Psychopathology: Theory and Practice
Psychopathic Personalities and the Impact on the Clinician
Working with people with antisocial or psychopathic personality disturbance can have a profound impact on clinicians. Many of the offenses committed by these individuals are of a highly sadistic kind and therefore traumatic to hear about and process, leading to angry and punitive responses. On the other side of the coin, some staff identify strongly with the victim within the offender, since childhood histories of appalling abuse and disrupted attachments are common. Team splitting and conflict frequently ensue, thus undermining the best efforts at treatment. This talk will consider the dynamics impacting on teams’ ability to function together in this work, and what measures can be taken to mitigate these effects.
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