Full Description
In the Paradox of Mental Health, the authors argue that our society is experiencing another pandemic—one of mental illness. This mental illness pandemic is maintained and escalated by conceptual "viruses" rooted in the normative, psychological medical model paradigm consistent with Western ideology. Therapeutic practice based on systems theory and social constructionism is offered as an antidote to alleviate the over-reliance on the medical model. The authors first "do therapy" on the concept of the normative, medical model; then explicate the concepts and application of systems theory and social constructionism; and finally, offer potential solutions to the mental illness pandemic.
Contents
Foreword by Benjamin J. Evans, Johnny Faulkner, and Amy Smith
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Paradoxes of Mental Health/Illness: Philosophy and Theory
Chapter 1: The Paradox of Mental Health: On the Limits of Living Consciously
Chapter 2: Believing is Seeing: Exploring the Limits of Knowing
Chapter 3: Before the Beginning
Chapter 4: Contributions from Social Science and Mental Health Professionals
Chapter 5: On the Clinical Bias
Chapter 6: Conceptual Bites in Summary of the Paradox
Chapter 7: Wondering
Part II: Systemic and Social Constructionist Concepts for Therapy
Chapter 8: About Systems Theory, Constructivism, and Social Constructionism.
Chapter 9: Requiem for Systemic Marital and Family Therapy
Chapter 10: The Ecosystemic Story: Implications for Therapists
Chapter 11: Reflections on Values in Systems Theory and Social Constructionism
Chapter 12: A Story about Systemic and Social Constructionist Therapy
Chapter 13: Afterword
References
Index
About the Authors
