Therapeutic Discourse of Psychologists in the Context of Crisis: Normalization of Non-Action

Abstract

This study examines therapeutic discourse, which is presented in the texts of psychologists in the context of crisis conditions associated with the Russian and world news and event agenda of the period end of February — April 2022. The purpose of the study was to reveal and describe the content of therapeutic discourse, to identify which methods (strategies) to normalize crisis conditions it refers to resorting, and whether the opposite happen — when the crucial events taking place are sharpened as a problem. The analysis of the material of blogs (Russian—language texts of psychologists posted on social networks for the period end of February — beginning of March) and interviews with practicing psychologists (11 interviews, collected in March— April 2022). Critical discourse analysis allowed to identify and describe the specifics, characteristic vocabulary and ideological guidelines of therapeutic discourse in crisis conditions, detect its interdiscursivity. A separate emphasis was placed on the description of therapeutic discourse in relation to socio-political, ethical-moral and other neighboring discourses, the following strategies of normalization of the crisis situation inherent in therapeutic discourse were identified — “sealing”, “re-description”, “attention switching”, the opposite discursive strategy — problematization was also outlined. In addition, the recommendations of psychologists (the so-called “techniques”) are considered in relation to how the texts interpreted the events occurring after February 24, 2022 from the point of view of their normalization.

Keywords

• discourse of therapy
• therapeutization
• therapeutic culture
• vocabulary of discourse
• ideological guidelines
• interdiscursivity
• normalization strategies
• problematization strategy