Consequences of the Postmodernist Vision: Diversity as the Guiding Value for the Counseling Profession

Abstract

The counseling profession has strongly identified with the multicultural movement. Nevertheless, postmodernism, which is the ideological foundation of multiculturalism, has had relatively little impact on other segments of the profession. The author argues that many realms of the counseling profession are locked within modernism and could be significantly enriched by a foundational shift to postmodernism. Two of these realms, professional identity issues and the helping relationship, are elaborated, and conclusions for counseling practice are discussed.

Psychological Suffering as Message or Malady: Ideological and Cultural Contributions of Humanism

“…As a thoroughly message-based ideology, humanism provides a fortifying conceptual link to narrative (White & Epston, 1990), postmodern (Hansen, 2010), social justice (Lemberger & Lemberger-Truelove, 2016), and other contemporary movements, all of which begin with the assumption that clients should have a strong voice. Adopting humanistic ideology, with its exclusively message-based stance, is tantamount to giving clients a giant megaphone.…”

Counseling and Psychoanalysis: Advancing the Value of Diversity

“…As was modernism, postmodernist epistemology was used by the counseling profession to further the value of diversity. Postmodernism, because it allows for multiple legitimate perspectives, formed the ideological foundation of the multicultural movement (Hansen, 2010). The counseling profession strongly identified with multiculturalism, or the "fourth force in counseling" (Pedersen, 1990, p. 93), which emphasized an appreciation for cultural diversity, in contrast to the individual diversity touted by humanism.…”

“…Social constructionism provided a strong philosophical foundation for the appreciation of diversity in the counseling profession (Hansen, 2010). In addition to multiculturalism, the qualitative research movement, which endorses the locally constructed rather than the universal and eternal nature of truth (Berg, 2004), is also thoroughly grounded in social constructionist epistemology.…”

“…the counseling profession and appreciation for human diversity Appreciation for diversity has been a strong historical theme of the counseling profession (Hansen, 2010). The history of the counseling profession can arguably be understood as a continuing effort to advance the value of diversity.…”

Counselling Aboriginal peoples: A thematic study of counselling experiences.

“…For example, some practitioners follow the work of Adler and some follow the work of Beck, while some practitioners take ideas and theories from a variety of sources and integrate them into their own practice. This integration o f ideas is found to be most beneficial for clients and counsellors alike as it disposes of a singular way of practicing, which some researchers regard as unethical (Hansen, 2010). Because humanity, the human psyche, and human behavior are so diverse and complex, it is impossible for one theory to apply to all o f humanity.…”