Imaginary Crimes

About the Book

This liberating and important book shows us how to break out of the self-defeating behavior patterns that have been keeping us from attaining our most cherished goals. Many of our most serious psychological problems can be traced to a special form of guilt: the hidden guilt we feel toward our parents or other loved ones. Somewhere back in childhood we came to believe that by achieving independence, happiness, or success we would harm the ones we love. We judged ourselves guilty of imaginary crimes. And we have been punishing ourselves ever since. This self-punishment can take many forms. We may be plagued by feelings of anxiety or depression. We may sabotage our own efforts to form intimate, rewarding relationships. Or we may find ourselves destroying the relationships we already have. Imaginary Crimes introduces us to a new approach to psychological healing never before presented in a book for the general public. Many previous readers have found this book a profound step on their road to psychological recovery.

About the Author

Lewis Engel, Ph.D., is a San Francisco clinical psychologist. He attended Reed College (where he, as his co-author, Tom Ferguson were freshman roommates), earned Bachelor?s and Master?s degrees at San Francisco State University, and received his doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology. In 1981, Engel requested a consultation on an especially difficult client with psychologist Harold Sampson. It was through Sampson that he first learned about Control Mastery Theory. Engel continues to use Control Mastery Theory in his San Francisco psychotherapy practice, as well as gives talks and writes articles that apply the theory to new areas. He is particularly interested in the treatment of couples, trauma, and assisting people grappling with chronic illness, grieving and loss.

Tom Ferguson, M.D. is a Senior Research Fellow for Online Health at the Pew Internet & American Life Project. He is Project Director of the ?e-Patients, Online Health, and the Search for Sustainable Healthcare.? Project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Ferguson is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Texas School of Health Information Science and a senior associate at Boston?s Center for Clinical Computing. He is the author of ten books on consumer health topics, including Health Online: How to Find Health Information, Support Groups and Self-Help Communities in Cyberspace. He is the editor and publisher of The Ferguson Report a free online newsletter (www.fergusonreport.com) which reviews current research on e-patients and online health. Dr. Ferguson received his M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine. He has received the Educational Press Association?s Distinguished Achievement Award for his work in teaching medicine to children. He was recently honored as an Internet Health Hero by Intel?s Internet Health Initiative.