1. Sign up securely online.
2. Read the articles via online links.
3. Submit online evaluation & post-test.
4. Print your certificate.
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GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION
Social therapeutics is a unique non-pathological, humanistic approach to psychotherapy at the leading edge of the critical and postmodernist movements in psychology. Like narrative, social constructionist and systems therapies, it challenges psychology's presuppositions about persons, therapy and the therapeutic relationship, illness, cure and treatment, and emotions and cognition. Social therapy draws upon the socio-cultural and activity theoretic views on learning and development associated most commonly with the writings of the early 20th century psychologist Lev Vygotsky. In addition to Vygotsky, the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein plays an important role in social therapeutic practice. Wittgenstein's understanding that the typical ways people use language causes "mental cramps" has been taken by philosophers and psychologists alike to be therapeutic.
Initially introduced in the 1970s by therapist and philosopher Fred Newman, social therapeutics has been continuously developed by Newman and developmental psychologist Lois Holzman into a practical human development methodology with broad application to the educational, cultural, institutional and community settings that children, youth and adults create and inhabit. As a psychotherapy, it is a positive, relational approach with special focus on emotional development and group creativity. This intermediate course introduces the core concepts and focuses on the practice of social therapeutic methodology in therapy settings.
The first two readings offer challenges to the current medical model and its discourse. "Psychology's Best Seller: Mental Illness and Mental Health," reviews the history of the construction of the myth of mental illness, and contains information rarely taught. In "Diagnosis: The Human Cost of the Rage to Order" social therapist Fred Newman and social constructionist Kenneth Gergen explore the cultural dynamics of diagnosis and call for its democratization. The next two readings explore social therapy in relation to other cutting-edge approaches to psychotherapy and mental health. "Power, Authority and Pointless Activity (The Developmental Discourse of Social Therapy)" locates social therapy as a discursive/collaborative approach. "Activating Postmodernism" describes social therapy as an attempt to synthesize aspects of socio-cultural activity theory with aspects of postmodernism. The final reading, "The Core Issues of Social Therapeutic Practice," pinpoints, through transcribed training dialogues, what is unique about how social therapy groups work. Additionally, the course also provides a list of online resources.
Educational Objectives:
This course will teach psychotherapists to
Describe the significance of community-building to social therapeutic practice.
Differentiate Social Therapy from narrative, social constructionist and other postmodern therapies.
Evaluate the significance of Social Therapy as a group practice.
Identify the contributions of Vygotsky and Wittgenstein to the development of social therapeutics and how they might enhance any therapeutic practice.
Integrate social therapeutics into clinical practice.
Summarize the philosophical and historical foundations of psychology and its impact on our understanding of ourselves and our clinical practices.
Course Syllabus:
Overview of traditional psychology
Philosophical foundation
Relationship to 20th century scientific economics and discoveries
Mental illness, mental health and the selling of psychology
Social therapeutics: a cultural-performatory approach
Initially introduced in the 1970s by therapist and philosopher Fred Newman, social therapeutics has been continuously developed by Newman and developmental psychologist Lois Holzman into a practical human development methodology with broad application to the educational, cultural, institutional and community settings that children, youth and adults create and inhabit. As a psychotherapy, it is a positive, relational approach with special focus on emotional development and group creativity. This intermediate course introduces the core concepts and focuses on the practice of social therapeutic methodology in therapy settings. 
