If you’ve ever felt like therapy wasn’t designed for you—or worse, like it made you question your sanity for experiencing systemic injustice—Jennifer Mullan’s Decolonizing Therapy is a book you need to know about. Written primarily for healthcare providers, this book challenges the traditional mental health model and offers a radical, culturally appropriate therapy framework that is deeply decolonized. It’s not just a book; it’s a paradigm shift and a rallying cry for a world where therapy doesn’t gaslight us into thinking we’re “broken” for living under oppressive systems.
Mullan’s work hit home for me as a gynecologist who sees firsthand how external oppression takes a toll on mental health. Women come to my practice describing anxiety, depression, and emotional instability. But often, after meaningful conversations, it’s clear these symptoms are not signs of mental illness—they’re logical, human responses to being harassed at work for their age, weight, pregnancy, illness, hair, menses, or gender.
As a gynecologist, I have had to write notes to patients’ supervisors to allow extra bathroom breaks for menstrual hygiene. It isn’t very respectful to require a grown woman to ask permission to use the bathroom to manage her menses. Now, her supervisor and human resources staff know of her menstrual difficulties. Many of my patients report training new employees only to watch them become their bosses. They are denied advancement in the company but are trusted to train the company leaders. When these women speak up, they face retaliation, isolation, or accusations of being “too emotional.” The insults to our personhood, professional performance, and dignity are exhausting to recall.
And yet, the healthcare industry often tells women they have a mental illness and need medication—for the audacity of not fitting into systems that were never built for them. If they dare to advocate for themselves, the real battle begins: being blackballed, questioning their integrity, or being labeled “difficult.” How is anyone supposed to remain mentally healthy in this context? Can I get an Amen, somebody???
Women who seek to leave abusive marriages often find themselves entangled in a legal system that compounds their victimization rather than providing relief. The lengthy and expensive divorce process frequently forces them to negotiate with their abuser, leaving them vulnerable to further manipulation and psychological harm. The financial toll of these legal battles is staggering, often draining women of their resources and leaving them economically unstable (homeless, hungry, with no money for gas, no money for caring for their children). This economic vulnerability adds layers of frustration, anxiety, depression, and diminished self-esteem—emotional wounds that psychiatric medication alone cannot heal. Meanwhile, affordable, decolonized mental health care remains out of reach for many of these women, leaving them to navigate these challenges largely unsupported.
Adding to this burden is the inadequacy of post-sexual assault care, which often centers on the attacker and the attack rather than the victim, neglecting the vital need to focus on recovery and empowerment. Decolonizing these systems, from the divorce process to post-assault care, is essential to shift the focus toward the dignity, healing, and autonomy of survivors.
In my own practice, I adopted a broader, more holistic approach to care that aligns with Mullan’s philosophy. When a woman shared her struggles, we talked about therapy and medication as options, yes, but also about systemic solutions: filing HR complaints, seeking legal counsel, and leveraging resources to regain agency. This book reinforced the importance of validating their concerns, naming the gaslighting, identifying the systemic failures to address their valid concerns, and rejecting the idea that their emotional responses are “abnormal” or “broken.”
What I especially love about Mullan’s work is how she integrates historical trauma into her framework, making it clear that today’s struggles are part of a legacy of oppression. It’s empowering to reframe our feelings of anger, grief, and exhaustion not as weaknesses but as evidence of our resilience in the face of forces designed to wear us down.
Mullan’s book puts words to these lived experiences and offers a way forward. Caring for patients includes addressing factors that underlie the cause of their psychological distress. She makes the case that therapy must address the root causes of these struggles—historical and systemic oppression—not just treat the symptoms. Her work doesn’t stop with the book. On her website, DecolonizingTherapy.com, Mullan provides accessible resources for professionals and patients, including a discussion guide for readers and support for those seeking decolonized therapy.
This website is an invaluable resource for those navigating mental health challenges caused by external oppression. Whether you’re a healthcare provider looking to implement a decolonized framework in your practice or someone seeking culturally appropriate mental health care, you’ll find something empowering here.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book and Mullan’s website for anyone seeking to heal from systems that were not made by or for us. Decolonizing Therapy is more than a resource—it’s a revolution in how we understand mental health and resilience.
Also, as a note, if you use this link to purchase the book, I will receive a small monetary contribution as an Amazon Affiliate. This helps support my publishing endeavors and advocacy for better mental health practices.
Whether you’re a healthcare provider, someone navigating oppressive systems, or simply a compassionate reader looking to deepen your understanding, this book is a must-read. Let’s discuss how Mullan’s revolutionary ideas resonate with our lives and explore how we can bring this decolonized perspective into our healthcare practices and communities. Prepare to feel seen, validated, and fired up for change!