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| '''Arthur Janov''' (born ], ]) is an American ], ], and the creator of ]. Janov directs a psychotherapy institute called the Primal Center in ], ]. He is the author of many books, most famously '']'', which claimed that mental illness can be eliminated by a therapy that consists of repeatedly descending into, feeling, and expressing supposedly long-repressed childhood pain. His writings were the inspiration for the names of British ] bands ] and ]. Experience of the therapy inspired ] and ]'s ] '']'' albums. | '''Arthur Janov''' (born ], ]) is an American ], ], and the creator of ]. Janov directs a psychotherapy institute called the Primal Center in ], ]. He is the author of many books, most famously '']'', which claimed that mental illness can be eliminated by a therapy that consists of repeatedly descending into, feeling, and expressing supposedly long-repressed childhood pain. His writings were the inspiration for the names of British ] bands ] and ]. Experience of the therapy inspired ] and ]'s ] '']'' albums. | ||
| == Life == | == Life == | ||
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| Janov claims that his professional life changed in a single day in the mid-1960s with the discovery of what he calls Primal Pain. During a therapy session, Janov heard what he describes as, “an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man who was lying on the floor”. He developed Primal Therapy, in which clients are encouraged to re-live and express what Janov considers repressed feelings. This sometimes involves screaming at people, usually parents, as the clients might have done long ago had they had sufficient understanding. | Janov claims that his professional life changed in a single day in the mid-1960s with the discovery of what he calls Primal Pain. During a therapy session, Janov heard what he describes as, “an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man who was lying on the floor”. He developed Primal Therapy, in which clients are encouraged to re-live and express what Janov considers repressed feelings. This sometimes involves screaming at people, usually parents, as the clients might have done long ago had they had sufficient understanding. | ||
| Janov believes that we have an ] containing Primal Pain that has the power to cause illness, especially ]. Janov describes neurosis as mental pain that derives from past experiences, usually from childhood, and becomes inappropriately attached to current situations. Janov thinks that such unconscious forces can become ] so that we fail to recognize the true origin of our neurotic pain, and that there is ] to the unveiling of such forces, and ] into inappropriate patterns of behavior. Janov does not believe that merely becoming aware of past experiences, and recognizing their significance intellectually, is effective as a cure for neurotic symptoms. Nor does he emphasize the strengthening of the ] or ] that many psychodynamic therapies promote as a way of coping. For Janov, it is the immersion in past memories and expressing real felt emotion that can effect permanent relief |
Janov believes that we have an ] containing Primal Pain that has the power to cause illness, especially ]. Janov describes neurosis as mental pain that derives from past experiences, usually from childhood, and becomes inappropriately attached to current situations. Janov thinks that such unconscious forces can become ] so that we fail to recognize the true origin of our neurotic pain, and that there is ] to the unveiling of such forces, and ] into inappropriate patterns of behavior. Janov does not believe that merely becoming aware of past experiences, and recognizing their significance intellectually, is effective as a cure for neurotic symptoms. Nor does he emphasize the strengthening of the ] or ] that many psychodynamic therapies promote as a way of coping. For Janov, it is the immersion in past memories and expressing real felt emotion that can effect permanent relief. | ||
| Janov's claims and theory have been challenged see ] | |||
| ==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
Revision as of 13:49, 29 April 2008
Arthur Janov (born August 21, 1924) is an American psychologist, psychotherapist, and the creator of Primal Therapy. Janov directs a psychotherapy institute called the Primal Center in Santa Monica, California, U.S.. He is the author of many books, most famously The Primal Scream, which claimed that mental illness can be eliminated by a therapy that consists of repeatedly descending into, feeling, and expressing supposedly long-repressed childhood pain. His writings were the inspiration for the names of British pop bands Tears for Fears and Primal Scream. Experience of the therapy inspired John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1970 Plastic Ono Band albums.
