Reintegrating Janus: Eclectics and dialectics in counselling and psychotherapy

Abstract

The history of science reveals a number of significant shifts in the conception of the universe. Recently, 20th century physics with its new discoveries has broken away from the traditional view of the universe to seeing it as interrelated, holistic, and emergent. This version of reality is complementary with the concept of dialectics. Dialectics is defined accordingly and its flexibility is suited to guide the present eclectic stance in counselling psychology and psychotherapy. Counselling psychology and psychotherapy are discussed within Kuhn's (1970) framework of normal science, crisis, and revolution. The normal science phase demonstrates variations of the subject/object dichotomy, and active/passive therapeutic orientations. Eclecticism reflects the crisis stage. Eclecticism is a multiple perspective that does not usually guide metatheory. The revolution and resolution phase for therapeutic psychology is manifested in a new paradigm based on dialectics. Dialectics makes eclecticism legitimate and comments towards that end are presented.

The MRI Reflecting Team: an Integrated Approach

“…A study by Garfield and Kurtz (1977) found that one-half of clinicians labeled themselves as "eclectic" and discouraged affiliation with any one school of therapy. More recent studies (Arkowitz, 1997;Newman, Goldfried 1996;Short, Boone, & Hess, 1997) indicate steady growth in the eclectic trend since the 1977 study. As the pendulum continues to swing toward postmodernism, the number of eclectic therapists will inevitably continue to rise.…”