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<p>Untested theories and uncontested ideas have gained a hold in the social sciences with serious ramifications for applied disciplines such as psychotherapy. This paper describes the activist turn that has not only subverted the traditional route of knowledge production, but has also changed the profession’s healing telos into a political one. The consequences for practitioners, trainees and clients have been harmful. Many factors have contributed to cementing this new hegemony in place, but chief amongst them is the silencing of all public critique and debate. We explore the potential for a new political thesis—meta-critical post-progressivism—to provide a means of breaking the silence. As an example, we apply the deconstructive method, suggested by the thesis, to shed light on a specific concept and praxis called ‘decolonial/decolonising therapy’. We conclude that a meta-critical lens reveals the power dynamics intrinsic to this novel form of therapy and that such exposure will help classical clinicians and theorists promote public critical debate and withstand specious accusations of bigotry.</p>

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Uncontested ideas and real-world consequences: using a meta-critical post-progressive method to deconstruct the claims of activist therapy

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月12日

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  • Val Thomas,
  • Sally Satel

摘要

Untested theories and uncontested ideas have gained a hold in the social sciences with serious ramifications for applied disciplines such as psychotherapy. This paper describes the activist turn that has not only subverted the traditional route of knowledge production, but has also changed the profession’s healing telos into a political one. The consequences for practitioners, trainees and clients have been harmful. Many factors have contributed to cementing this new hegemony in place, but chief amongst them is the silencing of all public critique and debate. We explore the potential for a new political thesis—meta-critical post-progressivism—to provide a means of breaking the silence. As an example, we apply the deconstructive method, suggested by the thesis, to shed light on a specific concept and praxis called ‘decolonial/decolonising therapy’. We conclude that a meta-critical lens reveals the power dynamics intrinsic to this novel form of therapy and that such exposure will help classical clinicians and theorists promote public critical debate and withstand specious accusations of bigotry.