“I think in this day and age the field of psychology/psychiatry is our modern day religion come together around these sets of ideas that tells us how we’re supposed to live, what’s right and wrong as far as how we should be and exist in the world” - Noël Hunter

Despite the wealth of research on trauma and what truly helps when people are suffering, the fields of psychiatry and psychology stubbornly cling to pathologizing, dogmatic and harmful ways of approaching mental health which are counterintuitive to healing. The voices of those with lived experience and dissenting clinicians are silenced under a system that aims to uphold the status quo. Clinical psychologist and advocate, Noël Hunter, knows this better than most. Today we talk about why this field is too stubborn to change, what clinicians can do to really make a difference, and why empathy is most needed now more than ever.

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Dr. Hunter is a clinical psychologist and an advocate for the rights of people diagnosed with mental disorders. She believes in a trauma-informed, humanistic, approach to understanding problems in living. Her interests include challenging negative attitudes towards individuals experiencing emotional distress, psychosocial perspectives on psychosis, and increasing awareness of the effects of oppression and trauma. Although specializing in trauma, dissociation and psychosis, Dr. Hunter views all problems in living as existing within the context of one’s life and on a continuum of suffering. She has trained in community mental health, state hospital, residential, juvenile justice, and college counseling settings. She has additional training in DBT, Internal Family Systems, trauma sensitive yoga, and other trauma-informed practices. Certifications include: Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART), Trauma Art Narrative Therapy, and American Red Cross Training in Disaster Mental Health Services. Prior to studying to become a clinical psychologist, Dr. Hunter was a fledgling actor immersed in improv comedy and made a living for a decade as a personal trainer. These experiences highly influence both her perspective on humanity and mental health, as well as her approach to clinical work. She realized long before entering her studies the importance of relationships and the profound healing effects of humor, comradery, and physical activity. In addition, she realized in working with “the worried well” the continuum on which emotional suffering resides and the extensive suffering that exists due to our current cultural society.

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Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.