Psychotherapy in a time when the familiar is dying

Abstract

This is a transcribed dialogue that took place on 14th January 2022 between five psychotherapists from different continents, modalities, backgrounds and perspectives, all of whom brought a wealth of experience to the commons of the profession. In a deliberate departure from the singular voice, this was an invitation to come together across disciplines and to co-generate entangled and inter-connected meaning. The primary aim was a cross-fertilisation, a building of bridges across modalities, allowing multiple perspectives to coexist in a kaleidoscope of conversation. Even though most members of the discussion group ordinarily have large public speaking engagements, this conversation was private. We gathered in an incubation space around one single question: the role of psychotherapy in a time when the familiar is dying. Nobody led the conversation, there was no prodding or probing. We sat with this single question and paid attention to what emerged between the silences. The conversation was recorded without expectation for it to serve anything other than our coming together. After the conversation took place, all participants had time to reflect and feel into the space that was co-created. Clusters of meaning had emerged organically. All agreed for the conversation to be edited and transcribed and to form a provocation paper for this special edition on climate change. The hope was for the conversation to ripple out and for colleagues from all modalities to join the discussion by submitting their own responses to the central question. The systems-thinker Fridtjof Capra stresses that complex systems can’t be wilfully directed in linear ways, they can only be disturbed. As such, this slow dialogue is an invitation to bring regenerative disturbance to the commons of our profession at the most critical time for our entire species. The edited video recording can be viewed at britishgestaltjournal.com