Postmodernism; What It Means to Me

Postmodernism;
What it means to me
And how it will affect
My relationships with Clients?

Daniel Cooper
Methods of Counseling PS 3000
Professor J. Sexton
January 10, 2011
We have been asked to write a paper describing what we believe “postmodernism” is and how it may impact our clients and ourselves in a helping profession. As always, let us consult with Mr. Merriam and Mr. Webster for a functioning definition and then we will bring it home.
postmodern : 1 of, relating to, or being an era after a modern one <postmodern times> <a postmodern metropolis>
2 a : of, relating to, or being any of various movements in reaction to modernism that are typically characterized by a return to traditional materials and forms (as in architecture) or by ironic self-reference and absurdity (as in literature) b : of, relating to, or being a theory that involves a radical reappraisal of modern assumptions about culture, identity, history, or language <postmodern feminism>
As we can see, 2 b, is more closely related to our field of study. Although we are reticent to use the term radical reappraisal, none the less, there have been numerous reappraisals since the turn of the 19th century culminating with our theories of today on therapy and the relationships between therapist and client. So, with all that in mind let us explore how “…we feel about…” this.
Postmodernism means little more to me than… we have adjusted our thinking, as it pertains to the creature we call therapy, from 100 years ago. When I use the un-glamorous word, adjusted, I mean just that. I really don’t believe we have turned 180 degrees in any direction from the “founding fathers of psychology” and how they did business. We have simply learned that some things worked for these types of folks and didn’t work for those types of folks. We have tracked, tested, poked, and prodded until we have discovered that, indeed, we must treat each individual as simply that, an individual! What...