Southern Psychotherapies

Abstract

Drawing on Connell's ground‐breaking and ground‐affirming work, Southern Theory, published in 2008, this paper explores the concept and possibility of “Southern psychotherapy” – or, more accurately, as the author advocates pluralism in psychotherapy, “Southern psychotherapies”. The paper first discusses the significance of context, personally and in theory, and the relationship between culture and theory. From this, it then addresses the hegemony of Western theory, the arguments by which this is maintained, and the “Northernness” of general theory. The second half of the paper responds to the “characteristic textual moves” of Northern theory, identified by Connell, and offers four “textual” counterpoints as defining the theory and practice of Southern psychotherapies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Breathing and relating: exploring a therapist’s heuristic experience

“…Reading my writing, forming the words with my body, allow me to feel when my writing is flowing and conversely, it draws my attention to that which does not resonate. Tudor (2012) challenges me to consider the appropriateness of Northern Hemisphere theories in the Southern Hemisphere: "Thus, the further we are, geographically, culturally, and intellectually from the source and the ground of a particular theory, the more we need to question and test its application and applicability" (p. 120). Heuristic research methodologies were developed in North America, and almost all of the articles cited in this chapter, with the exception of Key and Kerr (2011), were written in the Northern Hemisphere.…”

“…Heuristic research methodologies were developed in North America, and almost all of the articles cited in this chapter, with the exception of Key and Kerr (2011), were written in the Northern Hemisphere. Based on Tudor's (2012) assertion that methodologies appropriate to Southern psychotherapy research investigate experience, and privilege "the subject and their social relations" (p. 127), I argue that heuristic self-search enquiry is applicable to psychotherapy research in Aotearoa New Zealand if the researcher is transparent about their geographical and social location. I agree with Tudor Another potential limitation of a heuristic research methodology is the researcher's unconscious transference to the research topic or question.…”

Commentary on Keith Tudor’s (2018) ‘In(ter)dependence Day’

“…The themes in 'In(ter)dependence Day' ring backward and forward to the rest of Tudor's work, not unlike the liberty bell that American abolitionists adopted as a symbol. For example, from early in his tenure with PPI, Tudor (2012) proposed four counterpoints to European-American psychotherapies drawn from Southern psychotherapies. These were:…”

Introduction to the special section: Indigeneity in Europe

“…The third part of this back story derives from my experiences since emigrating to Aotearoa New Zealand 12 years ago, since which I have become further interested in indigenous worldviews and praxis, an interest that has made me further reflect on my own indigeneity (English, Welsh, Celtic); to explore more of my own family history (which I have now traced back 11 generations on my father's side) and, last year, to do a DNA test (which revealed that my ethnicity estimate is 88% English, Wales and Northwestern Europe, and 12% Ireland and Scotland). Although I have had a long interest in family history and genealogy, my more recent interest in discovering more has been stimulated by my engagement with te Ao Māori (the Māori world) which values such knowledge and integrates it into certain rituals such as introducing oneself in relation to geographical and symbolic features and ancestors (see Tudor, 2012). In this context, I was delighted to read Dion Van Werde's (2021) article in which he explores the image of the tree, as I have a tree, the Midland Oak, near Leamington in Warwickshire, England, with which I have meaningful associations.…”