RADICAL THERAPY

I have been particularly supportive of the concepts of "Radical Therapy" which was initially instituted by Claude Steiner. The premise of Radical Therapy is that persons are essentially good, however social conditions lead us to alienation. As a result, we begin to develop irrational and often self defeating behaviors. Radical Therapy seeks to explore the role of oppression in our lives. The role of the radical therapist is to journey with others in uncovering our oppression, seeking to make change in the world, and providing support and restoration of the concept of community.
When I wrote EXPERIENCE:THE SOUL OF THERAPY, I argued that those who are considered to be 'mentally ill' are actually individuals where meaning has been lost, and that the true meaning of psychotherapy means the 'healing of the soul'. Now putting aside religious terminology, we can look at the soul as that essence of what it means to be human. It is our role to journey with each other, to understand the human condition, and to do our part to alleviate suffering.
The ideas of radical therapy in addition to being in line with my spiritual view of the positive capabilities of humanity also ties in with my political ideology. In ROOTS OF DISTRESS, I identified the methods of communication within families and the social processes that lead people to emotional distress. That is, I more clearly laid out the role of oppression in our lives today. I consider myself a Libertarian Socialist, and here is why- First, many so called forms of socialism which failed were actually based on totalitarianism, therefore, they did not respect human rights and dignity. So, when I say libertarian, I am stating the need for freedom of thought and expression and the support of basic human rights. Socialism has been misunderstood and some have tried to make it appear as a negative word. Socialism implies that goods are held in common and are democratically controlled. Therefore, if we follow this in its true spirit, we could address class divisions, racism, poverty, and all the various injustices because we would be working towards a society where everyone is respected and has equal opportunity and their basic needs are met. It is disgraceful that we live in a nation with enormous wealth yet we still must address the problems of hungry children and homelessness.

-Dan L. Edmunds, Ed.D.
www.DrDanEdmunds.com