From chaos to coherence

by Elizabeth Cleve

From Chaos to Coherence is the true story, told in everyday language, of the adopted boy Douglas and his journey towards adulthood with the help of psychotherapy. Douglas has severe psychic, physical and social handicaps and is also diagnosed with ADHD. He is impulse-governed, aggressive, provocative and unable to interact with other children. He begins psychotherapy at the age of seven and continues weekly sessions for the next seven years. The reader is invited into the child psychotherapy room to follow the work of Douglas and his therapist, the author Elisabeth Cleve. The therapy can be described as physically intense work that evokes strong emotions in both Douglas and the therapist. We get to learn about their inner feelings, thoughts and actions during the different phases of the treatment. The story of Douglas captivates the reader and provides an understanding of what is going on inside a troubled little boy. This beautifully written account of successful psychotherapy is pain