Joseph H. Berke, M.D., (January 17, 1939 – January 11, 2021) was an American–born

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

, author and lecturer. He studied at Columbia College of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and graduated from the

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a research-intensive medical school located in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. Founded in 1953, Einstein operates as an independent degree-granting institution as part of t ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Berke moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1965 where he worked with

R. D. Laing Ronald David Laing (7 October 1927 – 23 August 1989), usually cited as R. D. Laing, was a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illnessin particular, the experience of psychosis. Laing's views on the causes and treatment o ...

in the 1960s when the

Philadelphia Association The Philadelphia Association is a UK charity concerned with the understanding and relief of mental suffering. It was founded in 1965 by the radical psychiatrist and psychoanalyst R. D. Laing along with fellow psychiatrists David Cooper, Joseph B ...

was being established. Berke was a resident at

Kingsley Hall Kingsley Hall is a community centre, in Powis Road, Bromley-by-Bow in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, East End of London. It dates back to the work of Doris and Muriel Lester, who had a nursery school in nearby Bruce Road. Their brother, ...

, where he helped Mary Barnes, a nurse who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, emerge from madness. Barnes later became an artist and writer. A stage play based on the book that Berke and Barnes wrote together (''Mary Barnes: Two Accounts of a Journey Through Madness'') was adapted as a stage play by David Edgar. A film adaptation of the book is currently under consideration. Berke collaborated on a number of projects with Laing, including the

Dialectics of Liberation The congress on the Dialectics of Liberation was an international congress organised in London between 15 and 30 July 1967. It was organised by the American educationalist Joe Berke. The scope of the conference was to "demystify human violence i ...

international conference in London, July 15–30, 1967, where he was the principal organizer. Berke worked as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist for individuals and families. He was the co-founder of the Arbours Association in London in 1970, and the founder and director of the Arbours Crisis Centre (1973-2010) in London. He was the author of many articles and books on psychological, social, and religious themes. Berke died in London on January 11, 2021. A great part of Joseph Berke's estate is held at the PET Archives and Collections: Personal papers of Dr Joseph Berke including materials relating to the Institute of Phenomenological Studies, Research Committee on Cannabis, Fire Magazine and Arbours Association. Alongside these materials are the professional papers of Berke including notes for two publications 'Paranoia and Persecution' and 'Beyond Madness'. Within the collection is a series of correspondence regarding the Dialectics of Liberation Congress 1967.

Selected bibliography

Berke is the author of many articles and books on psychological, social, political and religious themes, including: * ''Mary Barnes: Two Accounts of a Journey through Madness'' (with Mary Barnes)(2002) 3rd Edition, New York: Other Press * ''The Cannabis Experience: An Interpretative Study of the Effects of Marijuana and Hashish'' (with

Calvin Hernton Calvin Coolidge Hernton (April 28, 1932 — September 30, 2001) was an American sociologist, poet and author, particularly renowned for his 1965 study ''Sex and Racism in America'', which has been described as "a frank look at the role sexual te ...

) (1974), London: Peter Owen * ''I Haven't Had To Go Mad Here'' (1979) Pelican Books * ''The Tyranny of Malice: Exploring the Dark Side of Character and Culture'' (1988) NY: Summit Books * ''Sanctuary: The Arbours Experience of Alternative Community Care'' (co-editor)(1995) London: Process Press * ''Even Paranoids Have Enemies: New Perspectives on Paranoia and Persecution'' (co-editor).(1998)London: Routledge * ''Beyond Madness: PsychoSocial Interventions in Psychosis'' (co-editor)(2001) London: Jessica Kingsley His recent books include: ''Malice Through the Looking Glass'' (2009) 2nd Edition, London: Teva Publications ''Centers of Power: The Convergence of Psychoanalysis and Kabbalah'' (with Stanley Schneider)(2008) NY: Jason Aronson ''Why I Hate You and You Hate Me: The Interplay of Envy, Greed, Jealousy and Narcissism'' (2013) London: Karnac Books and ''The Hidden Freud: His Hassidic Roots'' (2015) London: Karnac Books

References

External links

Joseph Berke's website
* Joseph Berke's archive is held a
Wellcome Collection, London.

Research Gate profile

Arbours Crisis Centre

Trick or Treat:The Divided Self of R D Laing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berke, Joseph 1939 births 2021 deaths Columbia College (New York) alumni Albert Einstein College of Medicine alumni Family therapists British psychiatrists British psychoanalysts Schizophrenia researchers

Selected bibliography

See also

References

External links