ABSTRACT
Calef and Weinshel (1981) described “gaslighting.” The name for this noxious mechanism was derived from the movie Gaslight,in which a husband tries to convince his wife that she is going crazy. It can afflict either gender. The person who consults you is often the victim of a gaslighter. In such situations, the therapist must strike a delicate balance. First, you want to point out how people take in and believe (introject) the accusations made by the gaslighter. Second, you must steer clear of criticizing the apparent villain.
TIP
When people are being conned into criticizing themselves, be careful not to criticize their tormentor. Instead, discuss their minimization and inhibition of being judgmental about other people.
