The purpose of this article is to help pave the way for more radical counseling with traumatized individuals, communities, and nations. The author critiques the post-traumatic stress disorder conceptualization and psychiatry fundamentally, builds on and critiques feminist and other radical contributions to trauma theory, suggests directions for feminists, theorizes trauma from a radical perspective, and draws implications for practice. Conclusions include the following: A deficit trauma model is inappropriate; institutions of the state must be seen as critical in the creation of trauma; there must be a fundamental break with psychiatry; and trauma work should move in the direction of radical adult education.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the few DSM categories that was created and became widely accepted as a result of people other than psychiatrists wanting it. Even progressive practitioners tend to assume that it is essentially well constructed and benign. This article shows otherwise. The article fundamentally problematizes PTSD. It demonstrates that the category PTSD is confused, reductionist, contradictory, and arbitrary and that it pathologizes purposeful and valuable coping strategies commonly used by people who are traumatized. It demonstrates, in addition, that the category does not even serve the purpose for which progressive therapists have engaged with the diagnosis and that it cannot simply be “corrected.”

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This article reframes electroconvulsive therapy as a form of violence against women. Drawing on women's testimony and on scientific research, it establishes that this "treatment," which is overwhelmingly given to women, results in extensive cognitive and physical impairment. Correspondingly, it functions and is experienced as a form of assault and social control, not unlike wife battery. Emergent themes include electroshock as life destroying, a sign of contempt for women, punishment, a means of enforcing sex roles, a way to silence women about other abuse, an assault, traumatizing for those who undergo it and those forced to witness it.

While strongly endorsing the values of the third force, the author of this article takes issue with mainstream humanistic psychotherapists such as Rogers for attributing the therapy relationship/ situation with a more egalitarian nature than it does or could have. The corresponding purposes of this article are (1) to correct the misconceptions involved; (2) to suggest how they arose; (3) to sort out where equality exists and where it does not exist and (4) to explore the problems that arise from the misconceptions in question. The author distinguishes between areas of absolute equality, areas where inequality usually but does not always pertain, and areas of necessary inequality. Clients' not getting the help needed and increased manipulation are among the problems identified as arising when equality is claimed in instances and/or on levels where it does not exist.

This article argues for and focuses on the importance of humanistic,radical, and other progressive psychotherapists finding ways of relating to the psychiatric survivormovement. Progressive cliniciansand survivor groups, it is suggested, have overlaps in values, a sharedobjection to institutional psychiatry, complementary strengths, andto varying extents, common cause. So there are strong reasons forconnection. Drawing on the survivor movement as a resource andreference point for psychiatrized clients and helping them connectwith the movement are identified as particularly importantdirections for practitioners to take. Recommended examples of moredirect involvement with the movement are supporting andendorsing statements made by movement groups, cowritingarticles, making room for movement involvement in clinicians’initiatives, contributing to movement initiatives, and mounting jointeducational programs and joint campaigns. All such actions areconditional on practitioners respecting survivor groups,acknowledging their expertise, not violating their trust, and supportingtheir struggle for self-determination.