La malattia della speranza. Per una clinica del legame violento

Feminist research literature has emphasized the importance of the sociocultural matrix of violence against women, especially with regard to the patriarchic system, whose decline is considered as associated with the dramatic increase of this phenomenon. However, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) occurs in close relationships whose dynamics need to be described from a clinical perspective. In this work, the cycle of violence is presented starting from the initial phase (i.e., seduction) which leads to the formation of the couple. The logic of violence is then explored, focusing on three dimensions: narcissism, devastation (ravage), and preclusion of solitude. If the logic of violence aims at destroying one’s own singularity, love implies the valorization of the unicity of the individual. The clinical practice follows the logic of love, as it rejects generalization and the flattery of the obvious.