How to be a Critical Psychologist Without Losing Your Soul: A Conversation With Zenobia Morrill, José Giovanni Luiggi-Hernández and Justin Karter

Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health

Mad in America

Mental Health, Medicine, Health & Fitness

4.7 • 212 Ratings

🗓️ 13 August 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On the Mad in America podcast this week, we explore the importance of raising awareness of psychological approaches that challenge mainstream perspectives. Joining us today are three people who are practising clinical psychologists and who have written for Mad in America.

Zenobia Morrill is a critical-liberation psychologist and psychology professor who received her doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her research interests include critical and liberation psychology, the psychotherapy process, and wider conceptual and ethical issues in psychology and psychiatry.

José Giovanni Luiggi-Hernández is a clinical psychologist in private practice, a qualitative researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, a writer for Mad in America and part of the recently launched Mad in Puerto Rico website. His interests include understanding the lived experiences of colonized people using phenomenological, psychoanalytic, and decolonial frameworks, LGBTQ issues and psychotherapy for physical health concerns.

Also joining us is Mad in America's lead research news editor, Justin Karter. A graduate in both psychology and journalism, Justin's research and writing span topics in the philosophy of psychology, critical psychology, MAD studies, cross-cultural psychology, qualitative methods, and theories of counselling and psychotherapy.

In this conversation, we discuss the possibilities opened up by adopting a critical mindset, identify some of the barriers to working in such a way, and share some key resources to help aspiring psychologists explore alternative approaches.

Find a full transcript of this interview here: https://www.madinamerica.com/2025/08/how-to-be-a-critical-psychologist-without-losing-your-soul/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Madden America podcast, your source for science, psychiatry, and social justice.
0:14.4	Hello, this is James, and welcome to the Madden America podcast. Thanks for being with us.
0:20.1	This week, we explore the importance of
0:22.5	raising awareness of psychological approaches that challenge mainstream perspectives. Now, I must admit
0:28.7	some self-interest in this as I have a young person at home who is very curious about psychology,
0:35.1	its limitations and its future direction. So a shout out to Gemma,
0:39.6	hello if you're listening, and a shout out to to any aspiring psychologist who wants to know more
0:45.1	about critical approaches. Joining me today are three people who are practicing clinical psychologists
0:50.7	and who have written for Mad in America. Zanobobia Moral is a critical liberation psychologist and psychology professor who received her
0:59.4	doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her research includes critical and
1:04.5	liberation psychology, the psychotherapy process, and wider conceptual and ethical issues in psychology and psychiatry.
1:13.1	Jose Giovanni Luigi Hernandez is a clinical psychologist in private practice, a qualitative
1:19.0	researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, a writer for Madden America, and part of the recently
1:24.8	launched Madden Puerto Rico website. His interests include understanding
1:29.5	the lived experiences of colonized people using phenomenological, psychoanalytic and decolonial
1:35.5	frameworks, LGBTIQ issues, and psychotherapy for physical health concerns. Also joining us is Mad in America's lead research news editor,
1:46.4	Justin Carter. A graduate in both psychology and journalism, Justin's research and writing,
1:52.3	span topics in the philosophy of psychology, critical psychology, mad studies, cross-cultural
1:58.1	psychology, qualitative methods, and of counselling and psychotherapy.
2:03.7	In this conversation, we discussed the possibilities opened up by adopting a critical mindset.
2:09.1	We identify some of the barriers to adopting such an approach and share some key resources
2:13.9	to help aspiring psychologists explore alternative approaches.
	...

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