If I were writing a science-fiction screenplay depicting a dystopian future in which a cowed populace was ruled by an authoritarian state, the plot point where I delve into "psychoeducation" sessions at a "Critical Therapy Center" would be one of the more far-fetched elements.
And yet, here we are.
For those who don't recall the incident, this was really a story about a Karen, and a Ken, with Ken calling Karen out for having her dog off-leash, and then Karen doing what Karens do, ASKING TO SEE THE MANAGER.
Of course, there is no manager on duty in Central Park, so she called the police and said an "African-American" man was threatening her and her dog.
That was a bit of an exaggeration, he was not directly threatening her.
He was, however, threatening her dog.
This is not well-known because Ken started filming after that part.
This was his own account, as related on Facebook (and reported by the New York Post).
"ME: All you have to do is take him to the other side of the drive, outside the Ramble, and you can let him run off leash all you want.
"HER: It's too dangerous.
"ME: Look, if you're going to do what you want, I'm going to do what I want, but you're not going to like it.
"HER: What's that?
"ME (to the dog): Come here, puppy!
"HER: He won't come to you.
"ME: We'll see about that…" before adding, "I pull out the dog treats I carry for just for such intransigence. I didn't even get a chance to toss any treats to the pooch before Karen scrambled to grab the dog.
"HER: DON'T YOU TOUCH MY DOG!!!!!
"That's when I started video recording with my iPhone, and when her inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn..
That's when it took a dark turn?
As Ken described it:
"The choice of either capitulating to this racist spin she was going to try to use to alter my behavior,..."
Of course he assumed the fact that she told the police he was "African-American" was not a description, but a racial attack, as was the whole incident.
"...or I could continue doing what I was doing, which was recording her scofflaw behavior on my iPhone."
They really did deserve each other.
And yet, Karen is the only who gets sent to "psychoeducation" camp, which by the way, is defined as,
An evidence-based therapeutic intervention for patients and their loved ones that provides information and support to better understand and cope with illness. Psychoeducation is most often associated with serious mental illness, including dementia, schizophrenia, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, psychotic illnesses, eating disorders, personality disorders and autism, although the term has also been used for programs that address physical illnesses, such as cancer.[1][2]
Oh, well, is that all.
The Critical Therapy Center itself is quite woke, and celebrated its participation in a "Decolonizing Psychology Conference:"
Mainstream psychology continues to privilege and promote the interests of the minority over the majority, in particular those in Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) countries. The call for a decolonial turn in psychology has gathered momentum over recent years along with greater reflection on how the field reproduces and reinforces systems of oppression including social, racial, economic, and ecological injustice.
Is this really what you want your psychologist focusing on?
I know were I struggling with a serious mental health issue I would be far more comfortable baring my soul to my therapist if I knew she was going to help decolonize systems of oppression including social, racial, economic, and ecological injustice.
Ah well, Karen did what she had to do to stay out of jail.
"Ms. Cooper's therapist reported that it was a moving experience and Ms. Cooper learned a lot in their sessions together," the prosecutor said during the hearing.
I think we all learned a lot.
