The Triumphant Victim – John F Mill – Public lecture

Description

Most people have some idea of the meaning of the words sadism and masochism, but often this foes not go beyond rather vague ideas of either inflicting or enjoying pain. Few people ask themselves what is behind such behaviour, and this applies eve to healthcare professionals and therapists. Using non-technical language, accessible for both the professional and layman, this book attempts to give a clear picture of the underlying pathology of sadomasochism, its effects, and how it can be treated. It also examines other key psychological defence mechanisms – such as hysteria and projective identification – and looks at their relationship to sadomasochism.

The author draws on many years of experience working with children and families in education, as well as over thirty five years of analytical experience, in order to give insight into the underlying dynamics. From his clinical experience, he has come to the conclusion that sadomasochistic pathology is a far more widespread and serious problem than is generally recognised. This book uses detailed case material to examine the way in which the problem interferes with relationships and emotional growth in the individual’s everyday life, and how this has profound effects on society as a whole.

J.F. Miller is a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist with special interest and experience in education and children’s learning and behavioural problems. He read Psychology and Philosophy at Saint Catherine’s College, Oxford, and did his post-graduate training in Educational Psychology at the Tavistock Clinic. He worked as a county psychologist in Oxfordshire for a number of years before going into private practice and completing an analytical training. Previously a consultant to numerous schools and organisations for deprived and troubled children in different parts of Britain, as well as Norway, Belgium and France, he has been a member of the International Association for Analytical psychology for over 35 years, and training analyst to various psychotherapy trainings.

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