Arthur Janov
Encyclopedia
Arthur Janov is an American psychologist
, psychotherapist, and the creator of primal therapy
, a treatment for mental illness that involves repeatedly descending into, feeling, and expressing long-repressed childhood pain
. Janov directs a psychotherapy institute called the Primal Center in Santa Monica, California
. Janov is the author of many books, most notably The Primal Scream
.
. Janov received his B.A. and M.S.W. in psychiatric social work from the University of California, Los Angeles
and his Ph.D. in psychology from Claremont Graduate School in 1960. Janov originally practiced conventional psychotherapy in his native California. He did an internship at the Hacker Psychiatric Clinic in Beverly Hills, worked for the Veterans’ Administration at Brentwood Neuropsychiatric Hospital and has been in private practice since 1952. He was also on the staff of the Psychiatric Department at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital where he was involved in developing their psychosomatic unit.
Janov writes that his professional life changed in a single day in 1967 with the discovery of what he calls Primal Pain. During a therapy session, Janov heard what he describes as, “an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man lying on the floor”. He developed primal therapy
, in which clients are encouraged to re-live and express what Janov considers repressed feelings.
Janov's patients included John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
.
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, psychotherapist, and the creator of primal therapy
Primal therapy
Primal therapy is a trauma-based psychotherapy created by Arthur Janov, who argues that neurosis is caused by the repressed pain of childhood trauma. Janov argues that repressed pain can be sequentially brought to conscious awareness and resolved through re-experiencing the incident and fully...
, a treatment for mental illness that involves repeatedly descending into, feeling, and expressing long-repressed childhood pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
. Janov directs a psychotherapy institute called the Primal Center in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Janov is the author of many books, most notably The Primal Scream
The Primal Scream
The Primal Scream is a book by Arthur Janov Ph. D, the inventor of Primal Therapy. It is subtitled Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis. The book describes the experiences Arthur Janov had with 63 patients during his first 18 months discovering and practicing Primal Therapy...
.
Life
Arthur Janov was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Janov received his B.A. and M.S.W. in psychiatric social work from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
and his Ph.D. in psychology from Claremont Graduate School in 1960. Janov originally practiced conventional psychotherapy in his native California. He did an internship at the Hacker Psychiatric Clinic in Beverly Hills, worked for the Veterans’ Administration at Brentwood Neuropsychiatric Hospital and has been in private practice since 1952. He was also on the staff of the Psychiatric Department at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital where he was involved in developing their psychosomatic unit.
Janov writes that his professional life changed in a single day in 1967 with the discovery of what he calls Primal Pain. During a therapy session, Janov heard what he describes as, “an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man lying on the floor”. He developed primal therapy
Primal therapy
Primal therapy is a trauma-based psychotherapy created by Arthur Janov, who argues that neurosis is caused by the repressed pain of childhood trauma. Janov argues that repressed pain can be sequentially brought to conscious awareness and resolved through re-experiencing the incident and fully...
, in which clients are encouraged to re-live and express what Janov considers repressed feelings.
Janov's patients included John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
.
Works
- The Primal ScreamThe Primal ScreamThe Primal Scream is a book by Arthur Janov Ph. D, the inventor of Primal Therapy. It is subtitled Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis. The book describes the experiences Arthur Janov had with 63 patients during his first 18 months discovering and practicing Primal Therapy...
(1970) ISBN 0-349-11829-9 - (revised 1999) - The Anatomy of Mental Illness (1971)
- The Primal Revolution: Toward a Real World (1972) ISBN 0-671-21641-4
- The Feeling Child (1973) ISBN 0-349-11832-9
- Primal Man: The new consciousness (1976) ISBN 0-690-01015-X
- Prisoners of Pain (1980) ISBN 0-385-15791-6
- Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience (1984) ISBN 0-399-51086-9
- New Primal Scream: Primal Therapy 20 Years on (1992) ISBN 0-942103-23-8
- Why You Get Sick and How You Get Well: The Healing Power of Feelings (1996) ISBN 0-7871-0685-2
- The Biology of Love (2000) ISBN 1-57392-829-1
- Sexualité et subconscient : Perversions et déviances de la libido (2006) ISBN 2-268-05720-8
- Primal Healing: Access the Incredible Power of Feelings to Improve Your Health (2006) ISBN 1-56414-916-1
- The Janov Solution: Lifting Depression Through Primal Therapy (2007) ISBN 1-58501-111-8
External links
- Dr Arthur Janov's Primal Center
- Janov's Reflections on the Human Condition Arthur Janov's BlogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
- Grand Delusions—Psychotherapies Without Feeling (2005) unpublished manuscript available at the Primal Center's website