Therapists are Socially Constructed Too

Abstract

Therapists are trained to recognize that their clients are influenced strongly by their own families, and by the social, cultural, and political context in which they live. Some therapists have come to view their clients' behavior and experiences as socially constructed. From this perspective, they conceive of therapy as the construction of a new, more functional narrative between the collaborators in the process. However, within this framework what can be forgotten is that therapists are socially constructed too, and are just as influenced by societal and cultural beliefs as their clients. In this paper, this phenomenon is examined through the use of case study. Implications for the practice, teaching, and supervision of therapy are discussed.