Beyond Invisible Walls: The Psychological Legacy of Soviet Trauma, East European Therapists and their Patients

Told from the points of view of therapists and psychiatrists within the former Soviet Bloc, this book examines the psychological hardships of living under a traumatizing regime. The clinicians share case studies of clients ranging in age from childhood to late adulthood. In the course of treatment, the psychopathologies resulting from living under oppressive conditions became clear. The effects of this detrimental life style continue to influence the lives of the patients beyond the fall of the Communist regime. The clinicians explore their own traumatic issues that arose through countertransference with these clients. This book delves deep into the psychological consequences of living under oppressive conditions. First-person narratives are interspersed with psychological theory and techniques, providing a full, rich understanding of the experience.