All posts tagged: liberation psychology

Ecopsychology as liberation psychology

Ecopsychology as Liberation Psychology

There is no doubt that human society is living in times of profound crisis. Both Black Lives Matter and Climate Change protests have been taking place throughout the world. As a result, the radical ecopsychologist, Andy Fisher argues that we need to not only find a way of re-entering into a relationship with life but also of exploring those ways that capitalism, colonialism, and industry is failing the earth so that we can create helpful change. It is only by exploring how social and ecological injustices have created harm to both human and non-human communities that we can work towards liberation for all beings.  How does a liberation ecopsychology model view our current world? Liberation psychology explores how the past has shaped the present, taking into account how this impacts all of life. Social injustice shapes our current world. Derrida shares the need to be reflexive about our liberal democratic society in his work Spectres of Marx. Explaining that repressed aspects of our history remain with us, shaping the present, he points out that this …

Identity, Space and Time: Acknowledging Social Injustices in Psychotherapy

Identity, Space and Time: Acknowledging Social Injustices in Psychotherapy

A contextual approach to psychology acknowledges the struggles people face within the social environment. From this perspective, an individual is not only influenced by internal forces, thoughts, or feelings. Instead, a person responds to his or her social environment. Social norms and beliefs determine how a person can act in any given situation. This means that a person’s roots influence the routes they can take and the opportunities open to them. Social marginalization can result in mental health challenges. Without recognizing social injustice, an individual may be blamed for their own struggles and forced to adjust. Why is it important to acknowledge social context? Some aspects of identity can lead to people feeling disempowered. This can be due to racial identity, disability, gendered identity, national identity, deaf identity, sexualities, class, health and illness. Sometimes, aspects of identity may combine to create layers of struggle. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shares the complexities of raced identity in Americanah: “The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all …