For too long those who explain emotional discomfort on the basis of lived experience and those who blame chemistry have been at loggerheads. As Dr. Nathanson shows, chemicals and illnesses can affect our mood just as surely as an uncomfortable memory or a stern rebuke. Linking for the first time the affect theory of the pioneering researcher Silvan S. Thomkins with the entire world of biology, medicine, psychology, psychotherapy, religion, and the social sciences, Dr. Nathanson presents a completely new understanding of all emotion

This text explores contemporary affect studies, focusing on the work of Silvan Tomkins, and examining their impact on the theory and practice of psychotherapy. Sections of the book cover research on affect, the theoretical implications of this information for a number of different schools of psychological and pschiatric thought, and the clinical applications of the understanding of innate affect in a variety of disorders.

The Many Faces of Shame is the first volume to capture the range of current viewpoints on the concept of guilt. As editor, Donald Nathanson has not only assembled internationally prominent authorities in the field, but has engaged them in extensive dialogue about their topic areas. The result is a collection of papers, both rich and provocative, which achieve a scholarly impact and resonance often missing in edited works. As a further enhancement of the book's unified tone, Dr. Nathanson has provided introductions to each chapter which places the authors both historically and theoretically,...