After the workshop, Clinical Psy.D. candidate Nate Bohy reflected, “The Critical Psychology event was a powerful reminder that even healers can inadvertently reinforce destructive norms. I’ll continue to struggle with the questions presented.”
Isaac Prilleltensky, Dennis Fox, and Tod Sloan are the most prominent proponents of Critical Psychology in the United States. Sloan’s life work is to address constraints on identity and well-being arising from cultural, interpersonal, and political processes. He points out, “Apart from biomedical disorders, much human suffering can be linked to isolation, marginalization, exploitation, discrimination, and oppression.”
Attendee Kim Loewen reflected on this workshop theme: “It is easy to get stuck going through the motions without thinking critically about what you are doing. This workshop opened my eyes. It was wonderful to hear from experienced psychologists who are thinking critically about what they can do to help people and also make progress on issues related to social justice.”
Sloan proposes that a “critically examined” approach can foster healing—from the individual client, to community participation, to emancipation from “-isms” (as in consumerism), to global mind change. The healing professions are best situated to contribute to a repertoire of practices for deep democracy and social innovations—and to evaluate them with action research. Sloan proposes practices that can “dismantle ideological rigidity, foster critical self-reflection, augment creativity and cooperation, and ultimately lead to social transformation. Imagine how things would look if psychologists were involved in deepening democracy rather than helping individuals adjust to life in postmodern society.”
On Saturday, May 3rd, the Center for Integrative Psychology will sponsor a 7-hour workshop, Critical Psychology: Rooting for Well-Being, with Dr. Sloan and colleague, Fernando Castrillon from CIIS. Participants should be prepared to be challenged about personal views, practice and theory.
Register