A Narrative Approach to "Repressed Memories"

Abstract I make use of insights from narrative psychology to illuminate claims made by advocates of the controversial multiple personality doctrine. The notion of "repressed memories" of childhood abuse is one of the foundations of the claim that one body can host two or more personalities. Until recently, a therapist could help a client reconstruct a failing self-narrative without being concerned with the historical truth of recovered memories. In the current litigious climate, clients bring suits in courts of law for damages supposedly caused by long-unremembered childhood instances of abuse by parents or other adults. In the forensic setting, the narrative truth that flows from the recovery of repressed memories is not enough; historical truth is required. I discuss the role of imagining in the construction of rememberings and the difficulties in establish-ing the historical truth of any remembering.(Psychology)

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Narratives and Counseling, Part 1: From Analysis of the past to Stories about It

Journal of Psychology and Theology ◽

10.1177/009164719202000102 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 11-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Paul C. Vitz

Keyword(s):

Literary Theory ◽

Life Histories ◽

Narrative Approach ◽

Short Life ◽

Psychotherapeutic Process ◽

The Past ◽

Narrative Story ◽

Narrative Truth ◽

Narrative Interpretation ◽

Historical Truth

It is proposed that the present practice of psychotherapy and counseling would be enriched by introducing a narrative model of the psychotherapeutic process. Recent contributions supporting the importance of a narrative (story) based model are discussed. Theorists briefly treated are: Schafer (1980, 1983), with his narrative interpretation of Freud's major concepts and a narrative understanding of the psychoanalytic session; Spence (1982), who introduced the notion of narrative truth as distinct from historical truth for understanding a client's past, an approach that supports non-psychoanalytic narrative interpretation; and Viederman (1983; Viederman & Perry, 1980), who used short life histories for interpreting relatively healthy clients facing acute crises. Within this context and the narrative literary theory of Frye (1957), a Christian narrative approach to counseling is introduced.

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Consequences of the therapist's claim “I'm not a detective”

The Journal of Psychiatry & Law ◽

10.1177/009318539502300308 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 477-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Steve Paul Moen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Abuse ◽

Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽

Legal System ◽

Recovered Memories ◽

Legal Problems ◽

Narrative Truth ◽

The Difference ◽

Historical Truth ◽

Do So

Clinicians providing mental health therapy have long accepted the use of free narrative and the resulting “narrative truth” that provides a basis for exploring the patient's/client's problems. Since the legal system in the 1990s has allowed claims of “recovered memories” of childhood sexual abuse to be heard in criminal and civil cases years—even decades—after the alleged events occurred, the therapists' patients/clients now must prove the “historical truth” of their perceived memories in order to prevail. The difference between these “truths” requires therapists to exercise increased care in working with persons who may come to have false beliefs about their past. The failure to do so may result in a disservice to the patient/client and further legal problems for the therapist.

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Childhood Abuse and Marital Quality: The Role of Psychological Distress

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e576942006-001 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

Kelly K. Espenschade ◽

Kimberly Funk ◽

Amanda Kras ◽

David Dilillo ◽

Andrea Perry

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Marital Quality

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Statistical Data as a Source of Information on the Great Patriotic War

Voprosy statistiki ◽

10.34023/2313-6383-2020-27-6-105-113 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 105-113

Author(s):

T. G. Nekhaeva

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Information Sources ◽

Statistical Data ◽

Logical Structure ◽

The Body ◽

Information Warfare ◽

Great Patriotic War ◽

Historical Truth ◽

Great Victory

The article examines publication of statistical data commemorating the anniversaries of the USSR Victory in the Great Patriotic War as the most important information sources for an objective analysis of historical events. The reason for writing this article was the release of the statistical handbook of Rosstat, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory. In the introduction, the author argues the current urgency of issues addressed in the article caused by information warfare aimed at distorting the historical truth about the role of our country in the anti-Hitler coalition and the defeat of fascism in the World War II. The body of the article describes the concept and content of the anniversary edition. An important point of the article is the analysis of data sources used in the preparation of the handbook. The author reviews the anniversary handbook structure that includes a preface and the following sections: Population, Economic, Living conditions, Mobilization of population, Partisan movement, Evacuation during the war, Casualties and losses during the war, Military memorials and cemeteries, State awards, References. It is noted that the handbook maintains the tradition of previous statistical publications dedicated to the anniversaries of the Great Victory. Lastly, the author substantiates the novelty of data presented in the anniversary handbook and the logical structure of statistical materials in it. The author draws conclusions about the paramount importance of, and need to continue popularization of data on the great exploits of the Soviet people during the war and to introduce new statistical information into scientific circulation, which is causing further comprehension of primary information sources about the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

