Response-Based Practice Resources

Media highlights

Dr. Allan Wade appointed to the Order of Canada

VICTORIA, BC, Dec. 19, 2024 - Dr. Allan Wade, C.M. has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada – one of the country's highest civilian honours – in recognition of his work in developing Response-Based Practice, a specialized approach to addressing violence.

Response-Based Practice evolved from a method of therapy to a framework for improving institutional responses in law enforcement, criminal justice, family law, therapy, child protection, refuges/shelters, victim/survivor and offender treatment, research, and education. 

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Bad Hostage Documentary

In this short documentary, director Mimi Wilcox shares the stories of three hostage situations — including the personal story of when her own grandmother was taken hostage at gunpoint in 1973. A thrilling piece of family lore intersects with the famous kidnapping of Patty Hearst and a dramatic bank heist in Sweden in this investigation into the pernicious origins of Stockholm Syndrome. 

“Dr. Wade was a crucial influence on the development of Bad Hostage. Not only was his talk “Rethinking Stockholm Syndrome” deeply informative for our initial conceptualization of how we would interrogate Stockholm Syndrome throughout the film, but he also provided even deeper help as he consulted with us throughout our editing process,” says Wilcox.

“His knowledge of Kristin Enmark’s experience provided so much clarity as we told her story, and his guidance helped us ensure that we told all three women’s stories with an utmost commitment to contextualizing their experiences through their own voices and through the facts of what happened, stripped of “expert” theorization and media narratives."

“We have heard from audience members across the world that the film has completely changed their mind on what Stockholm Syndrome is, and we are deeply grateful to Dr. Wade for helping us make that possible.”

More about Bad Hostage

National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls and LGBTQ2SI+ Persons

In 2018, Dr. Wade testified at the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls and LGBTQ2SI+ Persons at the request of the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society, where he spoke about the power of language and the necessity of honouring the ongoing resistance of Kaska and other Indigenous peoples to colonialism, past and present.  

Watch the testimony

Podcasts and videos

  • How Stockholm Stuck | Radiolab

    November 2024 | Is “Stockholm Syndrome” just pop psychology built on a pile of lies? Or does it hold some kernel of truth that could help all of us better understand inexplicable trauma?

    Listen via Radiolab

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    The Myth of Stockholm Syndrome | Catherine Richardson

    February 2024 | A discussion with Catherine Richardson on the Myth of Stockholm Syndrome, based on an interview with Kristin Enmark.

    Watch on YouTube

  • Responses & Resistance to Violence | Catherine Richardson

    March 2023 | A conversation on how women and children resist violence in the context of their homes and family life.

    Watch on YouTube

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    Response-Based Practice | The Radical Therapist Podcast

    September 2021 | Discussion on Response-Based Practice, and the connection between violence and language.

    Listen on Spotify

More media

  • Ryan Reynolds, athletes, advocates among new Order of Canada appointees

    Global News article by Ashley Joannou on December 18, 2024

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  • ‘Fearless leadership’: Four Vancouver Islanders appointed to the Order of Canada

    Aricle by Curtis Blandy on December 18, 2024

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  • The Independent | Is Stockholm Syndrome even real? The bizarre story behind a problematic diagnosis

    Article by Sheila Flynn on August 25, 2023

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  • In Dignity: For Effective Responses in Cases of Violence

    Video at Probation and Community Corrections Officer's Association of Australia Conference

    Watch on YouTube