Societal coercion of individuals into mental health treatment: Therapeutic innovations and ethical implications

As western societies move to centralization provision and control of mental health services, there is an increasing tendency for many persons who are reluctant to enter therapy to be assigned to psychotherapy professionals. Drawing on his 2011 book, “Therapy with Coerced and Reluctant Clients,” Dr. Brodsky will discuss individuals for whom coercion may be indicated, the ethical issues of forcing people into therapy, and the effects on professionals who offer these services. Special emphasis will be directed towards the common and stereotyped ways in which services are offered. In place of automatic and often ineffective methods, three major approaches will be described: Not asking questions, constructionalism, and use of objective self-awareness.

The presentation will examine the ways in which so-called social deviants are defined and referred, often by the courts, by families, or by employers as a condition of continuing employment. The nature of coercion will be a particular topic of concern, with the development of a nuanced conceptualization of coercion as well as the ambivalence often experienced by nominally coerced clients.

The interaction of societal pressures and demands will be reconciled with the actual activities of service providers. This reconciliation will be demonstrated through the presentation of actual client-therapist dialogues with accompanying sociological commentary and constructs.