Southern Psychotherapies

Abstract

Drawing on Connell's ground‐breaking and ground‐affirming work, Southern Theory, published in 2008, this paper explores the concept and possibility of “Southern psychotherapy” – or, more accurately, as the author advocates pluralism in psychotherapy, “Southern psychotherapies”. The paper first discusses the significance of context, personally and in theory, and the relationship between culture and theory. From this, it then addresses the hegemony of Western theory, the arguments by which this is maintained, and the “Northernness” of general theory. The second half of the paper responds to the “characteristic textual moves” of Northern theory, identified by Connell, and offers four “textual” counterpoints as defining the theory and practice of Southern psychotherapies.