The Wounded Healer: Addiction-Sensitive Therapy for the Sexually Exploitative Professional [Hardcover]

Richard Irons (Author), Jennifer Schneider (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568217633 | ISBN-13: 978-1568217635 | Publication Date: July 7, 1977

Professionals are as human as those they serve. Sexual relationships and other improprieties occur between doctors, ministers, or therapists and their patients, parishioners, or clients. Virtually all such 'romances' are destructive, not only for the protagonists but for their families. This book helps clinicians understand and treat the professional who has had sexual contact with a patient or client. Over half of these wounded healers have sexual disorders with addictive features, and fully one-third are addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. This has clear implications for treatment and re-entry into professional work. Assessment and treatment of the victim are also addressed, with the assurance that healing does eventually come to most of those touched by this painful and unfortunate situation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc. (July 7, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568217633
• ISBN-13: 978-1568217635
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,272,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read if you really want to understand the sex crisis, March 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wounded Healer: Addiction-Sensitive Therapy for the Sexually Exploitative Professional (Hardcover)

First, I want to honor and remember Richard Irons, M.D., who passed away in 2002. Formerly of the Menninger Clinic, Dr. Irons dedicated his life to helping highly-functioning professionals recover from their very deep psychological wounds and stop the maladaptive ways that they medicated their pain.

Rutter's Book, "Sex in the Forbidden Zone", broke ground in describing the tempations and consequences thereof when empowered professionals cross patient sexual boundaries. The Wounded Healer is THE ONLY BOOK I know of that correctly analyzes and categorizes their personality types and gives a template for evaluation, rehabilitation, and possible reentry of these professionals back into the workplace.

Complementing Dr. Irons are the perspectives of Dr. Jennifer Schneider, an Arizona general internist who writes eloquently of the effect sexual addiction has upon the family and the toxic dynamics of the coaddicted spouse. Dr. Schneider wrote "Back from Betrayal", probably the best book that therapeutically addresses the healing from the trauma of adultery, and now is colloborating with Deb Corley in Texas on methods of disclosing secrets and healing shame with spouses for those with sexual addiction and coaddiction.

I would suggest that you buy this book, read it, and then donate it to your local medical or hospital library. 5-10% of physicians have had an inappropriate relationship with a member of the opposite sex. It is likely that a doctor currently on staff at your hospital has done the same thing.