"...offers useful and jargon-free recommendations for both individual and group therapeutic interventions. The book is scholarly, with a large bioliography that contextualizes Gartner's contribution within a growing body of scholarly work establishing the reality of male sexual victimization."--
Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic"He draws upon the work of other therapists and researchers, many of whom have been trailblazers in raising the level of awareness and skill in this field, and combines them with his own thinking and experience to produce a work which is of considerable value to both experienced and trainee therapists....The breadth of this book is impressive....In summary, this is a book to which I will return. It connects on an academic, practical and emotional level and as such will provide much to therapists working with men. In that way it will hopefully also serve to provide help to those many men who increasingly are deciding to acknowledge their abuse histories and seek assistance in their journeys to recovery. To accompany these men on their journey can be a very stormy ride, to have Richard Gartner's book by our side can offer stimulation, support and comfort."--
Human Nature Review"Publications about men sexually abused as boys are infrequent, but rare indeed is the work that discusses this population, clinically and theoretically, in sound psychoanalytic terms. Here, in Richard Gartner's
Betrayed as Boys, we have such a volume. Gartner writes with a clear psychoanalytic understanding of the conflicts and struggles of these men, and by presenting an array of vivid clinical examples, bring the reader to the experience of sitting in the consulting room, working with them to understand their pain....Gartner is to be congratulated for his thorough descriptions of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis with this population as well as for his creativity in working psychoanalytically with dissociation and in combining psychoanalysis with group psychotherapy. Convincingly and courageously, he has expanded the use of psychoanalysis to a population once regarded as untreatable by many in the psychoanalytic community."--
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JAPA)
"...an important book that provides a major resource for clinicians working with men who were sexually abused as boys....In sum, this is a thought-provoking book that is, at once, clinically sophisticated yet accessible. Perhaps most important, it has immediacy in its applicability to clinical practice. Therapists working with sexually abused men will find that it helps them as they navigate the heretofore most uncharted territory of this treatment population. Sexually abused male patients will benefit as their therapists broaden their understanding of issues that have so much immediacy for patients and cause them so much hardship. This is an essential resource for all clinicians who treat victims of sexual abuse."--
Contemporary Psychoanalysis"Those who are already familiar with group therapy will find this a good description of how group dynamics affect clients who have been sexually abused and vise versa. Gartner wrote his intention was 'to raise, delineate, and develop the themes that often face the man with such a history and the clinician working with him'. In this reviewer's opinion he succeeds."--
SPSMM Bulletin (The Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity)
"The author provides in-depth analysis of the effect of sexual abuse on boys/men and provides a sophisticated tying together of the cultural, developmental, and personality factors influencing the patients' adjustment....This book adds to the literature of an underexplored area....Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." --
Choice"...relevant and rewarding to clinicians of all theoretical orientations. The book is especially valuable in building bridges between psychoanalytic concepts and newer conceptualizations of trauma and its treatment. Gartner's treatment of masculine gender identity and intimacy issues for both heterosexual and homosexual males is especially sensitive and compelling. This is an excellent book that should be read by all mental health professionals with an interest in treating the traumatized." --
Psychiatric Times"Gartner offers a scholarly and clinically astute contribution to an increasingly rich body of literature on the traumatic aftermath faced by men who were sexually abused as boys. He discredits some harmful myths....Abundant and perceptive clinical vignettes evoke deep and often disquieting responses....This is important reading for everyone working with sexually abused men; for psychodynamic psychotherapists and students, it is required." --
Readings "Unraveling the tangled cultural, developmental, and personal strands that shape men's ongoing responses to early sexual trauma, this volume provides important tools not only for clinicians working with individuals, families and groups, but also for educators and others interested in psychodynamic perspectives on trauma, gender, and sexuality." --
Digest of Neurology and Psychiatry"Since about twenty-five percent of men have experienced some form of childhood sexual trauma and are coping with problems stemming from such betrayal, this book is recommended reading whether abuse is the focus of treatment or not. Gartner presents effective strategies for dealing with such difficult childhoods by blending insights from trauma work with his interpersonal psychoanalytic perspective. In this much-needed volume, Gartner presents new information and new enlightenment that help unravel the tangled cultural, developmental, and dynamic issues that shape men's reactions to early sexual abuse." --
The Psychoanalytic Quarterly"[A] comprehensive, insightful book....The author provides a theoretical, as well as strong clinical, basis for his psychodynamic formulations and treatment. There are very worthwhile clinical examples based on the author's own cases that illustrate each chapter, many of them offering detailed formulations....
