Therapeutic Justice Project: Social Class and Finances Related to Mental Health

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Social Class and Finances Related to Mental Health

Posted by Anne Phillips

The article posted below discusses the revelation of combining financial planning with mental health therapy. Currently, and historically,( it is of no surprise to you TJP readers), folks struggling with poverty are experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, so the idea came to coach financial planners with mental health training.

TJP already recognizes how societal inequality, poverty, injustice are used as justifications to blame individual peoples for their struggles and "mental health" symptoms. The purpose of TJP is to stop blaming and/or ignoring the individual because "they" have the problem and instead recognize "we" all have the responsibility of systematic inequalities to address. If mental health and the healing arts were truly inclusive of the impact of the collective, what we call mental health today would be completely redefined.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11629551

One example of possibilities to draw from is from author and activist, Urvashi Vaid. She talks about the movement of "social capitalism" -that capitalism will not die, but equitable shared capitalism for all to take part in is possible, instead of the monopolies that currently control the markets. Ms. Vaid is the author of the book, Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation.

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About Us

Therapeutic Justice Project is a multidisciplinary collective of healers, advocates and activists dedicated to social justice. Our vision is to integrate social justice with health and mental health services at all levels including psychotherapy, service delivery, professional development, community/organizational support, and systemic change. In psychotherapy, our mission is to develop and implement a model that moves clients from unconscious to conscious, from an individual to a societal perspective, from depression and helplessness to activism and empowerment. We also aim to integrate therapeutic healing within social movement work. Socially, our intention is to make systematic change through community organizing, policy change, transformative dialogue, education, and special initiatives.

For TJP flyer, click here.

For more information or to submit to the blog, please contact:

sprince38@hotmail.com

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Announcements

Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment - now available!!!

The long-awaited book Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment, from Olympia’s Dr. Leticia Nieto, provides a breakthrough in the fields of liberation and cultural studies. It presents a powerful analysis of the psychological dynamics of oppression and privilege, and shows readers how to develop skills to promote social justice. It includes personal stories, exercises, visualizations and poetry. The book has roots in developmental psychology, theater, and liberation pedagogy. It was developed through collaboration among Leticia Nieto, Garth R. Johnson, Liz Goodwin, Margot Boyer, and Laurel Collier Smith. Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment is now available on Amazon.com, and Elliott Bay Books. More information is online at http://www.beyondinclusionbeyondempowerment.com/.

Fremont Community Therapy Project

The Fremont Community Therapy Project, a feminist, multicultural, queer-friendly, trauma-oriented clinic offering high-quality, low-cost psychological services is in need of assistance. While we are open for new assessment requests, we are currently experiencing a huge influx of requests for psychotherapy, to the point where we now have a 12-week wait list for psychotherapy.

We would like to be able to refer folks on this list, if possible, so that people are not stuck waiting for care for three months. Most of the people who seek our services have a complex trauma history. Thus, we are looking for therapists who share our values, and who would be willing to accept the referral of a person who you would see at our fees, which range from 20-45/session. Most of them require a longer-term commitment from a therapist (typically people remain at FCTP for up to four years). If you're willing to accept a referral from us, please contact Laura Brown, FCTP Director, at 206-633-2405 ext 1, or email Laura at lsbrownphd@cs.com.