Citation

Rhodes P, Langtiw C. Aust. Psychol. 2018; 53(5): 377-382.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Australian Psychological Society, Publisher Wiley-Blackwell)

DOI

10.1111/ap.12347

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The aim of this article is to advocate for clinical psychology to engage with community-based approaches to mental health. This engagement will be challenging given community work is antithetical to the individualism that defines much of clinical psychology. It would also result in a direct challenge to the core tenets of our profession, including an emphasis on individualism, psychopathology, and expert-driven intervention. We need clinical psychology, however, to decolonise itself to respond to the needs of Aboriginal communities and those from non-Western collectivist cultures. We also need clinical psychology to consider the sociopolitics of human distress and lend itself to social action for complex problems. Specific examples of community-based practices will be provided, focusing specifically on those that relate to mental health. Implication for the reform of research methodologies and classroom pedagogies will also be discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

community psychology; critical psychology; cultural responsiveness