Abstract
What is preventing the advancement of liberation psychiatry? Why is it that after so many volumes of critique, the helping professions are still firmly grounded in traditional medical models (Prilleltensky, 1994; Teo, 2005)? How can we challenge the regnant deficit, reactive, disempowering, and individualistic oriented approaches in psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling, and allied professions? This chapter is a modest attempt to translate the abundant theoretical critique of the helping professions into practical guidelines for action. In our view, there is a wide gap between the cogent reservations about dominant paradigms and actionable formulations. Unless we manage to convert critique into construction, and deliberation into delivery of new practices, the gap between discourse and action will continue to grow, leaving behind a trail of doubly disaffected practitioners; disaffected with the medical model, and disaffected with critical approaches that fail to suggest convincing alternatives for practice.We build our case for action around the concept of psychopolitical validity. Following an introduction of the construct and its rationale, we articulate its implications for research, interventions, case conceptualization and therapy. The first two areas of interest apply to all the helping professions, whereas the last two pertain more directly to therapeutic interventions.What is psychopoliticalvalidity?Psychopolitical validity is a criterion for the evaluation of understanding and action in professions dealing with oppression, liberation, and well-being. The criterion consists of the level of attention given to the role of power in explaining psychological and political phenomena affecting suffering and well-being.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Liberatory Psychiatry: Philosophy, Politics, and Mental Health |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Pages | 105-130 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780511543678, 9780521689816 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2008 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Psychopolitical validity in the helping professions : Applications to research, interventions, case conceptualization, and therapy. / Prilleltensky, Isaac; Prilleltensky, Ora; Voorhees, Courte.
Liberatory Psychiatry: Philosophy, Politics, and Mental Health. Cambridge University Press, 2008. p. 105-130.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
}
TY - CHAP
T1 - Psychopolitical validity in the helping professions
T2 - Applications to research, interventions, case conceptualization, and therapy
AU - Prilleltensky, Isaac
AU - Prilleltensky, Ora
AU - Voorhees, Courte
PY - 2008/1/1
Y1 - 2008/1/1
N2 - What is preventing the advancement of liberation psychiatry? Why is it that after so many volumes of critique, the helping professions are still firmly grounded in traditional medical models (Prilleltensky, 1994; Teo, 2005)? How can we challenge the regnant deficit, reactive, disempowering, and individualistic oriented approaches in psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling, and allied professions? This chapter is a modest attempt to translate the abundant theoretical critique of the helping professions into practical guidelines for action. In our view, there is a wide gap between the cogent reservations about dominant paradigms and actionable formulations. Unless we manage to convert critique into construction, and deliberation into delivery of new practices, the gap between discourse and action will continue to grow, leaving behind a trail of doubly disaffected practitioners; disaffected with the medical model, and disaffected with critical approaches that fail to suggest convincing alternatives for practice.We build our case for action around the concept of psychopolitical validity. Following an introduction of the construct and its rationale, we articulate its implications for research, interventions, case conceptualization and therapy. The first two areas of interest apply to all the helping professions, whereas the last two pertain more directly to therapeutic interventions.What is psychopoliticalvalidity?Psychopolitical validity is a criterion for the evaluation of understanding and action in professions dealing with oppression, liberation, and well-being. The criterion consists of the level of attention given to the role of power in explaining psychological and political phenomena affecting suffering and well-being.
AB - What is preventing the advancement of liberation psychiatry? Why is it that after so many volumes of critique, the helping professions are still firmly grounded in traditional medical models (Prilleltensky, 1994; Teo, 2005)? How can we challenge the regnant deficit, reactive, disempowering, and individualistic oriented approaches in psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling, and allied professions? This chapter is a modest attempt to translate the abundant theoretical critique of the helping professions into practical guidelines for action. In our view, there is a wide gap between the cogent reservations about dominant paradigms and actionable formulations. Unless we manage to convert critique into construction, and deliberation into delivery of new practices, the gap between discourse and action will continue to grow, leaving behind a trail of doubly disaffected practitioners; disaffected with the medical model, and disaffected with critical approaches that fail to suggest convincing alternatives for practice.We build our case for action around the concept of psychopolitical validity. Following an introduction of the construct and its rationale, we articulate its implications for research, interventions, case conceptualization and therapy. The first two areas of interest apply to all the helping professions, whereas the last two pertain more directly to therapeutic interventions.What is psychopoliticalvalidity?Psychopolitical validity is a criterion for the evaluation of understanding and action in professions dealing with oppression, liberation, and well-being. The criterion consists of the level of attention given to the role of power in explaining psychological and political phenomena affecting suffering and well-being.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84882760542&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84882760542&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/CBO9780511543678.007
DO - 10.1017/CBO9780511543678.007
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:84882760542
SN - 9780511543678
SN - 9780521689816
SP - 105
EP - 130
BT - Liberatory Psychiatry: Philosophy, Politics, and Mental Health
PB - Cambridge University Press
ER -