Psychotherapism: An Analytical Tool for a Political and Epistemological Critique of the Psychotherapy Apparatus
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The article critically examines psychotherapy’s sociopolitical role through the concept of psychotherapism , seen as both an analytical tool and a set of effects related to the expansion of the psychotherapy apparatus . Drawing on Castel’s psychoanalysm, critical theory, and liberation psychology, it identifies four main, though non-exhaustive, iatrogenic outcomes: clinical harm, social stratification, symbolic individualization, and erosion of collective bonds. The analysis exposes psychotherapy’s alignment with neoliberal governance and challenges its presumed neutrality. It advocates for a decolonial, justice-oriented praxis that reclaims non-commodified, community-based care.
Source: Journal of Humanistic Psychology
Institutions: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, University of Turin
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
OpenAlex ID: W7225774905