Therapists Speak Out

For Social Responsibility, In And Out Of The Clinical Hour

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Submissions are now being accepted for possible inclusion in the book Therapists Speak Out edited by Therapists for Social Responsibility www.TherapistsForSocialResponsibility.org. Articles should be written in a style appropriate for psychology and social work courses and the general public.

You must be or have been in the field of psychology, counseling or social work or a published author in these areas in order to have your work considered for this book.

Please send your articles, double spaced with one inch margins and word count, poems with line count, artwork or cartoons (as attachments in jpg) to therapistsspeakout@yahoo.com. Suggested topics for submissions are below, but we are open to other aspects of this subject. Personal stories are especially welcome.

Proceeds from this book will go to nonprofit organizations in keeping with our intent to promote peace and justice and to create a sustainable world.

For additional information, contact Shauna L. Smith, MSW, MFT at 916-447-5706.

Rationale for this book
• What do therapists stand for?
• Why we need to get off the couch
• An activist history of social work, psychology, and family therapy

How we are complicit
• How we help maintain the status quo
• How psychology is used to manipulate the public
• Overuse of prescription medications

What it means to be a therapist-activist
• Addressing social issues that affect our clients-- injustice, discrimination, environmental degradation, corporate abuse.
• Exposing the conflict between confidentiality and the PATRIOT Act
• Healthcare, HMOs, insurance costs

Sharing our Collaborative Knowledge
• Psychological theories of violence --Jungian, fanaticism, greed and fear, power and competition, sociopathic personality, victim turned abuser
• Environments that create destructive behavior -- absolute power, gangs, the war zone

The emotional costs of governmental/societal policies
• Affects of war and violence on our vets and their families and friends
• Affects of watching war and violence from a distance
• How children are affected by living in a society that promotes greed and violence

The Media
• Truth and fiction linked together, creating the loss of reality
• Bombardment with violent, competitive toys and games

In the clinical hour
• Guidelines for social responsible therapists
• Neutrality vs. authenticity
• Hiding behind professionalism
• Transference and countertransference

Current Conditions
• Our divided country - how did it happen and what can we do about it
• Denial, compartmentalization. The missed connection between our actions and the affects on the poor and disenfranchized.
• The tone of arrogance, entitlement, a special place with God

Connections
• Reaching out to other therapists through our organizations
• Consciousness raising in our communities
• Helping other activist groups-- consulting, facilitating, town hall meetings

Psychology and spirituality
• True morality
• Integration of the self-- mind, body and spirit

____________________________
It's not enough to stay asleep
It's not enough to wake up
It's not enough to take care of ourselves
It's not enough to take care of our community
We have to act globally
Our spirits demand it.