RESEARCH
Having a background in both psychology and anthropology, my research covers mainly psychological anthropology and other relevant disciplines such as psychohistory, trauma and victimology, gender studies, children's rights, contemporary rituals, alternative education and development in general.
Publications
Alice Miller on family, power and truth (2020)
Published in D. Morgan (Ed), A Deeper Cut, in print (November 2020)
This chapter discusses how the childhood history of politicians and their enablers can throw light on certain aspects of national and international politics. Our work is based on and inspired by the core of Dr Alice Miller’s theory and critically explores the latest literature, with reference to recent and current historical events. The relations between religion and clinical practice are examined through the psychology of forgiveness, enabling, narcissism and power, so as to throw light on the hidden dynamics between political leaders and their supporters. We then move on to adultocentric practices in order to make sense of the above phenomena.
Published in D. Morgan (Ed), A Deeper Cut, in print (November 2020)
This chapter discusses how the childhood history of politicians and their enablers can throw light on certain aspects of national and international politics. Our work is based on and inspired by the core of Dr Alice Miller’s theory and critically explores the latest literature, with reference to recent and current historical events. The relations between religion and clinical practice are examined through the psychology of forgiveness, enabling, narcissism and power, so as to throw light on the hidden dynamics between political leaders and their supporters. We then move on to adultocentric practices in order to make sense of the above phenomena.
Talks (recorded on video)
Unspeakable Truth (2015)
Alice Miller (1923-2010) was an eminent Polish psychoanalyst. She studied for her doctorate degree in psychology, sociology and philosophy at the University of Basel in Switzerland and soon completed her psychoanalytic training in Zurich. For two decades she was involved in teaching psychoanalysis, but her career later culminated in a dramatic change: she quit both the Swiss Psychoanalytic Society and the International Psychoanalytic Association to embark in an in-depth study of factors causing and effecting child abuse, which resulted in the publication of several books. Alice Miller's stance The common denominator of all her books is the clear-cut stance against drive theories in psychoanalysis, which she sees as the continuation and extention of the same 'poisonous pedagogy' that has always served parents and educators to justify physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children. Her critique was later extended to all psychotherapy approaches, with rare exceptions for individual therapists.
Alice Miller (1923-2010) was an eminent Polish psychoanalyst. She studied for her doctorate degree in psychology, sociology and philosophy at the University of Basel in Switzerland and soon completed her psychoanalytic training in Zurich. For two decades she was involved in teaching psychoanalysis, but her career later culminated in a dramatic change: she quit both the Swiss Psychoanalytic Society and the International Psychoanalytic Association to embark in an in-depth study of factors causing and effecting child abuse, which resulted in the publication of several books. Alice Miller's stance The common denominator of all her books is the clear-cut stance against drive theories in psychoanalysis, which she sees as the continuation and extention of the same 'poisonous pedagogy' that has always served parents and educators to justify physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children. Her critique was later extended to all psychotherapy approaches, with rare exceptions for individual therapists.
Documentaries
Red on White (2020)
As a mother of a preadolescent girl, I have been wondering how she would find information about bodily changes. Were my explanations enough? Did she prefer sharing her experience with her friends? Was she searching the web about it? Considering our taboo around menstruation, what impression would she get about the way we grown-ups relate to femininity? Would that affect her self-esteem?Interviewing Ilaria, Elisa, Shanti and Nada answered most of these questions and paved the way for a new understanding of how new media are affecting girls' self-awareness.
As a mother of a preadolescent girl, I have been wondering how she would find information about bodily changes. Were my explanations enough? Did she prefer sharing her experience with her friends? Was she searching the web about it? Considering our taboo around menstruation, what impression would she get about the way we grown-ups relate to femininity? Would that affect her self-esteem?Interviewing Ilaria, Elisa, Shanti and Nada answered most of these questions and paved the way for a new understanding of how new media are affecting girls' self-awareness.
