Politically Reflective Psychotherapy, 1st ed. 2020 Towards a Contextualized Approach Latin American Voices Series

This book shows how clinical psychology has been deliberately used to label, control and oppress political dissidence under oppressive regimes and presents an epistemological and theoretical framework to help psychologists deal with the political dilemmas that surround clinical practice. Based on his own experience working as a clinical and community psychologist in Venezuela for almost twenty five years, the author recounts the controversial history of how the Bolivarian Revolution has used psychology to persecute and oppress political dissidents, recovers the experience of doing psychotherapy under oppressive regimes in other countries and stresses the importance of developing an ethically and politically aware clinical practice. 

The book helps raise awareness of the risks of framing psychotherapy as apolitical as well as the benefits of thinking of our lives as contextualized in our political settings. It draws from several theoretical options that have been useful to challenge traditional clinical theory and include the political in our clinical comprehensions. In particular Latin American Community Psychology, that has developed tools to favor awareness of political issues, has been used to expand the psychotherapeutic conversation.

Politically Reflective Psychotherapy: Towards a Contextualized Approach will help clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and other social and mental health workers reflect on the challenges psychotherapy faces in a politically polarized society, showing how the political dimension can be incorporated into clinical practice. 

Manuel Llorens is a clinical and community psychologist trained in Venezuela and UK (Tavistock Institute and Manchester Metropolitan University). He has been a professor of Clinical Community Psychology and practicing clinician in Venezuela for almost twenty five years, which includes all of what has been called the “Bolivarian Revolution”, having to tackle the political, social and economic dimensions of life that not only impact the lives of consultants but also the context where psychotherapy has been practiced. He has done extensive research on the impact of chronic violence and poverty on individuals and communities as well as political culture. He has authored and co-authored a number of books that deal with these topics such as Niños con Experiencia de Vida en Calle: una aproximación psicológica (Paidós, 2005); Acuerdos Comunitarios de Convivencia ante la Violencia Armada (Amnistía Internacional, 2013); La Belleza Propia: arte, adolescenciae identidad (Fundación Polar, 2015); along with articles in journals such as the American Journal of Community Psychology, Psychotherapy and Politics International and Nueva Sociedad. He has authored and co-authored chapters in two Springer Publications: Psychology of Liberation: Theory and Applications (2009) and The Psychology of Peace Promotion (2019). He is co-director of the NGO REACIN, the network of researchers and activists for coexistence.