My Philosophy, Pluralistic Philosophy & Transactional Analysis
- 1. “My Philosophy” Pluralistic Philosophy & Transactional Analysis UKATA National Conference, April 2021
- 2. Andy Williams TSTA(P) Director of TA Training Organisation, Yorkshire, Registered Training Establishment. Many years in the NHS as a tertiary psychotherapist. Research Interests – the efficacy of supervision. Writing Interests – diversities in identities. Clients who identify as queer in all dimensions. Embodied Culture. Suicide. Very interested in ancient pathways across the UK and Eco-TA.
- 3. Keeping ourselves grounded and safe! Confidentiality – protecting our colleagues and clients. Taking responsibility for our own psychological state – remaining grounded and Adult. It is fine to “pass” and miss an activity – but attempt to stay engaged with the process. Remain ethical – if you land up in a breakout room with your therapist or client feel free to exit immediately and be reassigned. Share time equitably – make points clearly and concisely Please ask questions through chat if trainer is in flow. andy williams tsta(p) - TA Training Organisation 3
- 4. Getting to know one another.
- 5. Getting to know one another. Getting to know “self” Spend some time in the small group. 1. Bring an imaginary or real cultural object (if you can reach for it) as a way of introducing yourself – this is can be as small or as big as you like! 2. Discuss the following question with one another…. “Imagine being in the therapy room. What are we doing here? What is my view on the purpose of therapy.”
- 6. Welcome Back UKATA National Conference – April 2021
- 7. “ ” The purpose of therapy for a client, is having the experience of ultimate acceptance of self The late Robin Walford TSTA(P) – personal communication
- 8. “ ” Psychotherapy is about offering the client new information and a new relational experience Hanna Levenson – Time-Limited & Dynamic Psychotherapy.
- 9. “ ” …to put a new show on the road? After Eric Berne.
- 10. This could form the first part of “our thinking” – what am I doing here? The space The intersubjective space Martha Stark’s work – in a sense that defines the nature of the space?
- 11. Is the therapeutic space there to offer 5* Service or Disturbance? Syntonic Experience? Empathy Unconditional Positive Regard A reparative or restorative relational experience Relational Disturbance is an unfortunate rupture? – a failure A place of sanctuary and serenity? Dystonic Experience? Congruity Awareness of unhelpful processes Therapy provides the required relationship. Relational Disturbance is seen through a re-enactment lens – an essential experience. A place of curiosity, creativity and disturbance.
- 12. So what do we mean by the word “Philosophy” in this context? Perhaps we can let ourselves off the hook here a little bit…. Keith Tudor – whom we will come to in a minute includes Principles, Method, Motivation, Attitudes I would add in ideas of transgenerational and cultural importance. Dave Ward – “An activity – of working out the right way to think about things” Hume – Philosophy can only show how we happen to think – not that there might be reality in this in terms of the world.
- 13. “ ” Article by Keith Tudor from 2009 In the Manner of – Transactional Analysis Teaching of Transactional Analysts
- 16. Practice, Philosophy & Theory “All practice is founded on an underlying philosophy in which the practice is rooted and from which the theory follows”.
- 17. Consistency & Coherence Consistency between theory, concepts, methods & practice. A clear coherence between theory and practice Philosophical congruence – between the philosophy, theory and practice. Everything connects – potential for a congruent, reflexive and dynamic interrelationship.
- 18. Finding My Philosophy In a moment I’m going to invite you into small groups, to find your philosophy. In my experience, this is often based on your cultural and transgenerational history. Drop everything on the floor. Role. Job Titles. Family Positons. What is really important to you? Why? Why is that important to you? Dig or drill deeper to see if you can get closer to the true meaning and importance of something for you. You may come up with a single word, or perhaps a phrase about what is really at the heart of your therapeutic identity.
- 19. Let me give you an example….
- 20. My Mother’s Story Born in 1927 in Vienna, Austria Father a lawyer, Mother ran the house March 12, 1938 Nazi’s marched in Austria Mother was 11 years old. Nov 9, 1938 Kristallnacht – open violence to Jews became prevalent - The Final Solution Mother fled to England in 1939 2nd World War started on 1st Sept 1939
- 21. So now it’s our turn….. In a moment I’m going to invite you into small groups, to find your philosophy. In my experience, this is often based on your cultural and transgenerational history. Drop everything on the floor. Role. Job Titles. Family Positons. What is really important to you? Why? Why is that important to you? Dig or drill deeper to see if you can get closer to the true meaning and importance of something for you. You may come up with a single word, or perhaps a phrase about what is really at the heart of your therapeutic identity.
- 22. Why is it important that we know our philosophical position? We need to become “expert” in knowing if we have lost ourselves, and can we find our way home.
- 23. Client Therapist Transference Experience of self and self in relation to other. Counter- Transference Experience of self and self in relation to other. The Process of Objectification. - The client objectifies the therapist - The therapist objectifies the client - We are not really in the here-and-now. - Loss of potency, presence and connection by the therapist.
- 24. Client Therapist The Process of moving from Objectification to Subjectivity. - The therapist returns to the here-and-now - The therapist steps out of the transference. - The therapist regains their skill of spotting the process - The therapist regains contact with self and other – and therefore is able to offer a true mirror to other. - The client moves to a place of contact with self and other. - True autonomy is restored.
- 26. A quote to get us started…. an ethical commitment to valuing diversity; and a wariness towards monolithic, all-consuming ‘truths’, because of the way that they can suppress individuality and difference.
- 27. A definition to get us started… Pluralism can be defined as: The philosophical belief that… ‘any substantial question admits of a variety of plausible but mutually conflicting responses’ (Rescher, 1993, p. 79).
