Progressive Psychotherapists and the Psychiatric Survivor Movement

Abstract

This article argues for and focuses on the importance of humanistic,radical, and other progressive psychotherapists finding ways of relating to the psychiatric survivormovement. Progressive cliniciansand survivor groups, it is suggested, have overlaps in values, a sharedobjection to institutional psychiatry, complementary strengths, andto varying extents, common cause. So there are strong reasons forconnection. Drawing on the survivor movement as a resource andreference point for psychiatrized clients and helping them connectwith the movement are identified as particularly importantdirections for practitioners to take. Recommended examples of moredirect involvement with the movement are supporting andendorsing statements made by movement groups, cowritingarticles, making room for movement involvement in clinicians’initiatives, contributing to movement initiatives, and mounting jointeducational programs and joint campaigns. All such actions areconditional on practitioners respecting survivor groups,acknowledging their expertise, not violating their trust, and supportingtheir struggle for self-determination.