Betrayed as Boys is a very informative and insightful book about the sexual abuse of boys and its aftermath in adulthood. It should be of great interest to all therapists working in this burgeoning area of clinical practice." --
American Journal of Psychotherapy"...Gartner presents the reader with a satisfying and much needed addition to the as yet small collection of books that specifically address the treatment of men sexually abused as children. The sections on gender identity, struggles about masculinity, and our culture's encoding sexual abuse as sexual initiation are particularly sensitive and thought provoking....Gartner is tremendously generous with his case material. His writing style is clear, the book is well organized, and would lend itself well as a teaching tool." --
American Journal of Psychoanalysis"...Gartner's book...is a welcome addition to the emerging literature on healing and recovery for men who were sexually abused as children. His clear and articulate style of writing makes this book interesting to read and easy to digest. Although this material is written primarily for clinicians, it is clearly understandable for a wide range of readers and, therefore accessible to those sexually abused men who seek to know more about the intricacies of their own therapy process. The book is comprehensive in its scope and builds on a thorough review of existing research and literature. The author maintains a careful blend of research citations and clinical vignettes. By integrating existing research with his own clinical observations and practical experiences, Gartner powerfully nudges the reader toward application rather than theoretical pondering....clinicians who read this book will be invigorated to apply what they have learned to their work with male clients who have histories of sexual abuse." --
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy"In an extremely readable, clinically tender text, Gartner offers us the first comprehensive book on the effect which sexual abuse has on boys....Clinically and conceptually, his work is cogent, compelling, integrative, and original....Were a therapist to restrict herself to this book, she would emerge with all of the technical and conceptual fundamentals for the treatment of sexual trauma." --
Gender and Psychoanalysis"Gartner's focus on crucial topics and ideas relevant to abused men...and his facility for letting clinical material speak for itself makes
Betrayed as Boys relevant and rewarding to clinicians of all theoretical backgrounds." --
Solicitor General Canada"A magnificent overview of current available literature, and most common definition of terms, appears early in the text. This allows even the uninitiated a basic understanding which allows ready comprehension of what is to follow....Gartner covers all the bases....This vast knowledge base is interwoven with touching actual vignettes which helps bring this emotionally charged topic to life....The lay person will find this book to be more than enough in his/her quest to understand the pain and some possible journeys toward healing many sexually abused men go through when they seek and receive an appropriate form of professional psychotherapy treatment....The therapist just beginning this challenging and rewarding work will extract a wonderful overview and feel for this work that usually can only come from years of experience doing such work; a true foundation that can lead toward a successful practice working with this population. The therapist well seasoned in this work will discover a eloquent review of the limited text already available on this topic and, perhaps, confirmation that her/his work is on the right track as he/she treats such previously neglected and deserving clients. Regardless of where one finds the self on this continuum, he/she will rejoice in the easy reading and personal touch that runs through this fine new book. A must for those working with sexually abused men,
Betrayed as Boys receives my highest recommendation!" --
Treating Abuse Today: Trauma, Treatment and Trends"Blending psychoanalytic understanding with insights from trauma-oriented theory and practice, the author presents effective strategies for meeting the unique therapeutic needs of men with sexual abuse histories. Filled with evocative clinical material, the book draws readers into the direct experience of these clients, the therapists who work with them, and the constantly shifting relational world they inhabit. It provides an indispensable map and guide for clinicians and educators in a range of settings." --
Menstuff"...a book distinguished, among the growing literature on the topic, for erudition graced by engaging readability....This book, attractively laid out and helpfully subsectioned, will be, for many, a valued resource." --
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry"Richard B. Gartner makes a substantial contribution to a different world-view regarding children with this book about what happens to sexually abused children when they have become grown men....Gartner is an exceptional psychoanalyst who truly thinks independently. His book is an exceptionally good one....It is the Sullivanian spirit that infuses Gartner's excellent psychotherapy with men who were betrayed as boys, including his use of analysis, not enactment, of the transferences and countertransferences in the here and now, and in his patience, compassion, candor, and helping empathy." --
Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy"...a comprehensive, compelling, and enlightening contribution....[A] clearly defined and highly structured book....this book is highly structured, and Gartner's style is eminently readable. The author presents his arguments consistently, so that the reader is prepared, knows what to expect, and is not disappointed as themes are developed. Moreover, the care and integrity that characterize the book are exemplified by a section discussing the research on the extent of the abuse of men. The surveys are exhaustively reviewed, including comments on their validity and reliability....
