#MM08 – Q&A Mondays with Moshe Lang: Developmental Trauma and the Purpose of Guilt

October 24, 2016 |

This is Episode 8 of the Q and A series with psychologist Moshe Lang.  Moshe is one of Australia’s best known family therapists, a renowned author and teacher.  He has been practicing psychotherapy for over 52 years and is insatiably curious, and wonderfully wise.

This weeks questions are WAWID listeners are:

  • Developmental trauma is currently at the forefront of research with better understandings of how trauma can effect childhood development. In your experience as a family therapist, what is the most important focus for families who are dealing with a child with complex trauma? Terra (Canada)
  • Moshe, what do you think about guilt? Is it real, is it useful? Should one have it?  How is it enabling or impeding?  And what's it's relationship  to shame, particularly in a family context?  Any thoughts on this? Emily (Germany)

More Info on Moshe

Moshe Lang was born in Israel and migrated to Australia in 1961. He studied psychology at the University of Melbourne and is currently the Director of the Williams Road Psychotherapy Centre.

Between 1965 and 1979 Moshe was the senior psychologist at the Bouverie Clinic and Director of Training.  In 1975, during a sabbatical, he worked in Ramat-Chen Mental Health Clinic in Israel. In 1979, he founded Williams Road Family Therapy Centre, the first independent family therapy centre in Australia. He remained involved with the Centre until 2012.

Moshe was the Foundation President of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (1979-1988), and from 1982 to 1984 was President of the Victorian Association of Family Therapists (now known as Australian Association of Family Therapy).  He is a Life Member of the Australian Association of Family Therapy (1992).

  • Moshe has published extensively in the professional literature on themes ranging from:
  • working with children and adolescents
  • depression
  • suicide
  • working with Holocaust survivors and their families
  • couples therapy
  • teaching family therapy.

Moshe has co-authored a variety of books based on his therapeutic work that are highly regarded and have been extensively reviewed and translated to Hebrew and French.  More recently he released a highly praised DVD titled Behind Closed Doors, providing the viewers, both professional and general public alike, with the opportunity to see him at work.

Recommended Resources

To learn more about Moshe visit to his website – http://moshelang.com.au

Books:

  • Corrupting the Young and Other Stories of a Family Therapist – Moshe Lang
  • Resilience: Stories of a Family Therapist – Moshe Lang (with Tesse Lang)
  • A Family in Therapy and The Answer Within – Moshe Lang (with Peter McCallum)
  • Behind Closed Doors, (DVD) – Moshe Lang doing couples therapy!

Feedback and Comments

Post your question for Moshe under this episode!  Leave us a comment or some feedback about the episode, we’d love to hear from you!

Sponsored Episode

This episode was sponsored by the ANZ ACBS 2016 Conference.  If you’re interested in Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion and Mindfulness check out their website for further details!

Amy Felman
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