ABSTRACT
A clear understanding of the phenomenon of co-dependency requires a consideration of general types of discourse and of the roles the different types play in social and cultural change. Co-dependency's appeal lies in its status as a discourse of reform. Co-dependency found a receptive audience, though, not simply because of its articulation with, and hence reiteration of, liberation psychotherapy's core premises. Co-dependency found a receptive audience, though, not simply because of its articulation with, and hence reiteration of, liberation psychotherapy's core premises. More appealing is that the discourse offers a reformed version of liberation therapy, a version that makes it possible to forge a healthy identity in and through stable social relationships. In providing the opportunities, in bringing social relations into line with liberation therapy's core principles, co-dependency aligns itself with its historical predecessors—it is simply the latest in a long line of discourses of reform.
