Review of Beyond the reach of ladders: My story as a therapist forging bonds with firefighters in the aftermath of 9/11.

Abstract

Reviews the book, Beyond the Reach of Ladders: My Story as a Therapist Forging Bonds with Firefighters in the Aftermath of 9/11 by Elizabeth Goren (2011). Dr. Elizabeth Goren worked in a New York City Firehouse for over a year following the destruction of the World Trade Center in September 2001. Among the nearly 3,000 individuals who perished in the Twin Towers were 343 New York City Fire Fighters who entered the buildings to save them. Goren’s book, Beyond The Reach of Ladders is the story of the firemen with whom she worked both in the firehouse and for several years afterward in her therapy office. It is a layered chronicle of trauma and loss. It is also a book that vividly demonstrates the ways that psychoanalytic principles can be used to address the most extreme of human experiences in settings far from the analyst’s office. In sum, Goren is a remarkably generous writer. She represents the men she worked with in an utterly compelling way. In a style that is accessible and vivid, Dr. Goren demonstrates that psychoanalytic principles can be used to bring solace and meaning in the face of horror. She shows us how these principles can be adapted to settings far beyond the reach of the analyst’s chair. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)