Ritual satanist abuse engenders an extreme level of fear and trauma in its victims and disbelief in most people. Those professionals who try to help have to cope not only with the client's fears, but also their own, as well as with the disbelief of colleagues and the media. Valerie Sinason has been involved in working with cases of satanist abuse for the last two years. The impact of the work, the victim's feelings of invisibility', and meetings with other professionals involved in such cases, have all convinced her that a cool look at the clinical issues is both timely and essential. First and foremost the book deals with the experiences that lead children and adults abused in this way to come to the attention of mental health services. The process of their treatment is fully recorded as well as the fears and doubts of the therapists at the awful details to which they are listening. Substantial space is given to the meaning and impact of terror and horror of the victim, the therapist and all professionals who come in contact with such information, including the police. A psychoanalytic critique of these issues is offered as well as an analysis of the perversions involved in satanist ritual. The book also aims to answer other questions. It offers definitions of ritual satanist abuse and analyses some of the reasons for societal disbelief. It considers what changes have to be made in therapeutic techniques to deal with patients who are in a trance state. It discusses the ethical and legal issues, and the nature of the police response when child and adult patients are reporting appalling crimes they have been involved in. It makes a thorough appraisal of all the services available in such cases, gives details of the organisations with experience of working in the area, and a critical bibliography for further reference. In the 1980s the early pioneers who spoke out about sexual abuse were disbelieved; ten years later the high incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse is culturally understood. In the 1990s professionals are witnessing a similar response to ritual satanist abuse and this book will be welcomed by many working in the field.