Stephanie Sherman

The current dominant framework of mental health and our approach to "help" people in distress, who suffer from overwhelming experiences from trauma and feeling disempowered is more harmful than helpful. Our language and structures for support need to change. The current dominant framework equates mental distress to illnesses to be treated, as symptoms of a brain disorder that medication can treat. A pill will not "fix" emotional pain caused by the ills of society. Mental distress is an understandable reaction to sociopolitical environments where negative operations of power, injustice and oppression are allowed to perpetuate. Why do we resist acknowledging the negative impacts of power in society? This book is a new framework of the needed social and system changes to reframe the dominant view. Everyone should read this book because if we don't change the language, perception, and marginalization of people in distress we will see more detrimental consequences to the health of our collective culture and environment.