Contemporary Perspectives on Freud's Seduction Theory and Psychotherapy: Revisiting Masson’s ‘The Assault on Truth’

Synopsis

This edited collection brings together the perspectives of a broad spectrum of experts who reflect on Freud’s Seduction Theory, psychoanalysis, and the reality of child abuse through the work of Jeffrey Masson.Jeffrey Masson’s The Assault on Truth: Freud’s Suppression of the Seduction Theory (1984) is arguably the most controversial book on psychoanalysis in the last century. It provoked a furore from mainstream psychoanalysis, yet was well-received by the emerging international trauma field and became a bestseller. Four decades on, a group of international scholars and professionals revisit Masson’s original work and reflect on the lessons that can be taken from the saga. Was the reaction of Masson’s peers tied to the fact that he had accused Freud of being less than heroic, or was it that he confronted psychoanalysis with a very uncomfortable truth? This book examines how The Assault on Truth came to be written, why it sparked such an extreme reaction, and the issues Masson was grappling with.Complete with an extended Foreword by John Briere, a luminary of the modern trauma field, this book will be essential reading for practitioners, students, and researchers involved in contemporary psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, psychology and especially trauma care, women’s mental health, child safety and the study of memory.

Copyright:

2025

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781040126004

Related ISBNs:

9781032555225, 9781040125991, 9781003431466, 9781032556345

Publisher:

Taylor & Francis

Date of Addition:

10/01/24

Copyrighted By:

selection and editorial matter, Warwick Middleton and Martin J. Dorahy

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Psychology

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Edited by:

Warwick Middleton

Edited by:

Martin J. Dorahy