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Traumatic stress symptoms and breast cancer: The role of childhood abuse

Child Abuse & Neglect ◽

10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.10.007 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 465-470 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Rachel E. Goldsmith ◽

Lina Jandorf ◽

Heiddis Valdimarsdottir ◽

Kandace L. Amend ◽

Brett G. Stoudt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Stress Symptoms

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Intergenerational Transmission of Violence Among Substance-Abusing Chinese Parents: Roles of Detachment and Social Support

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211037419 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110374

Author(s):

Ruixin Cao ◽

Hechun Li ◽

Huiping Zhang

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Child Abuse ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Intergenerational Transmission ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Large Population ◽

Substance Abusing ◽

Abuse History ◽

Intergenerational Transmission Of Violence

Despite a large population of registered people with drug addiction, child protection in substance-abusing families is a neglected issue in China. The present study aims to investigate the association between parents’ childhood abuse history and the risk of abusing their own children in substance-abusing Chinese families and also to examine the mediating role of detachment and moderating role of social support during the intergenerational transmission of abuse. A total of 173 men and 116 women were selected using cluster sampling from two compulsory drug rehabilitation centers in Jiangsu Province. Results indicated that one’s childhood abuse history was positively associated with the current perpetration of child abuse for both fathers and mothers. Detachment mediated the linkage between a history of childhood maltreatment and perpetration of child abuse in all types of abuse for both men and women except for women’s sexual abuse. Social support from family members buffered the intergenerational transmission of child abuse for fathers but not for mothers. Child maltreatment in substance-abusing families is an urgent issue that needs measures to prevent the intergenerational transmission of violence in China. Intervention programs could involve helping parents cope with their childhood abuse history through rebuilding secure attachment and facilitating social support for their parenting practices, especially for fathers.

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The Role of Maternal Self-efficacy in the Link Between Childhood Maltreatment and Maternal Stress During Transition to Motherhood

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211042871 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110428

Author(s):

Gabriella Bentley ◽

Osnat Zamir

Keyword(s):

Childhood Abuse ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Self Report ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

Transition To Motherhood ◽

History Of

The transition to motherhood is a significant developmental milestone in many women’s lives. This transitional period may be more stressful for women with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) than for women without such a history. This study tested whether parental self-efficacy (PSE) accounts for the link between CM and parental stress in mothers transitioning to motherhood. The study used a convenience sample of 1,306 first-time mothers of children aged two years or younger. Mothers filled out online self-report questionnaires assessing history of CM, PSE, and prenatal stress. Consistent with the hypotheses, exposure to CM was directly associated with greater parental stress. Also, PSE partially mediated the associations between CM and parental stress, such that mothers with a history of childhood abuse reported a lower level of PSE, which in turn was associated with greater parental stress. In conclusion, the study highlights the important role of negative cognitions related to parenting for maternal dysfunction following exposure to childhood abuse. These findings suggest a need to incorporate preventive interventions designed to promote PSE for mothers exposed to CM. Such programs may alleviate parental stress and further support the healthy development of the child.

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Reflections on Recovered Memories: Comment on Patihis and Pendergrast (2019)

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702618795700 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 22-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Steven Jay Lynn ◽

Harald Merckelbach ◽

Craig P. Polizzi

Keyword(s):

Informed Consent ◽

Traumatic Experiences ◽

Recovered Memory ◽

Recovered Memories ◽

Close Link ◽

Repressed Memories

In this comment on Patihis and Pendergrast (this issue, p. 3), we challenge an assumption that underpins recovered memory therapies: that there exists a close link of traumatic experiences with dissociation. We further suggest that (a) researchers examine how therapists who believe in repressed memories instill this belief in clients and establish expectations that current problems can be interpreted in light of past traumatic experiences, (b) recovered memories could be classified and studied as a function of how events come to light and are interpreted, and (c) therapists routinely provide informed consent regarding recovered memories and suggestive techniques.

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