Lusting after life: a metasynthesis of case studies on necrophilia
Can't see any media?
The document(s) for this resource are unavailable or have restricted access. You can log in if you have a user account.
- Title
- Lusting after life: a metasynthesis of case studies on necrophilia
- Creator
- Konstantinos Vlachakis
- Date
- 2016
- Abstract
- This study considers how sexual perversion has been understood in psychotherapy, with specific reference to necrophilia. Considered an under- researched and poorly understood phenomenon, necrophilia is positioned within the wider psychoanalytic theory of perversion. Firstly, the study outlines theoretical conceptualizations and applies these to clinical practice. The usefulness and limits of psychoanalytic accounts of perversion are discussed and alternative ways of working are considered. Secondly, qualitative meta-synthesis is applied on published case studies on necrophilia, in an attempt to provide a formulation of necrophilia that is useful for clinical practice. The analysis illustrates how necrophilia has been understood in psychotherapy and attempts to provide a coherent theoretical argument that can inform clinical psychotherapeutic work. The results suggest that necrophilia is not necessarily connected to psychopathology and that it is characterized by a perpetual struggle between passive and active aspects of ones experience and a confusion pertaining to specific experiences of loss. Developmental antecedents of necrophilia are elucidated. The findings problematize current literature on necrophilia and have implications for clinical psychotherapeutic work with perversions in general. The study concludes that necrophilia has been poorly understood due to biases and socio-cultural influences that have affected the construction of psychotherapeutic knowledge pertaining to the phenomenon. Further avenues of research are proposed.
- Subject
- Psychotherapy and Counselling
- Extent
- 106 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Regent's University London
- degree
- MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Language
- English
- Date Issued
- 2016
- Type
- Thesis & Dissertation
- Rights Holder
- Regent's University London & Konstantinos Vlachakis
- Item sets
- Theses or Dissertation