One of the risks of psychotherapy is that it can focus too hard on a specific issue, or a problem, thus isolating it from its context. Most problems are created by the contexts in which people live and therefore require contextual view and solutions. Poverty, violence, sexual behaviour, religious beliefs and practices, social practices and community life must all be part of the therapeutic work if we want to achieve anything beyond mere awareness.
I believe that people come to therapy with real-world problems and are seeking real-world solutions. Therapy that sanctifies the internal world of the client, risks ignoring the relational and contextual aspects of suffering and thus isolates people even more.
A relational stance does not seek to “fix” a person from within, focusing on internal conflicts, but seeks to help people negotiate and transition through their values, education, beliefs, friendships, crises and significant relationships because sustainable change is caused and supported by these contextual factors. Therapy must also take into account a person’s courage, effort and of course how a person overcomes hardships.
