Dr. Lucy Johnstone is an experienced clinical psychologist, author, and long-time critic of current mental health theory and practice. She begins this webinar by explaining the circular reasoning behind the dominant form of understanding mental illness in the US—the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. This manual, Dr. Johnstone explains, often provides clients with little more than the feeling that “there is something wrong with me.”

The Power, Threat, Meaning Framework, on the other hand, applies no labels to people as the DSM does. Instead, it provides guidance for clinicians on the questions they can explore with their clients to better understand what happened to them and how they can use their strengths to create a new path forward.

In this webinar, Dr. Johnstone discusses the role of power in people’s lives, the threats posed by the misuse of power, and how individuals respond to these threats. Essential to this process are the answers to these core questions:

• What has happened to you? (How is Power operating in your life?)
• How did it affect you? (What kind of Threats does this pose?)
• What sense did you make of it? (What is the Meaning of these situations and experiences to you?)
• What did you have to do to survive? (What kinds of Threat Response are you using?)

During the process, clinicians guide clients through their answers to these questions and help them identify their strengths. This creates new personal narratives to foster more hopeful perspectives on life’s challenges. The framework also addresses the impact of social factors like poverty and discrimination on emotional distress and behavior.

This webinar creates a discussion around this transformative approach that challenges conventional mental health practices and empowers clinicians to truly understand, support, and guide their clients toward a path of strength, resilience, and hope.