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Clinical Psychology, Insularity, and the World Outside the Clinic

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Travel and Movement in Clinical Psychology

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Abstract

In this chapter, we first examine why the world outside the clinic matters for clinical psychology, as well as offer a preliminary sketch of how travel and movement can serve as vehicles toward overcoming various insular tendencies of the field. We begin by introducing the four forms of insularity that plague the field—social-ecological, practical, cultural, and scientific-philosophical—situating these within a rich history of critique. We then suggest that in order to better address the world outside the clinic, which is integral to the very possibility of well-being, let us venture outside the clinic. We conclude with a sketch of the remaining chapters.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Professor Sen was among the earliest influences on my thinking, a personal opportunity for which I remain deeply grateful. Recent work in mental health circles suggests there remains considerable potential for application of Sen’s theories within the field (e.g., Davidson, Ridgway, Wieland, & O’Connell, 2009; Desai, 2012; Fernando’s “recovery as freedom ” in Eversley, 2014).

  2. 2.

    With homage to Horney’s concept of the tyranny of the should, which I discuss in Chapter 2.

  3. 3.

    The pronoun “we” will be often used. It is intended to encourage the view that we are engaging in this journey together. It is also a way to acknowledge those who have influenced and guided my thinking. But of course, any errors, omissions, or absurdities in this work are those of my own.

  4. 4.

    None of these figures were trained as clinical psychologists. Here, we travel into other related disciplines to improve our own.

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  1. Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Miraj Desai

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Desai, M. (2018). Clinical Psychology, Insularity, and the World Outside the Clinic. In: Travel and Movement in Clinical Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57174-8_1

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