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Donald Trump’s behavior encouraged the development of a generation of people inclined to hateful identity politics and bigotry, while trying to also dismantle our country’s institutions and natural resources.

Aftermath is a guide about how we can heal, with ideas on how each of us can help bridge the divide that has only grown deeper since Election Day in November 2016. These problems emerged in part due to the way Trump constantly shifts blame. 

This behavior is known in psychoanalytic circles as projective identification, a phenomenon people employ who unconsciously dislike something about themselves. Instead of taking responsibility, they blame those feelings, thoughts, or actions on others. Trump is an expert at this, and it's hurting all of us. 

To heal will take time, patience, and a willingness to take stock of our viewpoints and square them with divergent ones. It’s not so unusual anymore for families and friends who find themselves on opposite ends of the political spectrum to refrain from engaging in any sort of meaningful conversation for fear that such discussions will ruin already fractured relationships. It shouldn’t be that way. 

Though rooted in psychoanalysis, Aftermath gets at the essence of projective identification as nurtured by Trump, and how we can combat its prevalence in order to once again engage in thoughtful, meaningful debate with those on opposite ends of the political rainbow without resorting to violent rhetoric.

We must demand that our leaders engage in a process that incorporates a respectful way of communicating between and among people. Aftermath shows the way.  

"When you look at women making a difference, you won’t find a more shining example than Karyne (pronounced plain old Karen) Messina. From her earliest moments as a child and throughout her career she has spent her waking moments thinking about, observing and advocating for people, especially women. She has been a teacher, counselor, facility director, psychoanalyst—and now author--who analyzes women. What makes them tick? Why don’t they get the good jobs and pay they deserve? 

Why are they so much like their mothers, yet yearn to be separate individuals? Why do they tolerate being mistreated—by men of course, but also other women? What can she do to effect change and make this world a better place for women?"

What do you, Hillary Clinton and Clara Thompson have in common? You all face misogyny, projective identification and mentalization. These are the concepts that help therapists and lawyers work with their clients to understand how misogynistic patterns appear at all social and political levels across America and the World. 

These same concepts are important in corporate America as well.  Shifting roles and changes in the status quo can raise anxiety, decrease engagement and threaten people in positions of power. As more women rise to top positions, misogyny increases. Why? Many men don't dislike women but they don't consider themselves to be misogynists. However, there is no escaping that we live in a patriarchal world. The idea that men are more powerful is embedded in our society.

These notions are perpetuated by men who want to retain power and women who look for a man when they need something to be done from changing a lightbulb to driving to a vacation spot.  Many men grow up learning they need to protect women who, in turn, don't always  disavow them of that idea. 

The model of men as protectors can work until men are replaced by women in positions of power. Since many segments of society still promote the idea that men deserve top positions,  misogyny creeps into otherwise congenial work environments when women gain power. The fight for equality must continue until women are truly equal  participants in today's world since to date, it is still a man's world

My book examines the lives of four women whose lives were upended by projective identification and misogynistic behavior, as well as groups of women who suffered from dismissal and abuse, including the Radium Girls of the 1920s, the Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, Tutsi and Hutu women as well as women and girls brought into sex trafficking and then persecuted for it.  

Misogyny, Projective Identification, and Mentalization tells the stories of these women who have been erased, dismissed, and devalued, while putting forth a hypothesis about why the phenomenon occurs and what can be done to change this dynamic. I propose that projective identification—the mechanism that allows a person or group to get rid of negative feelings, thoughts, or fantasies by attributing them to someone else or others—can create a hivemind that leads to dismissal, humiliation, violence, and atrocity against women;  a process that can clearly be seen in most parts of the world today.

These issues could appear at home, at work, in school, or in any other place where you encounter those who project unwanted aspects of themselves onto you. Misogyny, Projective Identification, and Mentalization sets a new agenda for understanding how misogyny is expressed socially and how to stop it.

Projective identification is a defense mechanism that allows people to rid themselves of some aspect of their personality that is intolerable. In the process, this quality is projected onto another person. 

The original projector feels temporarily like the "bad" characteristic is gone. The end result is that the first person feels he or she has gotten rid of the attribute or quality and is thereafter, at least temporarily, relieved. In this person's mind, it is a trait that the other unwitting person exhibits. 

The receiver of the projection often initially feel stunned. It is as if he or she doesn't know what has happened. Eventually, however, this person may start to believe the characteristic belongs to him or her.

Mentalization can improve corporate engagement and responsibility

Helping people feel successful  about what they do while meeting the goals of any enterprise results from authentic engagement. This can most effectively be achieved through respectful dialogue among all participants.  According to the authors of The Non-Obvious Guide to Employee Engagement, frequent feedback can be positively correlated with engagement.

Mentalization can also improve employee retention

Company leaders who mentalize share ideas with employees at all levels and offer opportunities for people in all divisions to work together towards a common goal while respecting the efforts of everyone involved. Emotional investment in a company's success often increases when all members are valued. 

Projective identification can impact morale in any organization 

Projective Identification can appear in a myriad of ways. Bullying is a classic manifestation of this mechanism and can occur in all types of settings, e.g.,  one person might try to get rid of a label by claiming an attribute belongs to someone else. The person receiving this projection initially is often stunned but can eventually begin to believe he or she possesses the quality.

Projective identification can happen to anyone at anytime

Recipients of projections usually become very upset. Initially victims of this type of assault may feel stunned by the accusation.  However, when the person is shunned, laughed at and dropped by a group of friends, the victim can begin to question himself or herself or think he or she might actually be perceived in the way the bully or perpetrator has claimed.