Life
Arthur Janov was born in Los Angeles and received his B.A. and M.S.W. in psychiatric social work from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Ph.D. in psychology from Claremont Graduate School in 1960. Before creating Primal Therapy, he practiced conventional psychotherapy in his native California. He did an internship at the Hacker Psychiatric Clinic in Beverly Hills, worked for the Veterans’ Administration at Brentwood Neuropsychiatric Hospital and has been in private practice since 1952. He was also on the staff of the Psychiatric Department at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital where he was involved in developing their psychosomatic unit. .
His first wife was Vivian Glickstein, with whom he opened the Primal Institute, of which she remains the Executive Director. He had two children from this marriage: Ellen Lisa Janov (22 April 1953 - 7 January 1976) and Richard Janov (born 26 April, 1956). Ellen Janov and Richard Janov both formerly practiced as Primal Therapists. Arthur and Vivian Janov, already separated, divorced on 25 July, 1980. Arthur Janov married France A. Daunic,(who came to the Primal Institute several years earlier), on November 15, 1980.
Primal Therapy
Janov claims that his professional life changed in a single day in the mid-1960s with the discovery of what he calls Primal Pain. During a therapy session, Janov heard what he describes as, “an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man who was lying on the floor”. He developed Primal Therapy, in which clients are encouraged to re-live and express what Janov considers repressed feelings. This sometimes involves screaming at people, usually parents, as the clients might have done long ago had they had sufficient understanding.
Janov believes that we have an unconscious containing Primal Pain that has the power to cause illness, especially neurosis. Janov describes neurosis as mental pain that derives from past experiences, usually from childhood, and becomes inappropriately attached to current situations. Janov thinks that such unconscious forces can become repressed so that we fail to recognize the true origin of our neurotic pain, and that there is resistance to the unveiling of such forces, and sublimation into inappropriate patterns of behavior. Janov does not believe that merely becoming aware of past experiences, and recognizing their significance intellectually, is effective as a cure for neurotic symptoms. Nor does he emphasize the strengthening of the ego or superego that many psychodynamic therapies promote as a way of coping. For Janov, it is the immersion in past memories and expressing real felt emotion that can effect permanent relief.
Janov's claims and theory have been challenged see Criticism of Primal Therapy
Bibliography
- The Primal Scream (1970) ISBN 0-349-11829-9 - (revised 1999)
- The Anatomy of Mental Illness (1971)
- The Primal Revolution: Toward a Real World (1972) ISBN 0-671-21641-4
- The Feeling Child (1973) ISBN 0-349-11832-9
- Primal Man: The new consciousness (1976) ISBN 0-690-01015-X
- Prisoners of Pain (1980) ISBN 0-385-15791-6
- Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience (1984) ISBN 0-399-51086-9
- New Primal Scream: Primal Therapy 20 Years on (1992) ISBN 0-942103-23-8
- Why You Get Sick and How You Get Well: The Healing Power of Feelings (1996) ISBN 0-7871-0685-2
- The Biology of Love (2000) ISBN 1-57392-829-1
- Grand Delusions -- Psychotherapies Without Feeling (2005); unpublished manuscript available at the Primal Center's website
- Sexualité et subconscient : Perversions et déviances de la libido (2006) ISBN 2-268-05720-8 (original English manuscript titled Sex and the Subconscious unpublished as of May 2006)
- Primal Healing: Access the Incredible Power of Feelings to Improve Your Health (2006) ISBN 1-56414-916-1
- The Janov Solution: Lifting Depression Through Primal Therapy (2007) ISBN 1-58501-111-8
Sidenote on Ellen Janov
In her teens, Ellen showed talent as a singer and actress, recording Portobello Road and Theme, under the name Ellie Janov and going on to play a supporting role in a Disney movie, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit.] Later she became a therapist at the Primal Institute until her untimely accidental death.
See also
Notes
- Theresa Sheppard Alexander, Facing the Wolf: Inside the Process of Deep Feeling Therapy
References
Books
Alexander, T.S. Facing the Wolf: Inside the Process of Deep Feeling Therapy (1997), Plume. ISBN 0452275210.