Abstract
The first four chapters of this volume record the proceedings of a conference held in London in 1994 on the validity or otherwise of recovered memories of abuse. There follows an account by Joseph Sandler and Anne-Marie Sandler of the psychoanalytic theory of repression and the unconscious. Fonagy and Target then conclude the book with an overview entitled ‘Perspectives on the recovered memory debate’.
The conference itself was held in 1994, which might suggest to prospective readers that the contents of this volume are dated. In fact, the clinical material and discussions remain as relevant today as in 1994. However, the examination of memory processes in the two papers which opened the conference are disappointing. It is not that what Lawrence Weiskrantz (Chapter 1) or John Morton (Chapter 2) have to say is inaccurate or irrelevant. It is just insufficient. These two papers were presumably intended to set the scene for consideration of the clinical problems surrounding recovered memories, with a presentation on memory processes, both current and comprehensive. Yet they make virtually no mention of the effects of trauma on memory, which are highly relevant in the context of childhood sexual abuse. The psychology and biology of the impact of trauma on memory processes are important both in themselves and because they open exciting possibilities for collaboration between neuroscientists, cognitive researchers and clinicians to answer the many remaining questions about recovered memories.
Despite this major criticism, why do I recommend this book to clinicians in the field? First, I recommend it for the depth of clinical knowledge and experience presented in Chapters 3 and 4, and in the discussions following each of the conference papers. Valerie Sinason (Chapter 3) presents her clinical work with four patients who have been sexually abused. She shows the use of countertransference to guide her understanding in a way that is both lively and compelling. Judith Trowell (pp.22–25) and Hanna Segal (pp. 127–132), to single out two from many, speak from a breadth of clinical experience and wisdom. Headed records, mentioned by John Morton in Chapter 2, may prove to be important in the emerging understanding of memory processes.
The final chapter by Fonagy and Target presents a thoughtful overview, unexcelled recommendations to clinicians, and an important discussion of the ingredients of psychotherapeutic change.
Second, I recommend the book because it records a remarkable event. The conference brought together people from the following groups: psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, lawyers, parents who had been accused of abuse on the basis of recovered memories, and adults who had been victims of abuse or had recovered memories of such abuse. Demonstrators outside the hall interpreted the central topic (validity or otherwise of recovered memories) as a denial that abuse existed. A fire alarm was set off at one point, and the hall evacuated. Nevertheless, genuine dialogue emerged: parents accused of abuse asked questions, a barrister asked for guidance about how to convey the difference between narrative truth and historical truth to a jury, one of the cognitive psychologists pleaded for demystification of the term countertransference and a clearer description of what is meant by body memory, and clinicians spoke about their struggles with the pressure from patients to validate recovered memories of abuse. And, by the end, people, including parents who had been falsely accused of abuse. spoke of having a deeper understanding of the position of others in the room.
Those wanting a more succinct summary of the field of recovered memory could read Childhood Trauma Remembered [1], a booklet published by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, which summarises the issues well. Readers wanting access to the data on traumatic memory could read van der Kolk [2,3].
I recommend this book to all clinicians working with people who have suffered childhood sexual abuse. Anyone interested in engaging with the complexities and uncertainties of recovered memory will be well rewarded.