings as well as the interface between the mental health and criminal justice systems, illustrating observations and techniques with vivid case examples. Written in a clear and approachable style, with a helpful glossary of psychoanalytic and technical terms, Working with Violence is essential reading for those working, or considering working, in counselling, social work and health care settings where they come into therapeutic contact with violent individuals.