Trauma, Guilt and Reparation. The Path from Impasse to Development

Trauma, guilt, and reparation define the emotional barriers that survivors of severe trauma face, as well as the emergence of reparative processes that pave the way from deadlock to development.

Heinz Weiss's book "Trauma, Guilt, and Reparation. The Path from Deadlock to Development" explores the problem of trauma with a special emphasis on the issues of reparation and guilt. Referring to the original work of M. Klein and others, he explores how a sense of constant guilt hinders attempts at reparation, locking the trauma deep in the psyche.

The book provides a theoretical understanding of the interaction between feelings of neediness, fear, anger, shame, and guilt, and also offers patients a path to experiencing the mourning and forgiveness necessary to come to terms with their own trauma.

Illustrated with clinical examples, it is written by the author, whose empathy and experience make him an expert in this field. The book will be of interest to psychotherapists, social workers and all professionals working with traumatized people.

In addition to the original text, the book also contains a topical appendix — “The “Bolero” of Propaganda and War. The Significance of Roger Mani-Keol’s Articles of the 1930s–1950s for Understanding Russia’s Current War Against Ukraine,” — which is based on the author’s long-term collaboration with K. Frank on the translation and detailed study of R. Mani-Keol’s legacy. This article was written by the author specifically for the Ukrainian edition of the book.

Heinz Weiss, MD, is the head of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine at the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart. He is also the head of the medical department and a member of the board of directors of the Sigmund Freud Institute in Frankfurt am Main and the head of the education section of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis.