New Horizons in Forensic Psychotherapy: Exploring the Work of Estela V. Welldon
Editor : Brett Kahr
You can find out more about the book here.
New Horizons in Forensic Psychotherapy: Exploring the Work of Estela V. Welldon, edited by Professor Brett Kahr, contains many rich contributions by some of Welldon’s most distinguished former students and protégés.
The book consists of important chapters on the creative ways in which colleagues have utilised and expanded upon Welldon’s work in the field of forensic psychotherapy in a variety of settings, including in hospitals, prisons, community mental health clinics, and, also, in private practice. The essays also include much empirical validation of Welldon’s pioneering clinical researches on the long-term effects of maternal perversion and abuse.
Additionally, this celebratory collection includes a lengthy history of forensic psychoanalysis in the “Pre-Welldonian Era”, exploring the early psychoanalytical roots of modern forensic practice. Additionally, readers will be able to enjoy the affectionate personal tribute to Dr. Welldon entitled “Estela at La Scala”!
The contributors to the book a: Gwen Adshead, Alan Corbett, Richard Curen, Ronald Doctor, Brett Kahr, Paul Kassman, Gill McGauley, David Millar, Carine Minne, and Anna Motz.
Reviews and Endorsements
‘Estela V. Welldon is the High Priestess of forensic psychiatry. Her groundbreaking book Mother, Madonna, Whore shattered many of the myths about the female psyche and her wider work has had a huge impact not just on the mind sciences but also on the law. Her analytical skills, her openness of mind, and her sheer humanity make her iconic in her field.’
– Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
‘This is a wonderful collection and a very suitable accolade to the life and work of Estela V. Welldon. In the course of her work, she has opened reluctant eyes to some of the darkest reaches of the human psyche. Her influence has been stellate in the inspiration and support she has generously given to so many others, as is demonstrated in this volume.’
– Dr Sheilagh Davies, retired psychoanalyst and Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy, Royal Free Hospital
‘Estela V. Welldon is a pioneer in a difficult field. This book pays due tribute to her work and demonstrates how her ideas continue to be taken forward and developed. These previous students have honoured their debt to Estela Welldon by demonstrating how much she has influenced their own thinking and clinical practice. Highly recommended.’
– Dr Sandra Grant OBE, member of the Scottish Association of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists and previous board member of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy
‘With empathy forged in the smithy of realism, this timely volume celebrates the achievements of a contemporary pioneer in the study and treatment of criminal enactments of unconscious anxieties associated with desire and rage, reparation and revenge, rooted in non-verbal experience of the body of the mother, the family, and the society within a transgenerational context. Estela V. Welldon surely deserves the accolades of her colleagues, students, and friends.’
– Dr Earl Hopper, psychoanalyst, group analyst, and organisational consultant, former president of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy, and editor of the New International Library of Group Analysis
‘Estela V. Welldon has been an extraordinarily influential and creative psychiatrist and psychotherapist, both in the UK and abroad. The impact and significance of her important theoretical and clinical ideas in the world of forensic psychotherapy, and her unique contribution to the psychoanalytic understanding of female perversion, are well reflected in this inspiring collection of papers.’
– Gregorio Kohon, training analyst of the British Psychoanalytical Society
‘Estela V. Welldon, one of the major founders of the discipline of forensic psychotherapy, has inspired this compilation of papers written by leading figures in the field. Paying tribute to Welldon’s groundbreaking work, the contributions to this volume build on her seminal insights, making it essential reading for all those interested in a deeper understanding of the psychopathology and treatment of offenders.’
– Jessica Yakeley, Consultant Psychiatrist in Forensic Psychotherapy and Director, Portman Clinic