David Smail (1938–2014)
Autor de Illusion and Reality
Sobre El Autor
David Smail was a consultant clinical psychologist in the NHS and Special Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Nottingham. His other books include Power, Interest and Psychology, How to Survive Without Psychotherapy, The Origins of Unhappiness, and Taking Care.
Obras de David Smail
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Fecha de nacimiento
- 1938-04-23
- Fecha de fallecimiento
- 2014-08-03
- Género
- male
- Nacionalidad
- UK
- País (para mapa)
- England, UK
- Lugar de nacimiento
- Putney, London, England, UK
- Ocupaciones
- clinical psychologist
Miembros
Reseñas
A somewhat controversial examination of how visible and invisible social power - institutions, politics, the Establishment - wield an influence over our lives often beyond our immediate control and how psychotherapists are therefore charlatans. Surely, the first premise does not lead us logically to conclude that the second part of the argument is also true? This may well be a logical fallacy.
From the valuable school of thought that life can be a bitch and S**t happens. If you feel depressed or a loss of confidence then its highly likely that you are not ill or a failure( and if you dont fail your will never succeed!) but have a job that sucks, a boss that gets on based on your ideas and hard work, a marriage going stale. Hence look for support to change your world and why you may not want to change!
Listas
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 11
- Miembros
- 151
- Popularidad
- #137,935
- Valoración
- 4.2
- Reseñas
- 3
- ISBNs
- 40
- Idiomas
- 3
- Favorito
- 1
Sometimes this made me feel disheartened about the prospects of ever achieving meaningful change, whether on a personal/individual level or on a societal/global level. The overwhelming forces of power and interest outlined by Smail are so monumental and seemingly impervious to challenge that his exhortation that It is incumbent upon us to do what we can, even if we cannot do much, seems woefully inadequate. Such light that breaks through is in the call for solidarity amongst the weak against the strong, in the face of forces that understand the strength of numbers and which accordingly seek to atomise society into self-interested individuals preoccupied, and so distracted, with personal gratification.
Smail's stance on clinical psychology and therapy is damning, positing that professional vested interest gives rise to the view that the causes and cures of distress are personal and internal, and so amenable to change in a therapeutic setting, whereas he sees the actual causes of distress to be mainly environmental and cultural, with roots far beyond the horizon visible to most, and thus amenable only to political solutions. The best a therapist can do is to be a companion in this existential theatre and hope that some degree of clarity in respect of the bounds of personal agency arises, freeing people from the burden of assuming responsibility for the causes of their own misery.
Whilst I have felt a certain bleakness in the picture Smail has painted, I find myself largely persuaded by him. Quite how this will influence my own practice as a therapist, I'm not yet sure.… (más)