Therapies of Social Construction (Postmodern Therapies)

I guess you could look at the Medical Model (1) and Individualized Therapies (2) as a first wave in mental health. Family Systems Therapies (3) can be viewed as a second wave. It appears that consumers are rarely informed about a third wave of mental health counseling. This third wave I refer to is Postmodern Therapies as described by Lois Shawver (4).

After many years of working in the mental health field, I have come to appreciate the many ways that we can story our problems and develop our solutions. Social Constructionism is about how we story the world we live in. Social Construction Therapies work with the clients to explore stories that may have a better fit for them and their lives.

These models include Solution Focused Brief Therapy (5) , Narrative Therapy (6) , and Collaborative Therapy (7). Harlene Anderson has a wonderful paper that compares and contrasts these three models (8).

These models reflect my work better than that of the first two waves of mental health counseling. However, consumers are rarely aware of any differences in how therapy can be conducted.

Footnotes:
(1) Refer to September 15, 2004 blog

(2) Refer to September 16, 2004 blog

(3) Refer to September 17, 2004 blog

(4) http://www.newtherapist.com/lois6.html

(5) http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/8/2/149

(6) http://www.massey.ac.nz/~alock/virtual/narrativ.htm

(7) http://www.harleneanderson.org/writings/postmoderncollaborativeapproach.htm

(8) http://www.harleneanderson.org/writings/postmoderntherapieschapter.htm