SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE THERAPEUTIC POWER OF POSTSTRUCTURALISM

Social constructionism is fast gaining currency as a major theory of s ocial and personal change. Although its origins are in philosophy and sociology, social constructionism has major implications for psycholog y, and in particular, for applied psychology. This paper looks at some of the poststructuralist assumptions which underpin social constructi onism, contrasting these with some of the major beliefs upon which muc h of humanistic psychology is based. It argues that many of the practi ces of liberal humanistic psychology are fundamentally pessimistic, in that they essentialise aspects of the 'self' and the personality, sug gesting strategies of adaptation rather than personal transformation. Further, the absence of an adequate psychological theory of context re nders applied psychology all but helpless in confronting issues of pow er and social control. Poststructuralist theory suggests ways of theor ising human interactions without denying agency, or indeed, claiming t oo much. The paper suggests ways in which counsellors are well placed to take theoretical and practical advantage of these perspectives.