From Violence, Toward Love: One Therapist's Journey

This is the evocative story of one therapist's experiences with violence. Bridging the personal and the professional, Marjorie Holiman emphasizes how violence destroys relationships while respect and love generate new connections. Like many in our society, Holiman grew up in a household where the fabric of everyday life was torn intermittently and unpredictably by violence. Later she experienced her own potential for violence, teetering on the edge between intention and action. Reaching out for help from others and drawing on her own insight and determination, Holiman turned from violence toward love. After setting a context for therapy and for understanding violent situations, Holiman outlines nine therapy tasks to help people change, including attention to safety, responsibility, retribution, and forgiveness. She does not shy away from the difficult topics: clients' memories of Satanic cults, the politics of therapy and their effects on practice, and mistakes the therapist will likely make.