Speaking the Unspoken Breaking the Silence, Myths, and Taboos that Hurt Therapists and Patients

by Pope, Kenneth S.; Chavez-Dueñas, Nayeli Y.; Adames, Hector Y.; Sonne, Janet L.; Greene, Beverly A.

• ISBN13: 9781433841590
• ISBN10: 1433841592
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-06-06
• Publisher: American Psychological Association

Summary

This book shows how silence around taboo topics can undermine therapy goals, as well as the teaching, practice, and profession of psychotherapy more broadly. It gives readers the skills they need to recognize and overcome barriers to speaking up.

The authors describe current and historical contexts that can make frank discussions of certain topics difficult, and present factors that play a role in self-silencing. Strategies including questions for reflection and group exercises can help readers build the courage to talk more openly, honestly, and directly in the therapy room and beyond. Chapters focus on a variety of topics that can be difficult to discuss openly including physical difference and disability, sexual orientation, sexual reactions to clients, therapist feelings of anger, oppression, white supremacy culture, religion, money and fees, and death and dying.

Speaking the Unspoken seeks to create dialogue, by encouraging the reader to deepen their understanding of these underexamined topics and improve their ability to help clients and strengthen the profession.

Author Biography

Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the APA accredited program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She is a Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) where she serves as the faculty coordinator for the concentration in Latinx Mental Health in the Counseling Psychology Department. She is the Co-Director of the IC-RACE Lab (Immigration Critical Race and Cultural Equity Lab). She has co-authored two books: (a) Cultural Foundations and Interventions in Latinx Mental Health: History, Theory and within Group Differences (with Hector Y. Adames) published by Routledge Press and (c) Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide, 6th Ed. (with Kenneth S. Pope, Melba J.T. Vasquez, Hector Y. Adames) published by Wiley. Her research focuses on colorism, skin-color differences, parenting styles, immigration, unaccompanied minors, multiculturalism, and race relations. She has earned a number of awards including the 2018 American Psychological Association (APA) Distinguished Citizen Psychologist Award. To learn more, please visit Dr. Chavez-Dueñas’ lab at www.icrace.org

Beverly Greene, PhD, ABPP is a Professor of Psychology at St. John’s University, and a practicing clinical psychologist in New York City. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association and 9 of its divisions, she is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology), a Fellow of the Academy of Clinical Psychology and is a licensed psychologist New York and New Jersey. Dr Greene is author of over one hundred scholarly publications of which twelve have received national awards for making significant and distinguished contributions to the psychological literature. She was the founding co-editor of the APA Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity 5 volume book series: Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Issues and Co Editor of award winning Psychotherapy with African American Women: Innovations in Psychodynamic Perspectives and Practice. In addition to these volumes she is the co-editor of another groundbreaking volume, Women of Color: Integrating Ethnic and Gender Identities in Psychotherapy, and coeditor of A Minyan of Women: Family Dynamics, Jewish Identity and Psychotherapy Practice. She is the recipient of 40 national awards for distinguished contributions to scholarship, teaching, mentoring, leadership, service and advocacy in the form of longstanding pioneering professional contributions to the development of greater understandings of the intersections of race, gender and sexual orientation and the development of multiple identity/intersectional paradigms. Her groundbreaking theoretical formulations have forcefully advocated for the deepening of competencies in working toward the greater integration of psychological theory, research, practice and social justice and provides a public health framework for understanding and providing optimal mental health services to many of society’s marginalized and disenfranchised members.

Janet L. Sonne, Ph.D. received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UCLA and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (now Semel Institute). She is a licensed psychologist and an Emerita Professor in the Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University where she has taught and supervised clinical psychology graduate students, psychiatry residents, and medical students. A Fellow in APA Division 42, Dr. Sonne has served as a member twice on the APA Ethics Committee, and as a member and as Chair of the California Psychological Association Ethics Committee. She has also served as an expert consultant/witness in California civil and licensing board (Psychology, Behavioral Sciences, and Nursing) administrative cases regarding standard of care of mental health professionals and potential damages to clients as a result of therapist malpractice. Dr. Sonne has authored and co-authored several books, book chapters, and journal articles including Ethical Clinical Practice: Negotiating a Whole Lot of Gray in a Wise Way (in the APA Handbook of Psychopathology, 2018), The “Vicissitudes of Love” between Therapist and Patient: A Review of the Research regarding Romantic and Sexual Feelings, Thoughts and Behaviors in Psychotherapy (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2014), PsycEssentials: A Pocket Resource for Mental Health Practitioners (APA, 2012), Sexualized Relationships (in the APA Handbook of Ethics and Psychology, 2012), What Therapists Don’t Talk About and Why: Understanding the Taboos That Hurt Us and Our Clients (APA, 2006), and Sexual Feelings in Psychotherapy: Explorations for Therapists and Therapists-in-Training (APA, 1993).

