The Revolutionary Psychologist's Guide to Radical Therapy

Reviews / Votes

"In contemporary culture, we are in desperate need of new, radical approaches to psychotherapy that take seriously the social and political aspects of suffering. Hook and Gruba-McCallister provide us with an indispensable resource toward this end. Filled with contributions from many liberatory and radical psychotherapy scholars, The Revolutionary Psychologist's Guide to Radical Therapy engages essential topics from epistemological violence to capitalism to social justice. This is a critically important read for all therapists striving to empower a more just society." (Louis Hoffman, PhD Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association Author, Case Formulation in Existential-Humanistic Therapy Editor, Rising Voices: Poems Toward a Social Justice Revolution)

"The psy-disciplines have been justifiably criticized for their complicity with existing power structures. Yet, throughout their history, alternative movements and counter-narratives have emerged to challenge one-dimensional psychological thinking and doing. The authors, who recognize the entanglements of societal, interpersonal, and individual realities in psychotherapy, articulate radical concepts and methods to demonstrate that psychologists are not bound to uphold the status quo. This book offers a timely and necessary interruption in a field too often marked by a lack of collective hope and critical reflexivity and envisions a praxis at the intersection of the personal and political." (Thomas Teo, PhD Professor of Psychology Historical, Theoretical, and Critical Studies of Psychology Department of Psychology, York University)

"This brilliant volume offers a searing critique of mainstream psychotherapy's entanglement with capitalist ideology. Yet it goes far beyond critique, reclaiming therapy as a vehicle for emancipation rather than a tool for ensuring conformity with neoliberal norms. With precision and moral urgency, it reveals how therapeutic practice routinely individualizes and depoliticizes social suffering, while charting a path toward radical renewal. 'World bad, you bad' becomes a galvanizing call for justice and human flourishing. Every progressive professional should read this book." (James Davies, PhD Reader in Social Anthropology and Mental Health, University of Roehampton Psychotherapist)

"Literature on radical forms of psychotherapy and healing is scarce and often either overly theoretical without practical application, or overly technical without theoretical depth. The Revolutionary Psychologist's Guide to Radical Therapy attends to these limitations. It is an essential text for anyone seeking not only to alleviate distress but also to address the sociogenic roots of human suffering. The authors offer rigorous philosophical, ethical, and clinical reflections on the social causes of distress and the psychologist's role in responding to them-alongside concrete strategies for doing this work both within and beyond the clinic." (José G. Luiggi-Hernández, PhD, MPH Clinical Psychologist; Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Contributing Author, Decolonial Psychology: Towards Anticolonial Theories, Research, Training, and Practice)

"The Revolutionary Psychologist's Guide to Radical Therapy is a compelling and timely collection that challenges the status quo of mainstream psychotherapy by addressing the impact of systemic oppression on mental health. Editors Jon Hook and Frank Gruba-McCallister bring together a diverse group of voices to advocate for a radical approach that integrates theory, practice, and social context. This book offers not just a critique of current practices but also practical strategies and transformative visions for therapists committed to personal and social liberation. It is a crucial resource for practitioners and activists seeking to dismantle oppressive systems and promote genuine healing." (Robert K. Beshara, PhD, MFA Associate Professor of Psychology, Northern New Mexico College Editor of A Critical Introduction to Psychology and Critical Psychology Praxis)