Cited by 534History of Emotions ResearchModernity and Self-IdentityPsychological Treatments and Disorders

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Saving the Modern SoulTherapy, Emotions, and the Culture of Self-Help

Illouz, Eva·2008·University of California Press eBooks

DOI 10.1525/california/9780520224469.001.0001

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Abstract

The language of psychology is all-pervasive in American culture—from The Sopranos to Oprah, from the abundance of self-help books to the private consulting room, and from the support group to the magazine advice column. This book examines the profound impact of therapeutic discourse on our lives and on our contemporary notions of identity. The book plumbs today's particular cultural moment to understand how and why psychology has secured its place at the core of modern identity. It examines a wide range of sources to show how self-help culture has transformed contemporary emotional life and how therapy complicates individuals' lives even as it claims to dissect their emotional experiences and heal trauma.

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Introduction
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Cages in Rural Homes
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Fox Spirits in Villages
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Van het lot een plot maken
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Authors: Illouz, E.
Corresponding author: Illouz, Eva
ORCID: Illouz, Eva
Venue: University of California Press eBooks
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2008-04-03
DOI: 10.1525/california/9780520224469.001.0001
OpenAlex: W578054479
Cited by: 534
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 57 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 47 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 27
FWCI: 83.79
Type: book
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: University of California Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › History of Emotions Research
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Modernity and Self-Identity
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
Keywords: self-help culture, treatment, therapeutic discourse, emotions, identity, emotional life, trauma, American culture, mental health

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Saving the Modern SoulTherapy, Emotions, and the Culture of Self-Help

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