Review of The authority of tenderness: Dignity and the true self.

Psychoanalytic Psychology, Vol 40(2), Apr 2023, 134-136; doi:10.1037/pap0000433Reviews the book, The Authority of Tenderness: Dignity and the True Self by Paul Williams ( 2022). The chapters in this book shift among autobiography, discussions of the nature of solitude, accounts of the raw realities of minds destroyed by neglect and violence, clinical stories, and descriptions of “the authority of tenderness” in the treatment of severe psychic distress and disintegration. The chapters are not presented in any obviously linear sequence. In fact, I found myself initially taken aback by the structure of the book. But with repeated readings, I found that Williams’ chapter sequencing served as a reminder of the realities of the shifting nature of a psychoanalytic treatment, between periods of understanding and potential consolidation, followed by periods of retreat or disintegration. The Authority of Tenderness goes directly to the heart of this therapeutic work. In his book, Williams offers us a profound gift of personal risk and professional understanding. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Source: Psychoanalytic Psychology - January 12, 2023 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research