Overview

In this video, Dr. Linda R. Mona demonstrates disability affirmative therapy (DAT), a framework for psychotherapy with people with physical disabilities. DAT is a metatheoretical perspective that provides a disability-positive context where specific treatment interventions can be effectively applied. The DAT model focuses on empowerment and acknowledgement of social marginalization and environmental barriers, an appreciation of the dynamic nature of disability, consideration of the medical realities of persons with disabilities, and recognition of personal coping strategies. Using established therapeutic practices (e.g., cognitive–behavioural therapy, behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques) within a disability-affirmative framework allows for a truly integrated approach that includes addressing the individual's presenting symptoms as well as facilitating awareness of social and political factors that may be affecting quality of life. In this demonstration, Dr. Mona works with a woman with a physical disability who is having difficulty finding a job. Dr. Mona establishes a therapeutic environment that allows for affirmative goal-setting, an integrated view of the self, and attention to the values of flexibility and creativity that are prized in the disability community.

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9781433816895

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Linda R. Mona, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked as a clinician, consultant, and researcher focusing on the psychological aspects of disability as a diverse life experience. For the past 11 years, she has worked at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System providing mental health services to veterans with disabilities. She currently serves as the director of psychology postdoctoral training. Much of Dr. Mona's work focuses on providing education and psychotherapy services on sexual health for people with disabilities. Infusing notions about disability into diversity education and training has also been one of her career passions. She has worked on challenging traditional medical notions of disability and reframing this life experience from a multicultural lens to further understand the unique experience people with disabilities bring to any work and social context. Dr. Mona has received national recognition by APA, the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professions and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality for her work focusing on persons with disabilities. Dr. Mona's work has been brought to mainstream audiences not only through the internet but also through other media including Oprah radio, Canadian Discovery Health, PBS, NBC's Today show, and Cosmopolitan and Self magazines.

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