- 28. What does this mean for therapy? This pluralistic standpoint implies that: there are a variety of views that can be taken on a wide range of therapeutic issues, and that there is no inherent right or wrong way.
- 29. Pillar No. 1 of 3 – Across Orientations The first pillar is pluralism across orientations. This means that a pluralistic practitioner is open to considering a variety of different ways in which clients get distressed and, correspondingly, a variety of different ways of helping them. Taking this stance poses a direct challenge to the schoolism that has been endemic in the field of counselling and psychotherapy.
- 30. Pillar No. 2 of 3 – Across Clients The second pillar is pluralism across clients. This is marked by the emphasis that is placed on recognising and celebrating diversity across clients. What follows from this is that pluralistic practitioners are keen to offer each client a bespoke approach to counselling and psychotherapy rather than one that is ‘off the peg’.
- 31. Pillar No. 3 of 3 – Across Perspectives pluralism across perspectives. What is the problem and the solution here? A pluralistic therapeutic approach advocates that both participants in the therapeutic relationship — clients as well as practitioners — have much to offer when it comes to making decisions concerning therapeutic goals and the selection of therapy tasks and methods. This means that a pluralistic approach emphasises shared decision-making and feedback across clients and therapists.
- 32. Pluralistic Principles There is no one right way of conceptualising clients’ problems — different understandings are useful for different clients at different points in time There is no one right way of practising therapy — different clients need different things at different points in time Many disputes and disagreements in the therapeutic field can be resolved by taking a ‘both/and’ perspective, rather than an ‘either/or’ one It is important that counsellors and psychotherapists respect each others’ work and recognise the value that it can have Counsellors and psychotherapists should acknowledge and celebrate clients’ diversity and uniqueness Clients should be involved fully at every stage of the therapeutic process Clients should be understood in terms of their strengths and resources, as well as areas of difficulty Counsellors and psychotherapists should have an openness to multiple sources of knowledge on how to practice therapy: including research, personal experience, and theory It is important that counsellors and psychotherapists take a critical perspective on their own theory and practice: being willing to look at their own investment in a particular position and having the ability to stand back from it.
- 33. Pluralistic Field The Client And all their experience The Therapist And all their experience The Cultural Contexts then and now
- 34. Yes there is difference and diversity… But what about Privilege & Oppression.
- 35. Oppression The systematic devaluing, undermining, marginalising, and disadvantaging of certain SOCIAL IDENTITY GROUPS In contrast to the privileged norm.
- 36. OPPRESSION AS A BIRDCAGE Oppression – an interlocking network of institutional barriers that prevent escape. Mutually reinforcing system of barriers. Present in all institutions – education, employment, government, healthcare, family, justice, sport………
- 37. OPPRESSION AS A BIRDCAGE All Institutions…..so presumably….. Psychotherapy Training Courses Psychotherapy Practices Third Party organisations with whom we engage and contract with.
- 38. New Racism and Oppression Blindness Subtle Institutional Thrives on the back of “colour blindness” “I treat everyone the same” “We’ve created a level playing field – thus inequality must be down to individuals’ failures”
- 39. The Matrix of Oppression & Privilege We all have multiple SOCIAL GROUP IDENTITES They are constructs They define who we are and how others view us. We may be oppressed in some contexts, and privileged in others. Race, gender, sexuality, disability, class etc are socially constructed classification systems. Oppression impacts the non- dominant groups through Limitations Disadvantages Disapproval
- 40. Social Identities These are internally constructed and then externally applied to other. Exists or is consistently used to bestow power, benefits and disadvantage. Is used to explain differences in outcomes, efforts, abilities (eg the process of oppression-blindness). Is immutable, difficult, costly, dangerous to change.
- 42. Systems of Oppression Historical and/or Organised patterns of mistreatment Woven into culture, society and law Reinforce the oppression of marginalised groups Elevate dominant social groups Sexism, Heterosexism, Ableism, Classism, Ageism, Anti-Semitism, Racism, Transphobia, Homophobia,
- 43. Oppression = Prejudice + Institutional Power Discriminates against some Benefits others
- 44. Outcomes from this workshop Above all, developing a sense of our philosophy Why? Because this is what informs how we THINK and model things – THEORY Why/ Because this informs what we DO with our clients – PRACTICE. Knowing our Philosophy is essential – because it helps us to hold on to our SUBJECTIVITY and to navigate the seas of the transferential matrix. PLURALISM seems to have a lot of useful things to say about how we can pay attention to Privilege and Oppression in our practice. PLURALISM seems to offer a template of helpful behaviours to attend to, in our experiment of reducing oppression and increasing equality and opportunity.
- 45. Call to Action…Become an Ally Learn about Oppression & Privilege and teach others. Seek community and work on social justice Assume that inequality & oppression are everywhere, all the time, even when not visible to you. I need to be aware of my own privilege. Who is the centre of attention? Who has access to power? Whose voice is missing? Notice the ways in which oppression and privilege are denied, ignored, minimised or justified.
- 46. Call to Action…Become an Ally Learn from history. From forms of history and social movements. Speak Out! Take Risks! Act! Learning to see oppression and privilege is a lifelong project. Mistakes are learning opportunities, and always painful! Listen to and respect the leaders of oppressed groups Be active, ready to be mobilised and to be active around inequality.
- 48. References Keith Tudor (2009) “In the Manner of”: Transactional Analysis Teaching of Transactional Analysts. TAJ, 39:4, 276-292 Mick Cooper and Windy Dryden – Editors. (2016) The handbook of pluralistic counselling & psychotherapy. Sage. Matthew Chrisman et al (2017) Philosophy for Everyone. Routledge Works by Karen Minikin in the TAJ are very useful in this area.
- 49. Please be in contact. Andy Williams TSTA(P) andywilliams@therapysecure.com TA Training Organisation