Joseph and His Brothers: A Biblical Paradigm for the Optimal Handling of Traumatic Stress

The long-lasting effects of emotional trauma and the important role of unconscious emotional defenses have become increasingly recognized only in the past century. Yet their role is actually manifest, although still overlooked, in one of the most well-known of biblical stories. This paper presents the story of Joseph and his brothers, and the important lessons it teaches about unconscious defenses and the optimal handling of emotional trauma.