'MEMORIES OF ABUSE'
FALSE MEMORY, RECOVERED MEMORY
AND
THE PROBLEMS OF CHILD ABUSE
UNITED KINGDOM COUNCIL FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY/
UNIVERSITIES PSYCHOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION
JOINT CONFERENCE
Mounted by Chris Evans from information
provided by Robert Young on the
Psychoanalytic Virtual Bulletin Board 285 26.xi.95 run by
Robert Galatzer-Levy
14th -15th December, 1995.
To be hosted by the Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies,
University of Sheffield
and held at The Swallow Hotel, Sheffield, England.
'MEMORIES OF ABUSE'
FALSE MEMORY, RECOVERED MEMORY AND
THE PROBLEMS OF CHILD ABUSE
A wide range of interdisciplinary speakers, discussants and chairpersons.
SPEAKERS:
Joint Title: MEMORIES OF ABUSE: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVES
Professor Peter Fonagy (Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis, Psychology, Uinversity College
London; Research Director, Anna Freud Centre)
Dr. Mary Target (Senior Research Fellow, Anna Freud Centre; Lecturer in Psychology, U.C.L.)
The paper will address the recent controversy about recovered memories of
abuse by reviewing relevant findings from a number of related fields
including the cause and impact of CSA (childhood sexual abuse), the nature
of human memory, particularly the nature of memories of early experience,
tbe status of the concept of repression and dissociation, known biases of
memories, and the small literature on 'forgetting' of early trauma. The
paper will consider which therapeutic techniques are particularly likely to
generate false recollections of abuse. Finally, we will consider, in more
general terms the role of memory in psychotherapy and propose a model of
memory which may be somewhat more consistent with empirical observations
than the models of recall used by the majority of psychotherapeutic
approaches today.
Title: ARE RECOVERED MEMORIES INCOMPATIBLE WITH MEMORY MECHANISMS?
Professor Graham Davies (Professor of Psychology, University of Leicester & Chartered Forensic
Psychologist)
It is often argued that the idea of recovered memory is incompatible with
main stream theories of memory while memory contamination is readily
predicted. A survey of influential theories suggests that both memory
contamination and memory recovery are theoretically plausible outcomes.
Title: FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL: THE QUESTION OF CREDIBILITY
Allan Levy Q.C. (Child Law Specialist)
(to be elaborated)
Title: FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME: FABRICATION OR REALITY?
Valerie Sinason (Consultant Child Psychotherapist, Tavistock Institute, Anna Freud Centre
and St. George's Hospital, London)
Memory is available for distortion but actual memories of sexual abuse to
the self are very rarely inaccurate. The paper questions why, given the
universal appreciation that memory is faulty, the small number of false
accusations are given so much media attention, so much more than the vast
number of corroborated victim statements.
Joint Title: SOCIAL WORK AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE? WHOSE MEMORY?
Professor Lena Dominelli (Professor of Social Administration, Sociological Studies Department,
Sheffeld University)
Malcolm Cowburn (Lecturer in Probation and Social Policy, Sociological Studies, Sheffield
University)
Victim-survivors of sexual abuse often experience disbelief and rejection
when they disclose their abuse. This paper considers whether the 'false
memory syndrome' has become another avenue through which the
victim-survivor's story is silenced.
Title: THE RELEVANCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL
FACTORS TO SOME CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MEMORY.
Professor John Morton (Professor, Cognitive Development Unit Medical Research Council, University
College London)
(to be elaborated)
Title:"FALSE MEMORY": THE OVERLOADED DEBATE
Marjorie Orr (Accuracy about Abuse)
Theme: Perspectives from the front line. Why is the 'false memory' debate
so polarised, toxic, rife with paradox? Recovered memory is not the major
problem in the abuse field, so why is it given almost exclusive attention?
(1) The FMS argument- the hidden agendas. The children's stories.
Retractors. (2) Sexlual abuse, torture, war and holocaust experience -
chronic terror. Remembering the unthinkable. (3) Preliminary results of two
recent surveys. (4) Sequelae of the 'false memory' debate - positive and
negative outcomes.
Discussants:
Dr Janet Boakes (Hon Sec.U.K.C.P. and Consultant Psychiatrist and
Psychotherapist)
Dr. Christopher Cordess (Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst)
John Rowan (Consultant Psychologist)
Dr Glenys Parry (Director of Psychology,Community Health Sheffield)
Professor Digby Tantam (University of Warwick & U.K.C.P. Chair)
Chairpersons:
Professor Digby Tantam (University of Warwick & U.K.C.P. Chair)
Dr Tim Kendall (Director, Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies, University
of Sheffield)
Dr Michele Davies (Research Fellow, University of Sheffield)
Conference will begin with lunch on Thursday, Dec. 14th and will finish at
5.30pm on Friday December 15th.
It will be preceded by the A.G.M. of the University Psychotherapy Association
on the morning of 14th December. Conference open to all. U.P.A. A.G.M.
restricted to members.
Fees: Non Residential fee L95 (British pounds sterling)
Concessions: L75 (trainee psychotherapists & counsellors, students, unwaged
& Sheffield University Staff)
Booking after 1st December will incur an extra L20 on all fees.
No bookings will be taken after 7th December.
Optional residential costs: Swallow Hotel, special conference d, b&b rate L50
Full details & application forms from
Jane Allen-Brown,
Short Course Organiser,
Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies,
16 Claremont Crescent,
Sheffield. S10 2TA.
Tel: 0114 282 4975 or 0114 276 9555
(from abroad +44 114...)
ext. 497510/1 Fax 0114 270 0619.
email: j.m.taylor@sheffield.ac.uk
BOOK IMMEDIATELY SINCE PLACES ARE NOW LIMITED