Gender, race and poverty: bringing the sociopolitical into psychotherapy

To explore the modification of traditional psychotherapy to provide a more relevant service for non-dominant groups including women, Maori and the poor.

The philosophy and practice of a psychotherapy service that made overt sociopolitical issues for women, Maori and the poor was analysed and linked with literature on psychotherapy for non-dominant groups.

Traditional psychotherapy, with its focus on the intrapsychic, has not addressed the condition of marginalised groups such as the poor, ethnic minorities including Maori, and some women, whose mental health difficulties have major contributions from external sources. The service analysed, and much of the literature, used social analysis as a therapeutic tool to break the cycle of self-blame and doubt and to contextualise intrapsychic experience. As non-dominant groups lack power, power differences in the therapy relationship should be lessened to avoid retraumatising the patient.

It is possible for psychotherapy to broaden its traditional base to include a sociopolitical viewpoint. This would make it more available and meaningful to a wider range of people, especially those with the double disadvantage of adverse intrapsychic and sociopolitical factors.