Human Rights Believe in You

Let's compare how each of the major approaches views ordinary people and our overall competency to live our own lives.

1. Disease model psychiatry  

Medical model psychiatry focuses on incredibly complex neurobiological processes.  It takes years of study and certain kind of mind to grasp this.  Clearly then, ordinary people are NOT EXPERTS. They require expert guidance and close supervision.

2. Conventional 'talk' therapy

Conventional talk therapy practice requires awareness and attention to numerous psychosocial variables.  Extensive training is required to appreciate the subtleties, avoid pitfalls and get to the root of 'dysfunction.' The long and short is that clients are often seen as needing professional help to make good decisions.

3. Trauma-Informed Care

Generally speaking, trauma-informed care is concerned with the pervasiveness of trauma and the level of violation that ordinary people experience. Unless they become aware, ordinary people are susceptible to re-enacting their trauma or over-reacting to unconscious triggers.  Developing the requisite awareness is often seen as requiring assistance from a trauma-informed therapist.  

4.  Human Rights 

More than any other perspective, the human rights approach is the great leveler.  Everyone is seen as a part of the human family.  We are all born equal in dignity and rights.  We are all endowed with reason and conscience.  Our job as human beings is to support each other to learn how to live this way.

That's all for now.

We will talk about another slide later.