Taylor and Francis

Taylor and Francis

English

'It is easy to accept the heteronormative consciousness that informs and influences all aspects of psychotherapy. But it does not make it right. Queer theory offers radical insights into therapeutic logic and this book provides new and challenging perspectives on sex, gender and sexualities while giving language, communication, text and practice careful consideration. Questioning the process of therapy, this book offers ideas on reflection for practice and the development of theory in these areas.' Stephen Palmer, City University London, UK 'Counselling Ideologies: Queer Challenges to Heteronormativity offers a timely and significant interrogation of the transforming terrains of sexuality and psychology. The authors in this collection take up a number of critical questions concerning the constraints of heteronormative counselling ideologies on counselling practice and explore the expansive terrains of queer politics and queer theory to rethink both. The collection bridges theory and practice, drawing together insights from cultural studies of sexuality to refresh and reinvigorate the applied, professional dimensions of counselling and psychology. An excellent text.' Deborah Lynn Steinberg, University of Warwick, UK 'These searching and critical essays provide a much needed challenge to the mainstream languages and practices of counselling whose imageries of heterosexuality, family life and monogamy are here under fire. This book will be a significant challenge to counsellors and a call to arms for queer theorists.' Ken Plummer, University of Essex, UK 'This book engages mostly professionals from the field of psychotherapy and deploys the practical dimension of operationalized de-historicizing of the underlying heteronormative templates within the scientific establishments of psychic care. The two ambitions - enacting deheterosexualization of therapy and showing resisting therapeutic practices - reveal substantial chunks of the heterosexualist paradigm in present