The only expectation one can have when returning to visit a childhood home is to be deeply moved in the most unexpected ways. For millions of Americans each year, that journey conjures many emotions, offering a psychological exploration unlike any other. This book describes the experiences of adults who visit a childhood home and the psychology behind their visits. Seeing the buildings, schools, parks and playgrounds from their past helps to establish the psychological and emotional link between the child in the old photographs and the person they are today. An engaging, sensitive and informative psychological exploration of the common desire by American adults to revisit their childhood homes. Professor Burger argues for home-visiting as a kind of 'place-therapy': for establishing a sense of connection with the past, dealing with current crises and concerns, and working on issues from the past that will not go away. While the passage of time threatens to fragment our senses of self, reconnecting with the sensory, physical environment of formative years effects a kind of emotional wholeness. — Nigel Rapport, University of St. Andrews; Editor of Migrants of Identity: Perceptions of Home in a World of Movement, and of Reveries of Home: Nostalgia, Authenticity and the Performance of Place Interesting, entertaining ... A fascinating description and analysis of an intriguing phenomenon. Recommended reading for everyone interested in or struggling with nostalgia and homesickness. — Ad Vingerhoets, professor of Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands About the Author: Jerry M. Burger is professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University. |