Olukemi Amala
My blogs
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Psychotherapist, Academic, Novelist, Activist. |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Introduction | At the AMALA CENTRE in Manchester, North West England, we understand through lived experience and critical learning the importance of oppression in society on mental health. Rather than viewing the presenting and/or underlying client issues as if they existed independently of oppression in society we enquire about and explore these links in the client's story. The dynamics of the psychotherapy relationship in the therapy room is used robustly to explore these links further and ultimately allow for psychological transformation and healing. Longterm psychotherapy sessions are avaliable at the AMALA CENTRE on a low or reduced cost basis for those on low incomes. I am also a postgraduate psychology student undertaking research into mental health & oppression at Manchester Metropolitan University, North West England. I am also a novelist. My debut novel: UNDER AN EMERALD SKY pub. 2011 by Linen Press Books. Explores mental health and oppression, reality, power & truth. A novel for self-enquiry and learning for those seeking open and aware minds. Purchase from: www.linenpressbooks.com and many independent progressive bookstores. Follow me on Twitter. |
| Interests | Socially defined systems of hierarchy exist and have always existed in human societies. Sometimes these hierarchies are tightly located, at the other extreme these viewpoints for example through colonialism and imperialism, can become widespread. People exist as a mixture from high to low in these numerous socially created compartments. Of course people can move around these social hierarchies. For some issues like 'race', gender or age for example, it is difficult or impossible to move around these hierarchies. Oppression and its related psychological expressions are never mentioned as triggers of mental illness. This position pervades counselling and psychotherapy training and therefore clinical practice. Thus the traditional approach of individualising and seeing a client's difficulties and struggles as existing largely within them, due to ther own psychopathology, is the norm, as if clients (and psychotherapists for that matter), exist in a social vacuum. The unspoken message from the therapist that we only explore 'certain things' can further traumatise the client. They can feel shame for breaking the conditions of their therapy. This reinforces the social viewpoint that parts of them, their experiences and expressions are wrong, bad, unimportant, and shouldn't be talked about. 'Not even my pychotherapist can face it.' Then there are the clients who just disengage and get angry or stop coming. Maybe in part because they experience this unspoken dynamic. If the dominant stories told by society validate or denigrate, then our thoughts will follow; unless we are aware. Mental illhealth is therefore linked to and cannot be separated from the psychological impact of social oppression. |