Hector Y. Adames, PsyD received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the APA accredited program at Wright State University in Ohio and completed his APA pre-doctoral internship at the Boston University School of Medicine’s Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology (CMTP). Currently, he is a licensed psychologist and a Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus and the Co-Director of the IC-RACE Lab (Immigration Critical Race and Cultural Equity Lab). Dr. Adames has co-authored or co-edited several books including (a) Cultural Foundations and Interventions in Latinx Mental Health: History, Theory and within Group Differences (with Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas) published by Routledge Press, (b) Caring for Latinxs with Dementia in a Globalized World published by Springer, (c) Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide, 6th Ed. (with Kenneth S. Pope, Melba J.T. Vasquez, Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas) published by Wiley, and (d) Succeeding as a Therapist: How to Create a Thriving Practice in a Changing World (with Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, Melba J.T. Vasquez, Kenneth S. Pope) published by the American Psychological Association (APA). He has earned several awards including the 2018 Distinguished Emerging Professional Research Award from The Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race, a Division of APA. To learn more, please visit Dr. Adames’ lab at www.icrace.org

Kenneth S. Pope, Ph.D., ABPP, is a licensed psychologist. A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), he served as chair of the Ethics Committees of the American Board of Professional Psychology and the American Psychological Association (APA). He received the APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public Service, the APA Division 12 Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Clinical Psychology, the Canadian Psychological Association's John C. Service Member of the Year Award, and the Ontario Psychological Association's Barbara Wand Award for significant contribution to excellence in professional ethics and standards. His authored or co-authored books include Ethics In Psychotherapy And Counseling: A Practical Guide, 6th ed. (Wiley), The MMPI, MMPI-2, & MMPI-A in Court: A Practical Guide for Expert Witnesses and Attorneys, 3rd ed. (APA), What Therapists Don't Talk About and Why: Understanding Taboos That Hurt Us and Our Clients (APA), How to Survive and Thrive as a Therapist: Information, Ideas, and Resources for Psychologists in Practice (APA), Recovered Memories of Abuse: Assessment, Therapy, Forensics (APA), and Sexual Feelings in Psychotherapy: Explorations for Therapists and Therapists-in-Training (APA), and Five Steps to Strengthen Ethics in Organizations and Individuals: Effective Strategies Informed by Research and History (Routledge).

Table of Contents

Preface
Section I: The Problem of the Unspoken
Chapter 1. A Chilling Context: Cancel Culture, Hyperpolarization, Books and Topics Banned by the State, Frightened Academics, and Self-Censorship
Chapter 2. A Silenced Profession
Chapter 3. Systems of Silencing and Cognitive Cues for Keeping Quiet
Chapter 4. An Example of the Problem: Therapists' Sexual Arousals, Attractions, and Fantasies
Section II: Preparing to Break the Silence
Chapter 5. Looking Inward: A Self-Assessment
Chapter 6. Creating Conditions for Learning and Strengthening Abilities to Speak Up
Section III: Speaking the Unspoken-Exercises for Exploration and Learning
Chapter 7. Introduction to Exercises
Chapter 8. Physical Difference and Disability
Chapter 9. Sexual and Affectional Orientation
Chapter 10. Sexual Reactions to Clients
Chapter 11. Anger and Hate
Chapter 12. Oppression
Chapter 13. Racism and White Supremacy
Chapter 14. Religion
Chapter 15. Money
Chapter 16. Death and Dying
Section IV: Speaking the Unspoken Beyond Psychotherapy
Chapter 17. Speaking Up in Supervision and Consultation
Chapter 18. Speaking Up in the Profession and the Community
Section V: But What If...
Chapter 19. Hitting a Wall, or the Wall Hitting Us: What to do When Confused, Scared, Disheartened, or Stuck
References
About the Authors
Author and Subject Index