Rediscovering Pierre Janet: Trauma, Dissociation, and a New Context for Psychoanalysis

Rediscovering Pierre Janet explores the legacy left by the pioneering French psychologist, philosopher and psychotherapist (1859-1947), from the relationship of between Janet and Freud, to the influence of his dissociation theory on contemporary psychotraumatology.

Divided into three parts, the first section places Janetian psychological analysis and psychoanalysis in context with the foundational tenets of psychoanalysis, from Freud to relational theory, before the book explores Janet’s work on trauma and dissociation and its influence on contemporary thinking. Part three presents several contemporary psychotherapy approaches directly influenced by Janetian theory, including the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and dissociative identity disorder.

Rediscovering Pierre Janet draws together eminent scholars from a variety of backgrounds, each of whom has developed Janetian constructs according to his or her own theoretical and clinical models. It provides an integrative approach that offers contemporary perspectives on Janet’s work, and will be of significant interest to practicing psychoanalysts, psychiatrists and psychotherapists, especially those treating trauma-related dissociative disorders, as well as researchers with an interest in psychological trauma.

Giuseppe Craparo, PhD, is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and associate professor of clinical psychology at the Kore University of Enna, Italy. He is a member of the following associations: American Psychological Association, Italian Psychological Association, Association of Psychoanalytic Studies, International Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies.

Francesca Ortu, PhD, is a psychologist and full professor at ＂La Sapienza＂ University of Rome, has investigated issues concerning the origin of psychoanalysis, emphasizing the points of contact with, and distance from, the theories that the French school, and particularly Pierre Janet, were elaborating. She has devoted a series of studies to the analysis of the Janetian theory and its clinical importance.

Onno van der Hart, PhD, is a psychologist, retired psychotherapist, and emeritus professor at Utrecht University. A former president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and honorary president of L’Association Française Pierre Janet, he is also a member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation.