Decolonizing Authenticity

In an increasingly individualistic world, could community-focused actions be more beneficial?

Lago (2007) points out that the concept of "living authentically" often carries cultural biases and is rooted in Western perspectives. While psychotherapy generally supports the idea that individuals can shape their identities, this view doesn't always consider the conflicts between our internal desires and the choices we face, especially for marginalised groups like people of colour, queer individuals, and immigrants.

As humans, we are continually trying to understand ourselves and our identities (Cooper, 2003). However, the notion that everyone can fully pursue their internal desires on equal terms, overlooks the racial, social and cultural challenges many marginalised people may encounter (Fanon, Philcox & Appiah, 2008).

To truly understand authentic living as psychotherapists, we need to recognise how our own perspectives might be influenced by colonial thinking (O’Hara, 2016). O'Hara highlights that while everyone has the potential to shape their identity, Western views have dominated for so long that other ways of seeing ourselves are often pushed to the sidelines. To live authentically and tackle issues like the global mental health crisis, we need to rethink our world views and how we approach solutions.

Understanding how race, culture, and society shape an individual's sense of self is essential in psychotherapy (Ababio & Littlewood, 2019). For instance, when helping clients of colour build their authentic selves, we can draw on the insights of Fanon, Philcox, and Richard (2008), who emphasised that the dominance of white norms is often mistaken for universal truths. This resonates with me personally; I wonder how these norms affected my ability to express my own identity as a woman of colour, especially since Black individuals are frequently rewarded for conforming to white standards.

From both the literature and my personal experiences, I believe that recognising how culture, power, and privilege shape our consciousness is crucial for psychotherapists who aim to support authenticity in their practice.