The Activist Practitioner
An activist practitioner is anyone working in the field of mental health who feels that the traditional paradigms of psychology or mental health training and practice need to be viewed critically. An activist practitioner is someone who seeks a way to collectively confront social challenges.
The Activist Practitioner is a magazine dedicated to sharing ideas, practices and stories about psychology and social justice concerns. We aim to provide you with a resource that introduces new dialogues about psychology beyond the traditional focus on individualism, rationality, numericisation and the psy-industries. It is published quarterly and each publication follows a specific theme related to social justice and psychology.
Latest Issue
Issue 5: Racial Injustice & Decolonisation
The aim of this issue is to stand against a psychology that remains neutral in the face of racial injustice and colonisation. Any form of therapy that fails to recognize the ways that the political impacts on the individual is part of a system of oppression.
Much of this issue is dedicated to the perspectives of First Nations communities. If you are a Western trained therapist, this is an opportunity for you to practice humility and learn. In addition to First Nations' voices, other international and local friends share their journeys towards decolonization in the practice and teaching of psychology.
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The issue is still free to download below, but if you are able, and would like, to make a $5 contribution to help continue this magazine, please click on the PayPal button below.
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We hope you enjoy the issue!
Previous Issues
Issue Four: Sanism
Issue Three: Pandemic
What is sanism? Issue 4 is a deep exploration of how sanism operates, how it can perpetuate dehumanization, and how as mental health practitioners we can break down this false binary and practice with more humanism. We hope practitioners take the chance to encounter these stories. We hope it emboldens people to reflect on themselves and their practice. For some, this could be difficult and painful. But we trust that you can get through.
Issue 3 is an exploration of healing and justice during this viral time. It includes a transcript of a slow dialogue between academics and community members from across the globe, reflections on healing and collective support, a personal piece about Black Lives Matter, and a creative piece on the nature of Covid-19 connection and grief.
Issue Two: Eco-Anxiety & Climate Change
This issue includes an exploration of climate change in the context of terror management, ideas on how to negate solastalgia, a practice piece looking at how clinicians can support themselves whilst supporting others, a conversation on how to find joy and peace in the midst of climate change, and an interview with two climate activists on the front line, as well as creative pieces and reflections on Ideas That Have Changed Me.
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Issue One: What is an Activist Practitioner?
in this issue, Sahra O’Doherty explores visibility and speaking out; Ruth Wells and Sahra O’Doherty explore what it means to be an activist practitioner; authors from the Baabayn Aboriginal community describe their model of intergenerational trauma healing; Ruth Nelson speaks with Merle Conyer about what activism means to her; Abby Sesterka, Erin Bulluss, Cynthia Lubin and Amalia Badawi share the ideas that changed them; and Miranda Cashin questions what it means to be a forgotten one.