Epistemology – Pluralistic Practice

A response to Ong, Murphy, and Joseph regarding Cooper and McLeod’s exposition of pluralistic practice

Ross Crisp, ross.crispsy@gmail.com In their 2020 article, published in Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies, Ong, Murphy, and Joseph claimed that Cooper and McLeod’s exposition of pluralistic practice embraces specific ontological ‘positions’ for different schools of psychotherapy. They argued, incorrectly, that it equates to an ‘ontological eclecticism’ that is incompatible with Carl…

Pluralistic Practice: A Medical Anthropology Perspective

July 22, 2022 Anthropology Cultural diversity Epistemology 3 Comments

Dr Natalie Tobert, Medical Anthropologist, natalietobert@gmail.com , https://www.aethos.org.uk/ Multiple Narratives, Plural Perspectives One essential requirement of the discipline of medical anthropology is to honour multiple narratives around health and wellbeing. Research within medical anthropology always ensures plural perspectives are explored, so people are witnessed according to their own understandings, and…

Pluralism: Beyond Therapeutic Integration?

May 23, 2022 Critiques Cultural resources Epistemology Integrative and Eclectic Practices 1 Comment

Helen Smith, John McLeod, Brian Rodgers The following email dialogue, from the pluralistic practice network, explores some key questions about the nature of pluralism in therapy and its relationships to integrative and other practices. It begins with a question from a trainee: Helen Smith (18/5/2022) There was discussion about pluralism…

The Many Varied Forms of Knowledge in Pluralistic Practice

May 17, 2022 Arts therapies Co-production Epistemology Inner plurality Philosophy 2 Comments

Nicola Blunden, BSc Person-Centred Pluralistic Counselling, Metanoia Institute Pluralists often say that, instead of taking an either/or position, we take a both/and position in regards to knowledge. This is because we value flexibility and diversity, recognising that one particular claim to truth is unlikely to be universally valid. And we…

Sitting in the Grey: Letting Go of Either/Or

February 5, 2020 Epistemology Personal 3 Comments

Caitríona Kearns, Director of Registry & Operations, IICP College, Dublin. As we approach the Third International Conference for Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy in Dublin (28-29 March 2020), I find myself reflecting on my own journey toward pluralistic practice and research. I was very young when I started training as a…