Reimagining Therapy through Social Contextual Analyses: Finding New Ways to Support People in Distress

This book challenges the current complacency around therapy and mental health behaviors by proposing that changes to our social, discursive, and societal environments, rather than changes to an individual's 'mind, will reduce suffering. It offers an alternative approach grounded in real social worlds and provides practical guidelines for building reimagined therapies into clinics and institutions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book aims to challenge the prevailing complacency surrounding therapy and mental health behaviors by placing them within the broader context of social contextual analysis. It demonstrates how changes to our social, discursive, and societal environments, rather than solely focusing on individual mental states, can alleviate suffering associated with these behaviors.

Guerin critically examines many assumptions about both contemporary therapy and psychology, offering alternative approaches synthesized from various disciplines such as sociology, social anthropology, sociolinguistics, and more. The book provides a practical framework for addressing mental health behaviors, encompassing actions, talking, thinking, and emotions, by considering the external life situations of individuals rather than relying on an imagined internal source.

Guerin explores the broad contexts for current Western therapies, encompassing social, discursive, cultural, societal, and economic factors. He advocates for a shift in research focus, away from treating therapies as standalone units, towards studying their components and understanding their interrelationships. By reframing different types of therapy in terms of their real-world applications, the book offers an alternative approach grounded in our social realities, aligning with emerging thinking that challenges traditional therapeutic methods. It also provides a valuable framework for rethinking psychology itself.

The book emphasizes the social origins of mental health behaviors, recognizing the impact of factors such as modern contexts of extreme capitalism, excessive bureaucracy, weakened discursive communities, and evolving forms of social relationships. It suggests that a greater emphasis should be placed on addressing these social issues as the root causes of mental health behaviors.

Practical guidelines are provided for integrating the reimagined therapies into clinics and institutions, enabling the elimination of labeling and pathologizing mental health behaviors. This approach promotes a more compassionate and inclusive approach to mental health care, focusing on supporting individuals in achieving well-being and flourishing within their social contexts.

In conclusion, this book offers a transformative perspective on therapy and mental health behaviors by challenging prevailing assumptions and advocating for a more holistic and socially contextualized approach. By placing mental health behaviors within the broader context of social issues, it provides practical guidelines for building reimagined therapies that prioritize well-being, promote inclusivity, and foster positive change in individuals and communities.

Weight: 385g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032292403