Rethinking Mental Health and Disorder: Feminist Perspectives [Hardcover]

Mary Ballou Phd (Editor), Laura S. Brown PhD ABPP (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572307994 | ISBN-13: 978-1572307995 | Publication Date: September 26, 2002 | Edition: 1

This volume presents cutting-edge work at the interface of feminist theory and mental health. Building on the success of their acclaimed Personality and Psychopathology, which called into question traditional models of health and disorder, Mary Ballou and Laura S. Brown have invited a stellar array of contributors to continue the vital process of feminist theory building and critique. The book outlines compelling theoretical approaches--including postmodern, constructivist, relational-cultural, and feminist ecological perspectives--that go beyond simply inserting analyses of gender, culture, and other contextual factors into existing paradigms. Also examined are specific areas of distress and disorder about which new feminist understandings have been developed in the past decade. Shedding new light on such conditions as depression, PTSD, psychosis, somatoform disorders, and premenstrual syndrome, chapters address critical questions about how disorders are diagnosed, who gets labeled as "sick," and how treatment is conceptualized and delivered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This very important book will change the way we construe and work with so-called 'mental illness.' It will help theorists and therapists better understand how considering person and environment is basic to working with severely distressed clients. Reading this book with an open mind will make a difference in your thinking, your writing, and your effectiveness with clients, both women and men. I could not recommend it more highly."--Allen E. Ivey, EdD, ABPP, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Massachusetts

"This provocative volume challenges mainstream ideas about personality and psychopathology that are narrow in perspective, regressively biological, or inattentive to context. Instead, it gives emphasis to relationship, identities, multiple influences, and different ways of knowing to build theories that are relevant to diverse groups. Gender and culture matter, in both theory and practice! Calling into question the pathologizing of distress and difficulty, the authors reexamine human resilience and experience in order to honor and help in ways that are liberating and relevant. This book is a 'must' for graduate-level courses on feminism and theories of human behavior."--Jean Lau Chin, EdD, ABPP, CEO Services, Newton, MA

"This book is at the cutting edge of the field of feminist psychology, indeed at the cutting edge of the newest developments in psychological theory. It offers critique as well as new avenues for the development of theory and research. The editors have assembled a group of outstanding theoreticians and practitioners, selecting authors who are both knowledgeable and creative. The book will be an excellent addition to the reading lists of graduate courses in the psychology of women and personality theory, and an invaluable reference for feminist scholars."--Oliva M. Espin, PhD, Department of Women's Studies, San Diego State University

About the Author

Mary Ballou, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Counseling Psychology Program at Northeastern University. Within the master's counseling psychology program, she has created a curriculum that encourages students to select such interdisciplinary concentrations as Culture, Gender, and Political Psychology. Within the doctoral program, she has been a leader in developing an ecological model that supports structural analysis, interdisciplinarity, and paradigm change for the combined counseling and school psychology program. Dr. Ballou also practices feminist psychology in counseling and consulting. She is coeditor (with Laura S. Brown) of Personality and Psychopathology: Feminist Reappraisals.

Laura S. Brown, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the Washington School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, in Seattle. She has also maintained a practice of feminist psychotherapy, forensic psychology, and consultation in Seattle since 1979. She has written extensively on issues of feminist practice, including diagnosis and assessment, feminist forensic practice, ethics and boundary issues, psychotherapy with lesbians, trauma and memory of abuse, and theory in feminist therapy. Dr. Brown has published over 120 articles and book chapters and 6 edited or authored books, and has received numerous awards for her contributions to research and practice.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (September 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572307994
• ISBN-13: 978-1572307995
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,201,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)