Restoring Mentalizing in Attachment Relationships: Treating Trauma with Plain Old Therapy

326 Pages·2012·2.41 MB·English

by  Jon G. Allen

RESTORING MENTALIZING
in Attachment Relationships
Treating Trauma
With Plain Old Therapy
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RESTORING MENTALIZING
in Attachment Relationships
Treating Trauma
With Plain Old Therapy
Jon G. Allen, Ph.D.
Washington, DC
London, England
Note: The author has worked to ensure that all information in this book is accurate
at the time of publication and consistent with general psychiatric and medical stan-
dards. As medical research and practice continue to advance, however, therapeutic
standards may change. Moreover, specific situations may require a specific therapeutic
response not included in this book. For these reasons and because human and mechan-
ical errors sometimes occur, we recommend that readers follow the advice of physi-
cians directly involved in their care or the care of a member of their family.
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Disclosure of Interests: The author affirms that he has no commercial or financial in-
volvements that could represent competing interests or an appearance of conflict of
interest with the publication of this book.
Copyright © 2013 American Psychiatric Association
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Allen, Jon G.
Restoring mentalizing in attachment relationships : treating trauma with plain old
therapy / Jon G. Allen. -- 1st ed.
p. ; cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58562-418-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
I. American Psychiatric Association. II. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Stress Disorders, Traumatic--therapy. 2. Object Attachment. 3. Psy-
choanalytic Therapy--methods. 4. Theory of Mind. WM 172.5]
616.85'21--dc23
2012021293
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP record is available from the British Library.
To Susan, Clifford,
and Yvonne
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CONTENTS
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Peter Fonagy, Ph.D., F.B.A.
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxi
PART I
Attachment Trauma and Psychiatric Disorders
1
Attachment, Mentalizing, and Trauma. . . . . . . . . . . .3
2
Posttraumatic Stress and Dissociative Disorders. . . .47
3
Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders . . . . . . . . . . . .91
PART II
Treatment and Healing
4
Evidence-Based Treatments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
5
Plain Old Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
6
Existential-Spiritual Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
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About the Author
J
on G. Allen is a senior staff psychologist and holds the Helen Malsin
Palley Chair in Mental Health Research at The Menninger Clinic. He is
professor of psychiatry in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine and an adjunct fac-
ulty member of the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute and
theInstitute for Spirituality and Health in the Texas Medical Center. Dr.
Allen received his B.A. degree in psychology at the University of Con-
necticut and his Ph.D. degree in clinical psychology at the University of
Rochester. He completed postdoctoral training in clinical psychology at
The Menninger Clinic. He conducts psychotherapy, diagnostic consulta-
tions, psychoeducational programs, and research, specializing in trauma-
related disorders and treatment outcomes. He has taught extensively at
the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. He is past editor of
the Bulletin of The Menninger Clinic, associate editor of the Journal of
Trauma and Dissociation, and a member of the editorial boards of Psycho-
logical Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy and Psychiatry: Inter-
personal and Biological Processes. His books include Coping With Trauma:
Hope Through Understanding; Coping With Depression: From Catch-22 to
Hope; and, with coauthors Peter Fonagy and Anthony Bateman, Mental-
izing in Clinical Practice, all published by American Psychiatric Publish-
ing. He is also author of Traumatic Relationships and Serious Mental
Disorders and coeditor, with Peter Fonagy, of Handbook of Mentalization-
Based Treatment, both published by John Wiley & Sons. He has authored
and coauthored numerous professional articles and book chapters on
trauma-related problems, psychotherapy, the therapeutic alliance, hospi-
tal treatment, and psychological assessment.
ix