Relational is the ‘new black’: Perspectives on developing a (consistently) relational approach to practice
A relational, or post-Cartesian approach to practice has become the new orthodoxy in clinical thinking. This is perhaps not surprising given the growing cultural dis-ease with individualism, it’s inherent dualism and understanding of the isolated mind. But this relational or inter-subjective shift is not so easily made. Gestalt’s own uneasy history with individualism has sometimes been reflected in approaches to practice and the training of clinicians that have privileged self-reliance and unintentionally fostered a culture of narcissism and isolation. A relational, or post-Cartesian approach to practice has become the new orthodoxy in clinical thinking. This is perhaps not surprising given the growing cultural dis-ease with individualism, it’s inherent dualism and understanding of the isolated mind. But this relational or inter-subjective shift is not so easily made.
Gestalt’s own uneasy history with individualism has sometimes been reflected in approaches to practice and the training of clinicians that have privileged self-reliance and unintentionally fostered a culture of narcissism and isolation. Contemporary gestalt practice, with its commitment to the relational paradigm, has sought to address this by focusing its training programs around the development of ‘relational competencies’. These include embodied awareness, hermeneutic enquiry, dialogical contacting, affect tolerance, emotional courage, the ability to tolerate complexity, and an emergent ethics of the ‘other’. This approach requires a rigorous approach to theory and a more thorough understanding of the philosophical principles that underpin this ‘relational turn’. Also crucial to a more consistent application of these competencies is an approach to training that is grounded in experiential learning and the ongoing reflection of a professional community.
