Routledge Advancing Social Justice Through Clinical Practice

There is a healthy development in the human service professions these days. At community clinics, private practices, and universities around the country mental health professionals and service providers are working with increased awareness of the toxic effects of social inequities in the lives of people they aim to help. Quietly, by acting out their beliefs on justice and equality, clinicians are redressing the balance between professing our craft as clinicians and professing our humanity as citizens. Advancing Social Justice Through Clinical Practice is a comprehensive volume that bridges the gap between the psychosocial realities of clients and the dominant clinical practices. It offers an array of conceptual and practical innovations to address both individual suffering and social inequities fueling this suffering. This is an empowering tool and a must read for mental health professionals. The accessible writing style also makes it ideal for teachers and students in the field. The book opens with a discussion of the historical, ethical, and experiential foundations for the development of social justice-based practice. Parts II and III present conceptual frameworks, strategies, and techniques used by social justice oriented practitioners. The final section discusses various ways to develop the skills and competencies required of mental health professionals aspiring to be both agents of individual and social transformation. Filled with hope, critical analysis, and uncommon clinical wisdom, this is a book like no other in the field. Review "...many clinicians, having little exposure to the ideas set forth herein, will be surprised, challenged, appalled, and inspired, at times, by the very same idea or proposed clinical intervention. The authors of this volume do an excellent job of challenging and stretching our conception of what it means to do clinical work. This is an important book, one that should be read, taken seriously, and discussed in departments of clinical psychology, social work, nursing, and psychiatry." -  Sanford L. Drob, in PsycCritiques "This superb collection brings together some of the most courageous and articulate advocates of social justice in clinical practice from around the world. In doing so, Etiony Aldarondo and his colleagues chart the hopeful trajectory of liberation psychology." -  Mary M. Brabeck, PhD, Dean, Steinhardt School of Education, New York University "Aldarondo has assembled a group of clinicians and activists who remind us that individual distress and human suffering are created and compounded by economic, political, legal, cultural and social injustices, and that these cannot be separated from the consulting room. Clinicians serving individuals, families, or communities, regardless of theoretical orientation or clinical approach will find affirmation in keeping social justice central in their practice." -  Luis H. Zayas, PhD, Shanti K. Khinduka Distinguished Professor of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis "What a courageous and ground-breaking book! It meets a critical need for integrating social justice into mental health. It inspires practitioners and policy makers of all disciplines to go proactively beyond the personal view of problems. The reader comes away with an expanded awareness of the myriad connections between wellness and justice, insights about the dilemmas and new tools to enhance practice." - Celia J. Falicov, PhD, Past-President, American Family Therapy Academy "I plan on including this long overdue text routinely in family therapy courses to promote application of social justice intentions to the actual practice of clinical work. In sum, this is a vital resource for clinicians, supervisors, students, researchers, and educators who strive to study and work with students, individuals, families, and communities in ways that promote a more just society." -Teresa McDowell, EdD, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counselin