Valerie Sinason’s first novel, The Orpheus Project, was published in November 2022 and is available on Amazon or direct from the publisher, Sphinx.

The Orpheus Project is a harrowing story of sexual abuse, privilege and trauma.

It’s Christmas Eve, and a young woman with Down’s syndrome has just disclosed abuse by two men. The problem is she is a member of the British aristocracy and the men she accuses are a top politician and a rock star. How does a national health team struggle with the situation of alleged abuse by the elite and super rich?

Despite a traitor in their midst, the team uncovers the appalling reality of the abusive international cult known as The Orpheus Project with its mysterious American spokesperson and powerful connections.

This is the world of conspiracy theories; the Orpheus Project and the secret society that surrounds it seek to offer a form of immortality through deliberately installed dissociative disorders.

At the core of this powerful novel is the story of a mother and daughter who find a way of reuniting, and the longterm consequences of childhood trauma.

The Psychotherapist and the Professional Complaint, edited by Adam Sachs and Valerie Sinason is released in January 2023 and is available from Amazon or from the publisher, Karnac.

The patient’s word was once easily dismissed against the word of the psychiatrist, doctor or therapist, leaving the patient vulnerable. Recognising this inherent risk in the relationship between clinicians and patients, professional regulations have gradually been established to facilitate patients’ access to information, support and recourse. However, while most professions also explicitly protect their own members, there are, notably, no systems in place to protect psychotherapists. The current complaint procedure presumes the therapist’s guilt until proven innocent, rather than the reverse.

The Psychotherapist and the Professional Complaint explores this problem with sensitivity and rigour. In these chapters, the contributors examine ways to address serious conflicts in the psychotherapy relationship and the role of professional bodies in protecting their members while regulating their performance. Acknowledging both strengths and flaws, they outline the historical context and future prospects of the current complaint procedures. This book invites us to think and speak on the controversial subject of complaints, supporting patients, therapists and policymakers alike.

Treating Children with Dissociative Disorders: Attachment Trauma Theory and Practice was edited by Valerie Sinason and Renee Potgieter and published in December 2021. It is available from Amazon or from the publisher, Routledge.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of research into dissociation in children and adolescents and challenges conventional ideas about complex behaviours.

Offering a new perspective to those who are unfamiliar with dissociation in children, and challenging prevalent assumptions for those who are experienced in the field, the editors encourage the professional to ask questions about the child’s internal experiences beyond a diagnosis of the external symptoms. Chapters bring together a range of international experts working in the field, and interweave theories, practice, and challenging and complex case material, as well as identifying mistakes that therapists can avoid while working with children who dissociate.

Filled with practical tools and examples, this book is a vital resource for professionals to enrich their practice with children who dissociate.

Valerie Sinason’s book ‘The Truth about Trauma and Dissociation’ was released in October 2020 and available on Amazon.

“This amazing little book helps each of us to speak and understand the unspeakable. Are we brave enough to know the truth in this dangerous but lifegiving journey? The book warns and encourages us that knowing can retraumatise at each life stage but also make us strong. Enjoy the clarity and beauty of Valerie’s whistle-stop tour of trauma and dissociation.” Baroness Hollins, Emeritus Professor, University of London; Emeritus President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

“Valerie Sinason ventures into troubled emotional spaces to hear what we don’t know and, often, don’t wish to know. In plain language she has enabled us to see forms of cruelty and the psychic consequences which lead to the extreme splitting of psyches into dissociated and multiple self-states … A book of interest to clinicians and a much wider audience.” Dr. Susie Orbach, Psychoanalyst and founder of The Women’s Therapy Centre, London, and The Women’s Therapy Centre Institute, New York, and author of Fat is a Feminist Issue, The Impossibility of Sex and Bodies.

The following books are either written by, edited by or contain contributions from Valerie Sinason.  Copies can be purchased on Amazon.