Talking as Cure?

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Created:	2020-09-22 09:54
Institution:	Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities
Description:	In so far as the field of mental health has been surveyed from the ‘outside’, the focus has been on dangers of psychopharmaceuticals or the excesses of psychiatric diagnosis. Less attention has been given to the role of psychotherapy, particularly the ‘talking therapies’, aside from psychoanalysis. Talking therapies are often presented as safe and versatile interventions, suitable as an alternative to pharmaceuticals. In addition to treating mental illness, individuals increasingly face an expectation to seek professional talking services when experiencing challenging circumstances more generally. Are there any risks to these interventions? What are the implications of a tacit expectation to seek therapy? This network unites scholars from across the humanities to develop a holistic understanding of why certain methods of talking and interpersonal exchange are deemed therapeutic and how they came to have this status. We will explore the emergence of these therapeutic ideas and practices, survey the landscape of contemporary talking therapies, scrutinise the structures and dynamics that practitioners and patients must negotiate while participating in talking therapies today, and consider the ethical questions raised by these therapeutic practices. The network comprises of a fortnightly reading group, an adhoc work-in-progress group and a monthly 'Coffee with Clinicians' meeting.
Website:	http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/programmes/talking-as-cure-contemporary-understandings-of-mental-health-and-its-treatment-2020-21

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