Creative Maladjustment: Confessions of a Trauma-Informed Systemic Therapist

CTS Talks presents:

Creative Maladjustment: Confessions of a Trauma-Informed Systemic Therapist

REV. DR. CHRISTINA JONES DAVIS

Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Marriage and Family Therapy at Christian Theological Seminary

Larger systems impact communities, families, and persons alike. In this talk, Dr. Davis draws insights from systemic therapies to explore approaches to care that chart paths towards "creative maladjustment" to conditions that diminish human dignity and flourishing. Most often, maladjustment refers to an individual's difficulty adapting to their environment. The problem? Environments are not of an individual's making and do not always promote an individual's flourishing. Creative maladjustment, a term coined by Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1967 address to the American Psychological Association, refers to the deliberate and conscious refusal to adapt to unjust or harmful systems. It's not about a lack of wellness, but rather about resisting and challenging the status quo in creative, constructive, and collective ways.

The CTS Talks presentation will be followed by a reception for those in attendance.

Experience a series of “TED Talk” style lectures at CTS Talks. Delivered by subject matter experts, these thought-provoking talks provide a platform to gain insight on topics that tie together intellectual curiosity and community reflection.

Host or Publisher Christian Theological Seminary