Individual counseling would be less adept at defining and addressing the myriad of interpersonal issues that influence an individual’s mental health. Systemic-relational counselors tend to do couples or family counseling as primary treatments. Relationships are viewed as real and treatable structures. So, a person’s problems are always assessed within the context of significant relationships. Systems theory is a complex theory that helps counselors understand, label and treat interactions. A social relationship is between people, not inside them. Systems theory was revolutionary in redefining mental health issues as being embedded in social relationship systems - not in individuals and not specific to one person. So, one’s setting and one’s practice may largely affect one’s style of practice. The family services agency likely operates primarily from the systemic-relational paradigm, and its counselors will accordingly apply theories that treat problems between and among people, following social systems theory’s emphasis on relationships. The college counseling center likely operates primarily from the psychological paradigm, and its counselors will accordingly apply theories that address individual problems as a focus of treatment. For example, the approach used by many counselors in a college counseling center likely will be quite different from the approach used by most counselors working at a family service agency. Counselors now can be guided by large theoretical frameworks as they apply specific theories to practice. How does all this talk about metatheory relate to counseling practice? Well, it means that counseling has matured as a profession. It is metatheoretical to the variation of theories within and across paradigm frameworks. The paradigm framework represents a theory about theories of counseling. Paradigms are “super theories,” so to speak. As I describe in my 2012 book, Paradigms of Counseling and Psychotherapy, counseling paradigms are overarching philosophical, theoretical and political structures that act to categorize counseling theories accordingly.
Social paradigm shift professional#
Philosophical, professional and political factors help to establish each movement as a counseling paradigm. The focus of each of these three movements (psychological, systemic-relational and social constructivist) is supported by a unique philosophical foundation with professional and political implications. This appears to be occurring in emerging therapies such as solution-focused therapy and narrative therapy, which are social constructivist in their underpinnings. Now there is an evolving focus on the social consensualizing of problems and solutions. Next came a focus on relationship structures in classic systemic therapies such as structural family therapy or strategic family therapy. This movement is postmodern at its foundation, meaning it is more about relationships than individuals, and it is best represented in what has been defined as the “social constructivism” paradigm of counseling and psychotherapy.Ĭounseling theory has matured from its early focus on individuals, represented in the classic psychology-aligned theories of counseling such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy, person-centered therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, behavior therapy and others. We are now in the middle of another shift of counseling philosophy that has potential to become a major theoretical movement in the field. I was able to become involved only at the tail end of that movement (with publication of an article, “A Systemic Theory of Vocational Rehabilitation,” in 1987). Many currently practicing counselors probably were a bit young to take part in the last paradigm shift, from the psychology of the individual to what is called “social systems theory.” That shift occurred from the 1950s through the 1980s. For someone like me, who fancies himself a counseling philosopher and theoretician, nothing can be more exciting than living through a revolution in theory. We are so lucky to be alive in the midst of a paradigm shift in counseling theory.
0 kommentar(er)
