Abuse-deniers Quote by Felicity De Zulueta
““A refusal on the part of psychiatrists and therapists to validate the horrors of their patients' tortured past implies a refusal to take seriously the unconscious psychological mechanisms that individuals need to use to protect themselves from the unspeakable. Such a denial is, however, no longer ethical, for it is in the human capacity to dissociate that lies part of the secret of both childhood abuse and the horrors of the Nazi genocide, both forms of human violence so often carried out by 'respectable' men and women.””
About This Quote
Denial of patients’ trauma by mental health professionals perpetuates harm and ignores essential coping mechanisms.
In simple terms: Denial of trauma harms patients.
Key Takeaway
Validate patient histories.
Themes
psychology
ethics
trauma
denial
human rights
Mood
academic
critical
Type
Abuse-deniers:0
Abuse-survivors:0
Child abuse:0
Childhood-abuse:0
Complex-ptsd:0
Denial:1
Denial-of-child-abuse:0
Dissociate:0
Dissociation:0
Dissociative:0
Dissociative-disorders:0
Dissociative-identity-disorder:0
Genocide:0
Hidden pain:0
Horror of war:0
Invalidation:0
Men and women:0
Misdiagnosis:0
Mpd:0
Nazis:0
Patience:0
Psychiatrists:0
Psychiatry:0
Psychological-defence:0
Psychologists:0
Psychology:0
Ptsd:0
Society-denial:0
Survivors:0
Survivors-of-abuse:0
Therapists:0
Torture-survivors:0
Traumatized:0
Unethical:0
Refusal Seriously:0
Refusal Psychiatrists:0
Implies Refusal:0
Unspeakable Denial:0
When to use this quote
- The quote is dense and may overgeneralize.
Key Concepts
clinical practice
patient advocacy
historical analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- serious
- empathetic
A Different Perspective
How to improve therapist training?;What safeguards prevent denial?
![“Dissociation can be interpreted as an “emergency defense,” or a “shut off mechanism.”[6] According to Allen and Smith,[6] it is understood as an attempt by the individual to “prevent overwhelming flooding of consciousness at the time of trauma.” It is argued that the individual subconsciously…” quote by Julie P. Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4d2/julie-p-gentile-110085_abuse-survivors_dissociation-can-be-interpreted-as-an-em_2343620.jpg)
![“From 1992 to 1997, TAT [Treating Abuse Today] under my editorship published several articles by a number of respected professionals who seriously questioned the false memory syndrome (FMS) hypothesis and the methodology, ethics, and assertions of those who were rapidly pushing the concept into the…” quote by David L. Calof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/06d/david-l-calof-37354_abuse-deniers_from-1992-to-1997-tat-treating-abuse-tod_274040.jpg)
