Blind to Betrayal: Why We Fool Ourselves We Aren't Being Fooled

“Even if, like me, you are less than enchanted with therapy (
any
therapy!), you will find much of value in this courageous path-breaking book that honors the stories of survivors of abuse of many kinds. It is compelling, readable, and most important of all, true.”

—Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of
Assault on Truth,
Final Analysis
, and twenty-four other books

“
Blind to Betrayal
dares to say what most of us know, intuitively, about the basic human need to trust in the goodness of others. Fear of experiencing the overwhelming pain of knowing that people to whom we render ourselves vulnerable have exploited rather than cherished our trust makes us ‘blind' to betrayal even when it's right there in front of us. Drs. Freyd and Birrell have built a critical bridge of knowledge that allows us to take the blinders off and become comfortable in our discomfort. This book is a gift to all who suffer with or support those who feel stuck in the reluctance to know the ugly truth about the people and institutions we entrust with our minds and bodies. Open this book—then open your eyes to the power and liberation that always comes with new insight and truth.”

—Wendy J. Murphy, JD, New England Law/Boston, author of
And Justice for Some

“Drs. Freyd and Birrell open our eyes to the profound and pervasive human vulnerability of betrayal blindness. They show how it deprives us of key information and realizations, often with catastrophic results; how the scientific research helps us to understand it; and how we can break free of it. These preeminent experts have created a book that will be of great help to many people and that belongs on the book shelf of all therapists and coaches, on the reading list of all clinical training programs, and in the hands of everyone who seeks a better understanding of human behavior and experience.”

—Kenneth S. Pope, PhD, ABPP, diplomate in Clinical Psychology

“Powerful, illuminating, and disturbing, this translation of decades of meticulous scientific research and sophisticated clinical observation is an eye-opener in the best sense for social scientists, clinicians, and any reader interested in understanding the impact of trauma from a unique new perspective. The work Dr. Freyd and her colleagues have done in this controversial and increasingly urgent area of violence and victimization, the description she and Dr. Birrell provide of the paths to recovery that become possible when psychological blindness is recognized and understood, and the compelling case examples in this book, is a groundbreaking and essential contribution.”

—Julian D. Ford, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center

“Drs. Freyd and Birrell have created a masterwork for all of us who struggle to comprehend our own experiences of not seeing, not knowing, and not protecting ourselves and others from betrayal. The pervasiveness of both betrayal and betrayal blindness, and the challenges inherent in becoming able to know and see betrayal, as well as the psychological science making sense of these painful dynamics, come to life in this book. It's one that I'll be buying several copies of, because I know that it'll constantly be on loan to clients and students. A must-read for everyone who has experienced betrayal and betrayal blindness—and that means almost all of us.”

—Laura S. Brown, PhD, ABPP, director, Fremont Community Therapy Project

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN 978-0-470-60440-3 (paperback); ISBN 978-1-118-22069-6 (ebk);
ISBN 978-1-118-23448-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-25890-3 (ebk)

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