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This book is one of the Tavistock Clinic Series and its contributors are all members of the Unit for the Study of Trauma and its Aftermath in the Adult Department of the Tavistock Clinic. Caroline Garland founded the Unit in 1986, following the dreadful news of the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise off the Coast of Belgium. The name of that ferry was eerily prophetic, as a spate of further major accidents in the late 80s brought to the public mind the psychological cost of those caught up in life-threatening events beyond their control. Serious questions began to be raised about the wisdom of deregulation in the pursuit of profit. In the wake of these disasters a number of centres of excellence have set up units for the study and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Tavistock Trauma Unit is unique in seeking to apply a rigorously psychoanalytic methodology to its research in the belief that, at least for some, this will be therapeutic.
The Trauma Unit offers a consultation service to individuals who have suffered a traumatic event, whether recently or long ago, when the patient identifies the event as the cause of their current psychological distress. It also