Estela V. Welldon – författare

Sex matters. It is a crucial part of whom we are and what to do. So why do we police what is 'normal' and what is 'bizarre'? As the author argues in this insightful book, whenever we disapprove of others or ourselves in this way, we close our eyes to a deeper understanding of human nature. As a psychiatrist, she has also worked inside prisons with sex offenders, so she is familiar with the extremes of 'oddity'. Here, she uses a psychoanalytic framework with humour, insight and clarity to explore why we disapprove, and what we lose when we do. She presents us with a series of interwoven vignettes, drawn from clinical work and life experiences, which have led her to these conclusions. The author argues in this book that as human beings we have a responsibility to develop a much more enquiring and open mind, and to feel privileged rather than disgusted when we have access to primitive fantasies that shine light into the dark corners of minds not considered 'normal'.

The author brings together a generous selection derived from her many literary gems, in which she illustrates her groundbreaking-and sometimes explosive-studies of female sexuality and perversions, perverse transference, malignant bonding, perverse motherhood, and the impact upon children of viewing domestic violence. Along with these are vivid descriptions of group analytic psychotherapy with forensic patients and, uniquely, of the joint group treatment of incest survivors and perpetrators. She also outlines the development of forensic psychotherapy as a new field of clinical and academic endeavour and her involvement in this. In a series of interviews with Brett Kahr she describes her professional journey, from being trained by Horacio Etchegoyen in her native Argentina, followed by an eye-opening period at the Menninger Clinic, then eventually to London and a distinguished career at the Portman Clinic.

To Freud, female sexuality remained something of a mystery: a riddle and a dark continent. He urged his female colleagues to enlighten him. Many have since done so - and this book is a most vivid and illuminating contribution to the field. The author explores why the quality of their bodies is fundamental to women's psychology; how this may lead

Sex matters. It is a crucial part of whom we are and what to do. So why do we police what is 'normal' and what is 'bizarre'? As Estela Welldon argues in this insightful book, whenever we disapprove of others or ourselves in this way, we close our eyes to a deeper understanding of human nature.Dr Welldon is an internationally recognized expert on sexual diversity. As a psychiatrist, she has also worked inside prisons with sex offenders, so she is familiar with the extremes of 'oddity'. Here, she uses a psychoanalytic framework with humour, insight and clarity to explore why we disapprove, and what we lose when we do. She presents us with a series of interwoven vignettes, drawn from clinical work and life experiences, which have led her to these conclusions.Dr Welldon argues in this book that as human beings we have a responsibility to develop a much more enquiring and open mind, and to feel privileged rather than disgusted when we have access to primitive fantasies that shine light into the dark corners of minds not considered 'normal'.Be ready to live dangerously as you read these pages. The pursuit of understanding will take you deep inside the primitive and archaic origins of our present attitudes.All artworks by Ricardo Cinalli. Photographs by Ferdinando Maria Carabott

To Freud, female sexuality remained something of a mystery: a riddle and a dark continent. He urged his female colleagues to enlighten him. Many have since done so - and this book is a most vivid and illuminating contribution to the field.Welldon explores why the quality of their bodies is fundamental to women's psychology; how this may lead to self-mutilation; and how such perverse behavior may also be aimed at objects which women see as their own creations, specifically, their babies. The potential causes and consequences of these conditions, including maternal and paternal incest and its frequent aftermath, prostitution, are also discussed.