March Book of the Month
“The Imprinters: Surviving the Unlived Life of Our Parents”
by Eileen Walkenstein, MD
In “The Imprinters: Surviving the Unlived Life of Our Parents,” psychiatrist Eileen Walkenstein presents a detailed account of a nine-month psychotherapy group she led in Florence, Italy, during the 1970s. Through narrative, session transcripts, reflective commentary, and later correspondence with participants, she traces deeply rooted emotional patterns formed within early family relationships and explores how they influence identity and behavior.
Walkenstein’s book reflects the atmosphere of the human potential movement during that era. It was a period of intense experimentation, when therapists were exploring new experiential ways of addressing psychological and emotional pain. Session exercises often included intense forms of physical and symbolic regression work. The goal was to grasp an elusive element Walkenstein referred to as “the unicorn”:
🧱 Structure and Content
Walkenstein includes extended dialogue from the sessions, allowing one to follow the process as it unfolds. The reader can observe:
The use of structured role dialogues and direct exchanges.
Participants’ internalized parental figures.
The evolution of key insights across multiple sessions.
Moments of resistance, emotional intensity, humor, and integration.
Interspersed throughout the session material are “End Notes,” in which Walkenstein reflects on what occurred, clarifies conceptual points, or comments on clinical dilemmas that arose in the moment. The book also includes later updates from participants, providing a longitudinal view of how the work influenced their lives in the years that followed.
🎯 Central Themes
The book places strong emphasis on:
The relational field rather than the isolated individual.
The ongoing presence of parental influence in adult life.
Experiential methods as means of accessing and transforming entrenched patterns.
⚙️ Method and Clinical Style
Walkenstein’s approach is highly experiential. Techniques frequently involve:
· Role exchanges between participants and imagined parental figures.
· Direct repetition of emotionally charged statements.
· Structured confrontation of internalized voices.
· Behavioral and verbal experiments conducted within the safety of the group.
The sessions often move between intense engagement and periods of distancing or reflection. Walkenstein documents these shifts openly, providing insight into group process as well as individual work.
🔗 Relevance for Ericksonian Readers
Although Walkenstein does not frame her work within Ericksonian psychotherapy, several aspects may be of interest to readers familiar with Milton Erickson’s legacy:
Experiential Emphasis: Change is pursued through lived experience in the session rather than through interpretation alone.
Utilization of Process: The therapist works with what emerges in the room…circumstance, emotions, resistance, humor, and shifts in attention…rather than following a rigid protocol.
Focus on Relational Context: The individual is consistently identified within a broader relational system.
Attention to Behavioral Expression: Insight is linked to observable shifts in speech and interaction.
Readers interested in generational transmission, group psychotherapy, and action-oriented methods may find the detailed session material particularly valuable.
💡 “The Unicorn” Revealed
The following is an excerpt from page 345, written towards the conclusion of the sessions:
“…it is fitting somehow that our search for the unicorn should end the nine months’ voyage by bringing our dreams home to our own shores. And I know that each in her own way has caught a glimpse of the elusive pure creature…and that each will continue her unique pursuit for its presence.”
“The unicorn” evolved from a vague concept at the beginning of the book into being a symbol for the authentic self that was hidden beneath inherited family patterns.
💡 Conclusion
Walkenstein’s book documents an experimental form of group psychotherapy in the midst of its development, allowing readers to see how her ideas emerged directly from the group experience.
“The Imprinters: Surviving the Unlived Life of Our Parents” is available in softcover through the Milton H. Erickson Foundation Bookstore.
✍️About the Author: Eileen Walkenstein was a psychiatrist and psychotherapist whose work explored experiential approaches to psychotherapy and personal development. She is the author of several books examining the influence of early family relationships and emotional development.
