The Paradox of Mental Health

In the Paradox of Mental Health, the authors argue that our society is experiencing another pandemic-one of mental illness. This mental illness pandemic is maintained and escalated by conceptual "viruses" rooted in the normative, psychological medical model paradigm consistent with Western ideology. Therapeutic practice based on systems theory and social constructionism is offered as an antidote to alleviate the over-reliance on the medical model. The authors first "do therapy" on the concept of the normative, medical model; then explicate the concepts and application of systems theory and social constructionism; and finally, offer potential solutions to the mental illness pandemic.

Raphael J. Becvar, PhD, retired endowed chair in marital and family therapy, was a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, and an approved supervisor with many years of experience in both academic and private practice contexts. He has authored and coauthored many books and articles in professional journals. His particular focus is on philosophical/metaperspectives on mental health and the practice of therapy and a widely recognized teacher of systems theory and family therapy. Dorothy Stroh Becvar, PhD, professor emerita in the School of Social Work at St. Louis University, was a licensed marital and family therapist and a licensed clinical social worker. She published extensively and presented workshops and taught courses, both nationally and internationally, on a wide variety of topics. She was also president/CEO of the Haelan Centers(R), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting growth and wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. Dorothy died on August 31, 2021. Lynne V. Reif, MA, licensed professional counselor, began her career working with at-risk youth in the foster care system. In 2000 she became a middle school counselor and continued in that role until 2023, when she shifted her focus from counseling in schools to writing and training in the areas of systems theory, family therapy, and parent education. Lynne has extensive background in working with children and families and was part of the leadership team that created and ran the Empowering Young Women conferences hosted by the University of Missouri St. Louis for twenty years. In 2012 she traveled to Uganda to coteach a first of its kind course in school counseling to educators there and to work with girls in the schools. This experience significantly expanded her cultural awareness and understanding of the significance of context in the lives of children and families.

Foreword by Benjamin J. Evans, Johnny Faulkner, and Amy Smith Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Paradoxes of Mental Health/Illness: Philosophy and Theory Chapter 1: The Paradox of Mental Health: On the Limits of Living Consciously Chapter 2: Believing is Seeing: Exploring the Limits of Knowing Chapter 3: Before the Beginning Chapter 4: Contributions from Social Science and Mental Health Professionals Chapter 5: On the Clinical Bias Chapter 6: Conceptual Bites in Summary of the Paradox Chapter 7: Wondering Part II: Systemic and Social Constructionist Concepts for Therapy Chapter 8: About Systems Theory, Constructivism, and Social Constructionism. Chapter 9: Requiem for Systemic Marital and Family Therapy Chapter 10: The Ecosystemic Story: Implications for Therapists Chapter 11: Reflections on Values in Systems Theory and Social Constructionism Chapter 12: A Story about Systemic and Social Constructionist Therapy Chapter 13: Afterword References Index About the Authors