Politically Reflective Psychotherapy

Manuel Llorens is a clinical and community psychologist trained in Venezuela and UK (Tavistock Institute and Manchester Metropolitan University). He has been a professor of Clinical Community Psychology and practicing clinician in Venezuela for almost twenty five years, which includes all of what has been called the “Bolivarian Revolution”, having to tackle the political, social and economic dimensions of life that not only impact the lives of consultants but also the context where psychotherapy has been practiced. He has done extensive research on the impact of chronic violence and poverty on individuals and communities as well as political culture. He has authored and co-authored a number of books that deal with these topics such as Niños con Experiencia de Vida en Calle: una aproximación psicológica (Paidós, 2005); Acuerdos Comunitarios de Convivencia ante la Violencia Armada (Amnistía Internacional, 2013); La Belleza Propia: arte, adolescenciae identidad (Fundación Polar, 2015); along with articles in journals such as the American Journal of Community Psychology, Psychotherapy and Politics International and Nueva Sociedad. He has authored and co-authored chapters in two Springer Publications: Psychology of Liberation: Theory and Applications (2009) and The Psychology of Peace Promotion (2019). He is co-director of the NGO REACIN, the network of researchers and activists for coexistence.

• 1. The Roots of a Politically Reflective Psychotherapy in the Midst of Crisis.- 2. Science and Politics: the influence of Modernity on Psychotherapy.- 3. The Desire for Freedom as a Symptom: political abuses around the world.- 4. From Humanistic Murder to Ecological Mining: the case of Venezuela.- 5. Psychotherapy with victims and survivors of violence.- 6. Postmodern Bases for a Politically Reflexive Psycho-therapy.- 7.  Psychotherapeutic Technique.- 8. Clinical Examples.- 9. Psychotherapy, politics and intimacy: making the unconscious conscious and the invisible visible.