THE POSTMODERN CONCEPTION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY AND
During the last decade, the postmodern movement has exerted a significant impact on the development of social and behavioral sciences by shattering the traditional beliefs about the nature of reality, objectivity and the self. The conception of the self as a fluid and dynamic being that is redefined by social and cultural contexts has also challenged the notions of the individual, the definition of psychopathology and the treatment methods in traditional psychotherapy (Lyddon & Schreiner, 2000). In accordance with the essentialist perspective, traditional psychotherapy upholds the belief that pre-established standards of behavior or norms exist in society. Thus, those who deviate from the predetermined "norm" in their psyche and their relationships with others are considered to be suffering from mental disorders. Traditional psychotherapy thus revolves around the treatment of the dysfunctions of the individuals so as to help them blend into mainstream society (McNamee, 1996).
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the tenets of postmodernism have shifted psychotherapy into a new paradigm and the implications of this development. Furthermore, the effects of the postmodernist perspective of psychotherapy on current therapeutic approaches used for treatment of clients in contemporary society will also be discussed.
Themes of Postmodernism and Impact on Psychotherapy
In their article, Lyddon and Schreiner (2000) highlighted four prominent themes of postmodernism. First, the modernists' celebration of truth and knowledge as data and facts has been replaced by knowledge that is dependent on the individual social and cultural construction. Essentially, individuals' effort to derive meaning from their interpretations of their situations lies at the heart of the search for knowledge.
Second, human experience cannot be reduced to a set of universal laws and princ...