Loss of the Assumptive World: A Theory of Traumatic Loss (The Series in Trauma and Loss)

In the face of trauma, our assumptive world -- the world experienced as normal or predictable -- is seriously disrupted. This disruption, this "loss of our assumptive world" functions as a metaphor for traumatic loss in this volume, providing extraordinary insight into the psychology of trauma, loss and change. Loss of the Assumptive World builds on Ronnie Janoff-Bulman's new psychology of trauma and Colin Murray Parkes' principle of psychosocial change. It is a concept that allows for the close examination of the psychological disturbance that takes place in the wake of a traumatic event. The authors in this collection examine the loss of the assumptive world and its reconstruction from diverse theoretical perspectives including constructivist and narrative theory, Kohutian self-psychology, betrayal theory, psychoanalysis and coping theory.

The diversity of perspectives and distinct interpretations illuminates the loss of the assumptive world concept and its clinical usefulness while articulating a spirit of hope and resilience in the face of traumatic loss.