Counseling and Psychoanalysis: Advancing the Value of Diversity

Abstract

Arguably, the defining feature of the counseling profession is an appreciation for human diversity. Early counseling movements emphasized individual diversity, while multiculturalism and social justice highlighted cultural diversity. The author maintains that contemporary psychoanalytic thought can supply a needed intraindividual diversity perspective, which has been suppressed by dominant ideologies.Podría decirse que el rasgo definitorio de la profesión de la consejería es la apreciación por la diversidad humana. Los movimientos iniciales en el campo de la consejería enfatizaron la diversidad individual, mientras que el multiculturalismo y la justicia social pusieron de relieve la diversidad cultural. El autor sostiene que el pensamiento psicoanalítico contemporáneo puede proporcionar una perspectiva necesaria sobre la diversidad intraindividual, que ha sido suprimida hasta ahora por las ideologías dominantes.

Cultural competence as a core emphasis of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

“…Although much of the psychoanalytic literature has focused on cultural experience from a dominant psychoanalytic tradition, such as classical theory or relational psychoanalysis, the complexity of cultural identity formation requires multiple psychoanalytic perspectives and an integration of clinical and research knowledge rooted in other traditions (e.g., feminist psychology, feminist psychology, multicultural psychology, social psychology, critical psychology). Hansen (2010) pointed out that the term identity assumes a value of unity rather than diversity, and highlights the role of unconscious conflict in “intraindividual diversity” (p. 16). He suggested that the centrality of internal conflict is shared across different psychoanalytic theories, and that postmodern and relational approaches in particular emphasize the importance of multiplicity of subjective experience.…”

“…research knowledge rooted in other traditions (e.g., feminist psychology, feminist psychology, multicultural psychology, social psychology, critical psychology). Hansen (2010) pointed out that the term identity assumes a value of unity rather than diversity, and highlights the role of unconscious conflict in "intraindividual diversity" (p. 16). He suggested that the centrality of internal conflict is shared across different psychoanalytic theories, and that postmodern and relational approaches in particular emphasize the importance of multiplicity of subjective experience.…”

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

“…If the counseling profession were to embrace this postmodernist vision of professional identity, identity diversity within the same individual would be tolerated and appreciated, just as diversity between people is championed by the multicultural movement. Indeed, it is ironic that the counseling profession has embraced diversity between people in the form of multicultural-ism but has generally rejected diversity within individuals as it relates to professional identity (Hansen, 2010). This irony is richly illustrated by the most recent Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards for counseling programs (CACREP, 2009).…”