Betrayed as Boys is a book written with great precision, integrity and care. Gartner details, responsibly, the skills and techniques necessary to deal with the results of irresponsibility and violations of trust. In a courageous and open way, the author sheds light on a heretofore relatively unexplored and underreported phenomenon." --
Psychoanalytic Social Work --
ReviewGartner draws together the literature on men who were sexually abused as boys. After a chapter on definitions, the author explores the impact of sexual abuse on men's emotional development, sexual identity, sexual orientation, and relationships. Although not a treatment manual, the book has extensive discussions of 38 of the patients Gartner has treated. Though it emphasizes transference and countertransference, a chapter on the patient -therapist dyad has a particularly perceptive section on the vicarious traumatization of therapists working with those patients. The author provides in-depth analysis of the effect of sexual abuse on boys/men and provides a sophisticated tying together of the cultural, developmental, and personality factors influencing the patients' adjustment.
This book adds to the literature of an underexplored area: there are many books on sexually abused girls but few on boys.
W. P. Anderson University of Missouri-Columbia -- Choice, October 1999
Gartner ofers a scholarly and clinically astute contibution... He discredits some harmful myths -- that men cannot be victims, that women do not abuse, and that sexual abuse results in homosexuality, for example. Drawing on the theoretical constructs of psychodynamic psychotherapy, contemporary psychoanalysis, family systems, and the effects of trauma, Gartner illustrates the relevance of early sexual betrayal to gender identity, sexual orientation, dissociative processes, relationships, and personality development. Abundant and perceptive clinical vignettes evoke deep and often disquieting responses, reminding us that the most potent means of facilitating genuine healing comes from within the countertransference terror inherent in working with this population. A therapist must have genuine empathy to "bear witness" and "stay emotionally with" the betrayed man long enough to help him rebuild his life. This is important reading for everyone working with sexually abused men; for psychodynamic psychoterapists and students, it is required.
Michael W. Hazelton, MSW Private Practice Toronto -- Readings, December, 1999
Helps unravel the tangled cultural, developmental, and dynamic issues. Mature and thoughtful, open-minded, sensitive, respectful of different points of view. -- Psychoanalytic Quarterly
Interesting to read, easy to digest. Clearly understandable for a range of readers, accessible to sexually abused men. -- Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy
Richard Gartner blends a review of the literature, the presentation of theoretical issues, and vignettes and observations from 38 case studies from his own clinical work. Gartner shares this rich clinical material and reflects on his own responses to difficult situations that he has encountered and struggled to address in a therapeutic manner. These reflections effectively bring the reader into the office (and mind) of the experienced clinician -- familiar with psychodynamic, family and group psychotherapy, and adept in the treatment of trauma.
Gartner's focus on crucial topics and ideas relevant to abused men (such as masculinity, intimacy, dissociation, and gender) and his facility for letting clinical material speak for itself makes Betrayed as Boys relevant and rewarding to clinicians of all theoretical backgrounds. Gartner's treatment of masculine gender identity and intimacy issues is especially sensitive and compelling.
This excellent book should be read by all mental health professionals with an interest in treating the traumatized.
Richard Kluft, M.D. Temple University School of Medicine -- Psychiatric Times, October, 1999
Satisfying, much needed. Writing style is clear, the book is well organized, and would lend itself well as a teaching tool. -- American Journal of Psychoanalysis