David Bedrick says that when we want to go for deep healing of some personal issue we must realize that there is a larger culture in which our wounds are embedded. Bedrick claims that no illness is solely rooted in the individual, but for the most part, mainstream psychology does not recognize this dynamic. He says, “We don’t honor the depth of who we are, of where we come from, of the land we live on, of the skin colors that we have, of the histories that we have, of the ancestors we have. All those kinds of things are left out. I recommend [that you] ask yourself: am I male, am I white, am I black, am I gay, and what does that have to do with what’s going on for me? If I’m a woman, does that play into what’s happening for me? If I’m a Jewish person, like me, does that play in to what’s happening for me? That social question is really big. It ties us to the web of relationships.” (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)
Bio
David Bedrick, JD, DIPL PW is a teacher, counselor, attorney, organizational consultant, and writer. He’s a practitioner of Process Oriented Psychology, a branch Jungian psychology. He did his clinical training at the Process Work Institute which is inspired by the work of Arny Mindell. Bedrick is a diplomate of the Institute. Currently he maintains a practice as a counselor and coach for individuals and groups. He also speaks and writes on topics ranging from ethics, diversity, and relationships, to dreams, diet, body image, anger, and shame.
He’s the author of:
- Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology (Belly Song Press 2013)
- Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity
to Individual and Social Change (Belly Song Press 2017)
To learn more about David Bedrick’s work go to www.talkingbacktodrphil.com.
Topics Explored in This Dialogue
- What is the difference between the allopathic model of psychology and process oriented psychology
- How racism, sexism and other prejudices live in a bigger web of history than is carried by a single individual
- How Western culture has a bias toward energetic people who are highly productive
- What is an example of the deeper issues that lead to successfully losing weight and keeping it off
- How Depth Psychology acknowledges that healing is related to cultural patterns of how power is expressed
- What Bedrick learned from Maya Angelou
- How America has collective wounds around racism
- How racism can mean different things to different people
- Why it is important not to suppress family secrets from one generation to the next
- What is the story of Bedrick’s mother who had Alzheimer’s at her end of life
Host: Justine Willis Toms Interview Date: 4/7/2017 Program Number: 3613