The Handbook of Social Justice in Psychological Therapies

Like all effective activist organizers, the editors have courageously utilised their platforms as leaders in the field to demistify social justice education, and, successfully collate a diverse ecosystem of contributors. Each contributor uniquely evokes, provokes, and mobilises the reader to take seriously the lifelong project of interrogating power relations, politics and social change.  

I would consider this text akin to Wilkinson and Pickett’s the "The Spirit Level" applied to the psychological therapies, as a primer for purpose-orientated readers. This text offers hope to those wanting to make a positive impact in their communities as everyday ‘change agents’, by channeling their human potential for healing, advocacy and solidarity.    
 

-- Dr Jonathan Day (PsychD), Senior Counselling Psychologist (HCPC reg.)

This ambitious book aims to demystify ′social justice′ – once a term reserved mainly for therapeutic activists and writers on the fringes - by broadly exploring its place in the heart of the psychological professions. A range of contributors ponder the meaning of this concept, and how we might make individual sense of it, as well as now it might be applied in the therapy room and beyond Split into three sections, the first part is theoretical, where ideas and models are given as suggestions for practitioners to use when attempting to embed social justice into their work.

The second and longest part, ′Social justice informed therapeutic practice, includes chapters that offer thoughtful reflections on working with a diverse range of client groups.

The third section looks at other creative ways that those working in the psychological professions can engage more widely with social justice.

Although I enjoyed this book - and it is undoubtedly an important addition to the crucial conversations around anti-oppressive practice - at times it felt a little unbalanced in style. The first part felt much more academic and perhaps less accessible than the rest, which makes me wonder what type of readership this book best appeals to in its totality.

There′s an argument to suggest that this title tries to deliver too much, but despite this I am left with new insights that I can tangibly apply to my work and life. If the reader can pick and choose what sections may be of most interest to them I believe they too will find this an extremely valuable resource.

-- Caz Binstead (MBACP) * Therapy Tod