Return of the Furies

Recovered memory therapy, which has become a rapidly-growing industry, claims that adults often suffer emotional problems because of forgotten childhood traumas. People who experience difficulties like anxiety or overeating are now often told by therapists that the root of their trouble is a "repressed memory" of abuse in childhood. The cure is to bring the memory back to the surface - a process that may take many months - and then to confront and publicly humiliate the alleged perpetrators of the abuse, most often the victim's parents. But are the supposed memories recovered in therapy genuine? Or are they inadvertently concocted by therapists and clients in the course of therapy? Attempts to find independent corroboration of recovered memories have drawn a blank. Contrary to folklore, there is not a shred of evidence for the notion that a memory can be repressed, and there is plenty of evidence that false memories can be created. Wakefield and Underwager have studied recovered memory therapy thoroughly and have become recognised as its leading critics.
In "Return to the Furies", they give a comprehensive analysis of this new witch-hunting craze, in all its ignorance, irrationality and cruelty. Their work is founded on a thorough grasp of competent research, some of it the authors' own. It presents a new and fascinating account of the backgrounds and motivations of recovered memory therapists; documents the appalling human suffering inflicted by these therapists and their gullible clients; explains what is known about the actual working of human memory; identifies financial and other ulterior motives for false accusations of sexual abuse; reveals the striking differences between typical true cases of sexual molestation and typical bogus accusations; and gives specific, detailed advice on how to tell competent therapists from dangerous ones.