Paul Valent

OAM, MBBS, DPM, FRANZCP
Consultant liaison psychiatrist, psychotherapist, traumatologist, Co-founder and past President Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and Child Survivors of the Holocaust, Writer.

History and causes of wars

The history of wars from animals to humans and from primitive societies to the present day are summarised. Theories of wars are looked at. Three agonistic survival strategies – fight, goal achievement, and competition are put forward as vehicles for lethal aggression. What provokes these drives is examined. Provocations may range from severe environments to quite distant symbols of them. Aggression may range from individuals to nations.

See also my entries on War in The Encyclopedia of Trauma.
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Child Survivors of the Holocaust

In this book, ten child survivors of the Second World War, of different ages, from different countries, and with varied experiences, tell their stories.

From Survival to Fulfillment

When survival or fulfilment are threatened, people manifest a great variety of responses and consequences. They range from basic instincts to the most sublime aspects of life.

Trauma and Fulfillment Therapy

This book follows logically From Survival to Fulfillment, in its practical applicability to diagnose and repair tears in the human fabric.

In Two Minds; Tales of a Psychotherapist

Paul Valent, retired medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and traumatologist, describes the struggles and discoveries in his varied four-decade career. Each chapter offers a glimpse into different psychotherapeutic encounters

Heart of Violence: Why People Harm Each Other

Violence is the plague of our civilization. Its many tentacles – domestic violence, criminal violence, sexual abuse, terrorism, state violence, revolution, war and genocide threaten us daily.

Mental Health in the Times of the Pandemic

The pandemic threw our world up in the air. We deal with the immediacy of survival. We try to orientate ourselves, but our minds are in a fog. We are captured by many feelings and sensations

Know Thyself: Our Hidden Selves in a Precarious World

After surviving the Holocaust, a little boy makes a pledge. He will understand war so it is not repeated. So begins Paul Valent’s life’s work, an investigation into the reasons why humans, who can love and care for each other, too often hate and hurt each other.

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