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Dialogical self as a meta-positioning perspective

for psychotherapy

Elena Grebenyuk, Russia9-th Dialogical Self conference 7-10/09 2016 Lublin, Poland

Postmodern conditions•Plurality of the psychotherapeutic and personal development theories and practices•Plurality and changeability of the world we live in

In this situation therapists can follow…‘Purism’: clear commitment to one psychotherapeutic approachHow to choose it?How to prevent rigidity and blindness?

‘Eclecticism’: combination of different approaches How to choose them?How to combine them?How to prevent messiness?

What if we look at psychotherapy from the perspective of Dialogical Self theory?

Psychotherapy as a process of constructing / performing self-positions and relationships between them and with the ‘outer’ world

‘Construction’? [is it an appropriate word?]- “Agency” connotation - is not always suitable: it can be

implicit for a client and therapist- “Stability” connotation (like we are making smth

separate and fixed) – so we can use the term ‘performing’ for the processual aspect

- Alternative metaphors? Changing, creation, growing, playing, dancing…

Two aspects of self-position construction in therapy

Meta-levelWhat self-positions are constructed by therapeutic relationships, ways of communication, implicit and explicit assumptions of the approach?

Working with self-positions of the client (or the close concepts)What relationships does the approach construct between different self-positions of the client between each other and ‘outer’ world?

Some ideas about meta-levelDifferent therapeutical approaches construct different types of self-positions and relationships, so they can be described in terms of their characteristics. Probably, every approach offers missing, deficient hero for its time & culture.

Some ideas about meta-levelThere are some widely useful positions for our time & culture. For example:

• Personal agency• Inner witness• Inner therapist• Self-compassion• Meta-position• ‘Promoter’ positions• etc.

Some ideas about meta-levelThere are some widely useful communication qualities for our time & culture. For example:

• Dialogue• Joint action• Polarities interaction / integration• Development of repertoire, volume and diversity• Development of flexibility, changeability, dynamic balance • Body-mind integrity

Some of the differences between approaches to self-positions workModern perspective Postmodern perspectiveSubpersonalities etc Positions, voices

Located inside, more or less fixed Contextual, flexible and dispersed

Concrete & limited set of positions Can be anything

There are ‘right’/ ‘wrong’, ‘good’ / ‘bad’ positions and types of relationships

Can be differently valuated

Implicit principles, norms and values Ability to explicate principles, norms and values, change the reflective point

Non - specific to the context Attention to the social & cultural context

Hazards of modern perspectiveOn the meta-level it produces power relations: therapist refers to expert knowledge, client takes some kind of non-expert, subjugated, pathologized position (Foucault, narrative approach critique)

So, some of the principles in my work:Meta-level

• Postmodern perspective informed by narrative approach way of asking questions (Client as expert in his own life, support of agency)

• Possibility to reflect on narrative practice: agency as vital, but not the only option

So, some of the principles in my work:Working with positions

• Relationships are primary: attention to the ‘partner’ positions (‘inner’ and ‘outer’), communication and dynamic qualities of process

• All the positions and relationships can be embodied, lived and changed through movement

References• Handbook of Dialogical Self theory. Hermans H.J.M., Gieser T. (eds.) UK, Cambridge university

press, 2012.• The Dialogical Self in Psychotherapy. Hermans H.J.M., Dimaggio G. (eds.) Routledge, NY, 2005.• Hermans H.J.M., Hermans-Konopka A. Dialogical self theory: positioning and counter-

positioning in a globalizing society. UK, Cambridge university press, 2010.• Hermans H.J. Self as a Society of I-Positions: A Dialogical Approach to Counseling // Journal of

Humanistic Counseling, July 2014, vol. 53, pp. 134 – 159. • Rowan J. Personification. Using dialogical self in psychotherapy and counselling. NY:

Routledge, 2010• White M., Epston D. Narrative means to therapeutic ends. NY: A Norton professional book,

1991

Thank you and you’re welcome to dialogue:[email protected] by Odilon Redon

Self Improvement

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