Although society encourages us to deny and repress such negative emotions as rage and resentment, psychiatrists know that such denial can lead to a variety of psychological, physical, and social problems. In this bold book, Gerald Amada reveals how our forbidden emotions, if properly understood and accepted, can actually be transformed into behavior that is both personally fulfilling and socially constructive.

A soft-spoken student who was once a violent hit man, an elderly man tormented by memories of wartime imprisonment, a fortune-teller who finds his therapist inscrutable, a woman who can’t get satisfaction from her mother or her therapist . . . These are just a few of the intriguing patients treated by Gerald Amada during nearly forty years of practice as a psychotherapist. From the ridiculous to the tragic, the tales of Amada’s treatment of unusual patients are fascinating, disturbing, and utterly engrossing. Amada not only lets us peek into his office but also leads us into the hearts and minds of his patients and himself.

"e;This fictional account of a psychotherapy process gives the reader a vivid sense of the kinds of dynamics that actually transpire in terms of transference, counter-transference, and the interplay of early life experiences with current life issues. It builds gradually and arrestingly to a difficult-to-predict conclusion, much like a mystery novel. The subject, a professor Kittleman, is at once erudite in his language and down to earth in his revelations and therapeutically-assisted attempts to understand himself and what prompted him to enter psychotherapy. His therapist, Dr. Taub, has to figure out how to stay the course while trying to avert an ominous outcome."e; - Leighton Whitaker, Ph.D., ABPP Editor, Journal of College Student Psychotherapy "e;Professor Kittleman's Therapy defines itself as a novel, and no doubt it is a composite of the author's patients, but it could also be an authentic therapy case, indeed a very plausible one. The therapist's "e;case notes"e; and the patient's "e;diary"e; round up the "e;transcripts"e; of the sessions, giving us a clear, succinctly expressed picture of the therapeutic process at its best. The course of the therapy highlights a number of interesting issues, such as an adult looking back at his inattentive parents, the nature of narcissism, transference, conducting therapy with a vulnerable patient, and the ethical issues that arise when dealing with a potentially dangerous patient. Amada even manages to include his contempt for Bush, without digressing from the main thread of the story line. Both therapists and lay readers will be engaged by this intriguing book, a real page turner that offers both entertainment and learning in a very easy-to-read format."e; - Sophie Freud, MSW, Ph.D. Author of Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family. Granddaughter of Dr. Sigmund Freud

Although society encourages us to deny and repress such negative emotions as rage and resentment, psychiatrists know that such denial can lead to a variety of psychological, physical, and social problems. In this bold book, Gerald Amada reveals how our forbidden emotions, if properly understood and accepted, can actually be transformed into behavior that is both personally fulfilling and socially constructive.

A soft-spoken student who was once a violent hit man, an elderly man tormented by memories of wartime imprisonment, a fortune-teller who finds his therapist inscrutable, a woman who can’t get satisfaction from her mother or her therapist . . . These are just a few of the intriguing patients treated by Gerald Amada during nearly forty years of practice as a psychotherapist. From the ridiculous to the tragic, the tales of Amada’s treatment of unusual patients are fascinating, disturbing, and utterly engrossing. Amada not only lets us peek into his office but also leads us into the hearts and minds of his patients and himself.

"e;This fictional account of a psychotherapy process gives the reader a vivid sense of the kinds of dynamics that actually transpire in terms of transference, counter-transference, and the interplay of early life experiences with current life issues. It builds gradually and arrestingly to a difficult-to-predict conclusion, much like a mystery novel. The subject, a professor Kittleman, is at once erudite in his language and down to earth in his revelations and therapeutically-assisted attempts to understand himself and what prompted him to enter psychotherapy. His therapist, Dr. Taub, has to figure out how to stay the course while trying to avert an ominous outcome."e; - Leighton Whitaker, Ph.D., ABPP Editor, Journal of College Student Psychotherapy "e;Professor Kittleman's Therapy defines itself as a novel, and no doubt it is a composite of the author's patients, but it could also be an authentic therapy case, indeed a very plausible one. The therapist's "e;case notes"e; and the patient's "e;diary"e; round up the "e;transcripts"e; of the sessions, giving us a clear, succinctly expressed picture of the therapeutic process at its best. The course of the therapy highlights a number of interesting issues, such as an adult looking back at his inattentive parents, the nature of narcissism, transference, conducting therapy with a vulnerable patient, and the ethical issues that arise when dealing with a potentially dangerous patient. Amada even manages to include his contempt for Bush, without digressing from the main thread of the story line. Both therapists and lay readers will be engaged by this intriguing book, a real page turner that offers both entertainment and learning in a very easy-to-read format."e; - Sophie Freud, MSW, Ph.D. Author of Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family. Granddaughter of Dr. Sigmund Freud