An essential work that centers
colonial and historical trauma in a framework for healing,
Decolonizing Therapy illuminates that all therapy is--and
always has been-- inherently political. To better understand the
mental health oppression and institutional violence that exists
today, we must become familiar with the root of disembodiment from
our histories, homelands, and healing practices. Only then will
readers see how colonial, historical, and intergenerational legacies
have always played a role in the treatment of mental health.
This
book is the emotional companion and guide to decolonization. It is an
invitation for Eurocentrically trained clinicians to acknowledge
privileged and oppressed parts while relearning what we thought we
knew. Ignoring collective global trauma makes delivering effective
therapy impossible; not knowing how to interrogate privilege (as a
therapist, client, or both) makes healing elusive; and shying away
from understanding how we as professionals may be participating in
oppression is irresponsible.