Clinical pluralism is a term used by some
psychotherapist
Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
s to denote an approach to
clinical treatment that would seek to remain respectful towards divergences in
meaning-making. It can signify both an undertaking to negotiate theoretical difference between clinicians, and an undertaking to negotiate differences of belief occurring within the therapeutic relationship itself. While the notion of clinical pluralism is associated with the practice of psychotherapy, similar issues have been raised within the field of medical ethics (see ).
Clinical pluralism can be applied within a particular approach to psychotherapy, such as
psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Modern psychoanalytic training involves not only hours of training sessions but the use of diverse clinical practices. An example of psychoanalytic treatment following clinical pluralism is coparticipant psychoanalysis, which features an individualized treatment but is diverse in the practices employed. This technique holds that all analyses represent unique sets of practices, which depend on the varying characteristics of the personalities that make up the analytic dyad.
Clinical pluralism is also associated with eclectic and
integrative psychotherapy, which are distinguished from clinical practice that follows a specific theoretical school with its own therapeutic techniques.
These approaches to therapy all maintain that there is no single theory or therapeutic modality that can offer optimum efficacy.
See also
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Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in ...
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References
Psychotherapy
Ethics in psychiatry
Psychological concepts
Philosophy of psychology
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