Personal construct psychology and social constructionism are not incompatible: Implications of a reframing

Abstract

A usual way of thinking about the relationship between personal construct psychology (PCP) and social constructionism (SC) is treating them as two separate entities that are similar in some aspects, but also very different in others. This paper aims at exploring some of the possible implications of reframing the relationship between PCP and SC. I point to two important implications: treating PCP as a discourse and adding a new metaphor of the person. Finally, I argue that the invitation to reframe the relationship between PCP and SC extends both approaches and offers more than each of them alone. On one hand, it extends and enriches SC theory and points to benefits of applying the PCP “toolkit” to constructionist therapy and research. On the other hand, proposed reframing contributes to PCP theory and points to new ways of addressing social construction in therapeutic conversations.