Alice Miller - Definition and Overview

Alice Miller (b. 1923) is a psychologist noted for her work in child development and its relationship to society. She is a strong anti-Freudianist and belongs to the anti-pedagogy school, holding that most depressions and other mental illnesses are caused by methods commonly used in childrearing.

She was born in Poland, and raised and educated in Switzerland. She gained her doctorate in 1953 in Zurich, Swizerland.

In the nineties Miller strongly supported a new method from J. Konrad Stettbacher who was later charged with incidents of sexual abuse. Since then she refuses to bring forward therapist or method recommendations but critics insist she never explained how she could fall for Stettbacher.

Her books include:

• Prisoners of Childhood: The Drama of the Gifted Child (1981) ISBN 0465062873
• For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence (1983) ISBN 0374522693
• Thou Shalt Not Be Aware: Society's Betrayal of the Child (1984) ISBN 0374525439
• The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self (1996) ISBN 0465016901
• The Truth Will Set You Free: Overcoming Emotional Blindness (2001) ISBN 0465045847

Her essays include:

• Childhood Trauma
• The Political Consequences of Child Abuse

External Links

• Alice Miller Library of the Natural Child Project (http://www.naturalchild.org/alice_miller/)