ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the aetiology of the primitive defences that are used to cope with traumatic and overwhelming experiences when there has been a failure in the establishment of primary linking functioning. It identifies the background against which to approach the clinical application of the Gallwey model. The chapter presents case study that explores how destructive behaviour arises in some individuals as a result of their initial violent and unevenly based struggle with the psychological environment into which they were born. The chapter illustrates the work of Gallwey as his model has not been widely used outside the field of forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy. Gallwey became increasingly interested in the discovery of such areas of encapsulated primitive autism which make an individual vulnerable to catastrophe, both psychologically and behaviourally, in individuals who may otherwise appear normal. The failure of the encapsulation will result in violent catastrophic behaviour if the ego is overwhelmed by the autistic anxiety.
