The relational emphasis of the postmodernism, opened up the doors of psychology for welcoming a ‘two-person’ approach, which emphasized both the dignity and subjectivity of the person on the couch as well as the co-creating subjectivity of the psychologist/clinician.
A Francis OFM
Psychology is not a roadless-travelled domain, anymore. Obviously, it is gaining wider visibility and acceptance these days, particularly, among the millennials who show greater degrees of interest in embracing it as a source of healing and wellbeing. Statistics worldwide indicate that during the pandemic, several individuals, specifically young adults and teens accessed psychological services. A lot more workplaces today are keen on ensuring their employees that these services are available for them, either in-house, or on-line or in a suitable near-by clinical setting.
In the past, not so long ago, skepticism towards psychology was the trend among commoners. People shied away from the so-called unconventional and authoritarian methods of classical psychology that bluntly analyzed people and their pathologies. In the scenario of having a family member with mental health issues, and other members displaying an extra care to conceal not only the health issues of the person, but also the person him/herself was a commonly accepted behavioural pattern. The person being helped to obtain psychological services, was not a preferred option because of the staggering social stigma attached to it.
Dismantling the stigma, the millennials today, are a lot more forthcoming in utilizing the benefits of psychology in understanding themselves and their relationship with others, enhancing their appreciation for the diversity of the world and their ability to cope with various unpredictable phenomena which from time to time wreck the planet and the entire human civilization, with a potential threat that is nothing less than ultimate extinction. At this time of history, these threats are so obvious: the pandemic, global warming, potential nuclear wars and the list goes on.
Unprecedentedly, in the midst of all these upheavals the millennials are upfront in talking about the importance of caring for their mental health. It has become routine now for them to visit a psychologist, psychiatrist or a psychotherapist and seek help for the intra and interpsychic struggles they undergo. These changing trends of the postmodern life can’t just be deemed as capriciously accidental, as much as it can be viewed as a direct outcome resulting from the many changing trends that are happening in the domain of psychology itself.
The ‘two-person’ psychology and the relational approach
The flight of psychology from the ego-centered and drive-saturated backyard of Sigmund Freud and the subsequent Freudians who treated care-seeking individuals strictly as ‘patients’ was not a straightforward or organic trajectory. The classical psychologists, whether they were intentional or not, constructed a strong theoretical foundation for a ‘one-person’ psychology. They held the position that the person on the couch was the one whose mind was seriously ill; hence his subjectivity and self-agency can’t be counted or credited. Needless to say, he was not taken holistically, as a person united in mind, body and spirit. Exclusively, it was the psychologist, the ‘one-person’ in this approach who authoritatively ‘played with’ the mind of the person on the couch. who was counted important in the process of treatment. He (mostly a male and often a white male) singularly was the expert.
The relational emphasis of the postmodernism, opened up the doors of psychology for welcoming a ‘two-person’ approach, which emphasized both the dignity and subjectivity of the person on the couch as well as the co-creating subjectivity of the psychologist/clinician. The therapeutic relationship between clinician and the client started to take the central stage in the process of treatment and healing.
‘Relationship heals’ became the striking tag-line of the profession. This was a great game changer, a paradigm shift from the client’s experience of stigmatization to de-stigmatization, from unrelatedness to relatedness, and from the Freudian ‘object’ of the classical theories to a ‘subject-in-relationship’ of the postmodern intersubjectivity!
Pushed by the relational spin, clinicians started to relocate their focus from the mere realm of the individual’s mind, to a holistic understanding of human person as an interrelated whole of mind, body and spirit. The whole person became the focus of the treatment.
Leaving the so-called ivory towers of the absolute neutrality as the therapeutic position, clinicians started to understand their role as one of providing a ‘safe attachment base’ that enables the client to experience confidence and safety, a ‘mirroring presence’ that instills the client to feel loved and valued and a ‘twinship transference’ experience that promotes a strong sense of normalcy, namely, ‘I am like anyone else (and everyone else); I am human, not an alien, a phantom or a ghost!’
Having the traces of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, excessive anger, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, and borderline personality disorder are one thing, but accepting it and seeking help without concealing them under an iron-clad carpet of one’s persona is absolutely a healthy sign of personal maturity and self-agency. Large numbers of teens and young adults showcase this maturity, today, by daring to obtain a clinical diagnosis and subsequent psychological help, because of the relational spin in Psychology that has transitioned the domain from a scientific discipline that investigates human pathology to human mental health and wellbeing.
Finally, it also needs to be stated that not all branches of psychology are upfront to embrace the relational trend. But for those that have embraced it, no doubt, it certainly is a welcome trend and a ground-breaking paradigm shift that reshapes the domain as a meeting place of incredibly unimposing, transparent and open science.
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