Diversity, Dreamwork, & Intersectionality in Therapy - Dr Dwight Turner

Dr Dwight Turner is a psychotherapist, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Brighton University, and the author of “Intersections of Privilege and Otherness in Counselling and Psychotherapy”.
He is one of the world’s leading experts on how privilege, otherness, and intersectionality impact therapeutic practice, and in this conversation we discuss:
- What is intersectionality and why it’s vital for therapists to become aware of
- The concept of otherness, how we often “other” ourselves to fit in socially, and the damaging effect this has on the human psyche
- How dream work can provide illuminating insights for identifying aspects of ourselves we may have othered
- How most of us have some of privilege, why it’s not inherently a bad thing when used in the service of others, and also the situations in which it becomes toxic
And more.
You can learn more about Dr Turner’s work by going to: dwightturnercounselling.co.uk and follow him on Twitter @Dturner300.
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Dr Dwight Turner is a psychotherapist, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the School of Applied Social Science at Brighton University. Dr Turner casts an intersectional lens on privilege, supremacy, otherness and social justice. He was invited to deliver the keynote presentation at the BACP’s ‘Working with Diversity’ Conference in 2019.
His blog post - “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” addressed the anguish and the action that has risen from the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and has been widely read by UK and US therapists. Dr Turner’s book: ‘Intersections of Privilege and Otherness in Counselling and Psychotherapy:’ was published by Routledge in 2021.
You can keep up to date with his work and latest blog posts at: dwightturnercounselling.co.uk and follow him on Twitter @Dturner300.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:10 - Mental Health Intersectionality
06:11 - Balance & Responsibility
12:49 - Self-Discovery Journey
21:56 - Parental Influence on Identity
30:38 - Impact of Othering
37:27 - Dream Work & Identity
41:00 - Influence of Internalized Objects
43:39 - Healing Reflection
45:33 - Dr. Turner's Work & Platforms
46:59 - Book Recommendations
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Interview Links:
- Dr Turner’s website: www.dwightturnercounselling.c...
- Dr Turner’s book: amzn.to/3APOMqj
3 Books Dr Turner Recommends Every Therapist Should Read:
- Queering Psychotherapy - Jane Czyzselska: amzn.to/3UZJFeG
- Black Identities White Therapies - Colin Lago and Divine Charura: amzn.to/3V64GUY
- Intersections of Privilege and Otherness in Counselling and Psychotherapy: amzn.to/3APOMqj

[@ernestberry5226]

Apparently, I am privileged for being able to go to uni and get in debt.

[@Abc-rx6tj]

A series on Mental & brain fitness not mental health

[@who0lee]

Thanks for an interesting discussion and I hope you avoid the comment section, Dr. Turner. 😅

[@doctordetroit4339]

Keep voting for "FREEEE!!" and complete personal irresponsibility and then complain about oh-pression with the policies you demand.

[@lewreed1871]

This stuff (intersectionality and identity politics) has no place in psychotherapy. Identity politics is divisive, and I would have thought someone from Northern Ireland would know that intuitively. It doesn't work in the US, where it at least attempts to address American culture and history, but all it's done there is inflame their culture war. It does not map onto other countries and cultures. Its basis is in French postmodernism and the French have themselves explicitly rejected it in its vulgarised American form. It's garbage. It's the least likely thing to lead to any kind of human flourishing that I can think of.
You had this guy on three years ago, when he was using all the empty buzzwords. Have you not learned that this is poisonous guff yet? Disappointing. I'd run a mile from any psychotherapist putting the idea of 'microaggressions' into anyone's head. In what world does that add up to good sense?

[@lewreed1871]

@@tonyburton419 I'm sorry but this guy has vulgarised, American critical theory hanging out of him. It's a racket, as Ibram X Kendi's experience has recently shown. Apart from that, it's explicitly anti-science. What could go wrong in applying it in a clinical setting?

[@ernestberry5226]

Intersection is a pathetic attempt at complexity. It states the bloody obvious. We are complex beings with complex influences… no shit! However, intersection is reductive to a few ideas ignoring many many others. It’s so confused , contradictory and shallow as an idea . Just take any one of these points here. It’s a rebranding of the obvious.