Postmodern Orientation Psychotherapy: its main characteristics

Since the emergence of the first proposals of psychology in general and of psychotherapy in particular, There has been a series of theoretical-practical precepts that have dominated and gone through most of the approaches to psychotherapy. They have been of enormous help in addressing the phenomena of mental health, suffering and well-being of people, but they have also presented their limitations and risks.

Aspects such as the rigid use of diagnostic categories, the idea that mental phenomena are measurable and fully predictable or the existence of an allegedly objective approach by psychotherapists are part of the precepts before mentioned.

Postmodern oriented psychotherapy, in its different lines, emerges as an alternative to the questioning of the elements mentioned and others. From narrative approaches, focused on solutions, contextual, constructivist, interactional, enactive and social constructionist proposals appear, many times radically different and without a doubt new. Next, some of the main characteristics that cross the different proposals mentioned will be mentioned.

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The importance of contexts

The title may seem obvious, but many psychotherapeutic approaches have exclusively focused their attention on the intrapsychic phenomena of people. From the postmodern point of view, contexts are not only relevant, but also central. in understanding psychological phenomena.

From the point of view of Social Constructionism, people act in a permanent relationship from and towards contexts (what is called contextual force and implicative force, according to Pearce) and this dynamic has its particular characteristics and implications depending on each relationship observed.

Systemic and interpersonal aspects they acquire a central relevance in the understanding and hypothesizing of the reasons for consultation and the ways to generate relief with the consultants.

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Language as a central element

A second element that is particularly relevant in these approaches is language, in its broad sense. The communicative phenomena, the systems of meanings in which we participate and the way in which people mobilize and build their identity Through them, they take on a novel role.

It is important to point out that language not only has to do with the verbal, but also with its relational and meaning, considering their influence on the definition and construction of reality of the people. This occurs at different levels: in emotions, in actions and in the construction of worldviews.

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The person is never the problem

From the approach of Narrative Therapy, it has been proposed that people are not the problem, but that the problem is the problem. The definition may seem redundant on the surface, but it presupposes a revolution against certain modern ideas of therapy.

If we integrate the importance of the contexts indicated above, the problems can only be understood in their reference to culture, interpersonal relationships and the particular meanings that emerge in them, never as something isolated that has to do with an essential element, proper and inherent to the way of being of a person.

The problem is separated from the identity of the people and for this reason, work is done looking for solutions to it rather than trying to couple people to certain normative criteria.

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The "I" in constant and inevitable change

An interesting concept from the enactive and constructivist - interactional perspectives presupposes that people are in permanent and inevitable change and that it always has a component systemic

Although the opposite might appear to be the case, we are never exactly the same person as at another time, and what remains has more to do with the definitions of identity and meanings that we make about ourselves and others. This applies both to our way of seeing, feeling and acting as well as at the level of biological phenomena. In psychotherapy this is usually very liberating in the sense that we can observe ourselves with less rigidity and allow ourselves greater plasticity in the desired changes.

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The existence of multiple realities

In the context of the premises of Constructivism and Social Constructionism, it is argued that reality does not exist independently of who or who builds it. We are determined by our own worldview, biological and cultural structures.

There are as many realities as there are possible points of view and each reality has a value and deserves to be considered. by itself, independent of the dominant ideas about what is "normal", "good", "right" etc. This also puts the therapists themselves in an ethical implication regarding the observation of their own way of observing and a work of constant questioning and positioning regarding the same.

As can be seen, postmodern approaches in their wide diversity have proposed novel and very important conceptions about psychology and the space of psychotherapy. For many consultants it is of the utmost importance in the search for relief to know that the consultation space does not always imply the same guidelines as the usual and more dominant ones. These premises invite to try new alternatives and a new understanding in the field of psychology and the study of human phenomena.