Dangerous Lunatics: Trauma, Criminality, and Forensic Psychotherapy

Description

Why do human beings commit grotesque acts of violence such as paedophilia and murder? How should we treat the perpetrators of these horrific atrocities? In this gripping book, Professor Brett Kahr examines the nature of criminality throughout history, exploring the ways in which we have progressed from the ancient methods of torture and the execution of offenders to a more humane and psychologically sophisticated approach. Richly steeped in compelling clinical case reports, long-forgotten archival material, and a thorough review of cutting-edge psychological research, Dangerous Lunatics offers a unique insight into the nature of the criminal mind and its potential cure.

Brett Kahr is Senior Fellow at the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology in London and Visiting Professor of Psychoanalysis and Mental Health in the Regent's School of Psychotherapy and Psychology at Regent's University London. Additionally, he serves as Consultant Psychotherapist at The Balint Consultancy and as a Trustee of both the Freud Museum London and of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. He is also a member of the Executive Board of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy. Professor Kahr has worked in the mental health profession for over forty years, during which time he has written fifteen books and has served as series editor for more than sixty additional titles. He treats both individuals and couples in private practice in Central London.

"Only Brett Kahr could produce such a masterpiece as Dangerous Lunatics. Written in a stunning literary style, Kahr's book combines his unique expertise as a clinician and as an historian to tell this vital tale about how we have treated criminals throughout the ages and how we might do much, much better in the future!" - Professor Estela V. Welldon, Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy, Portman Clinic, London, and Honorary President for Life of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy; "What a magnificent book! A carefully researched 'tour de force', encompassing a history of criminality and madness through exquisitely described stories. It offers hope that one day we might actually rehumanise the dehumanised, making the world a safer place for all." - Dr. Carine Minne, Consultant Psychiatrist in Forensic Psychotherapy, Portman Clinic and Broadmoor Hospital