Contextual Therapy Strategy

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1. What is contextual therapy?

Contextual therapy developed from the background of classical family therapy as a way to respond to the limitations in psychoanalysis (Bosszormenyl-Nagy & Krasner, 1986, p. 19). In addition, contextual therapy and practice offered an alternative to power-based strategies, and incorporated individual and relational criteria in the therapeutic process. According to Boszormenyl-Nagy and Krasner, the functional design for contextual interventions is based on two commitment: (1) that the consequences of one person's actions can affect the lives of all people who are significantly related to him or her, and (2) that in the relationship in one person is inseparable from the responsible consideration of consequences for all whom he has a relationship (p. 8). The whole context of a person's relationships is assessed for residual and covert sources of trust. Usually, this exploration involves at least three generations.

2. What is the main strategy used by contextual therapists?

The primary strategy of a therapist utilizing contextual therapy is to encourage individuals to take an assertive role to initiate dialogue in the therapeutic process. The strategy is focused on exploring a "justice dynamics" of human relationships (Boszormenyl-Nagy & Krasner, 1986). For instance, they explain that the therapist utilizes a strategy focused on interpersonal patterns that may have resulted in a distorted reality by any one member of the family being silent. According to Contextual therapists assume that all individuals in relationships have contributed in some way and, therefore, deserve to be heard and their contributions acknowledged. As an example, Gold (2010) asserts that a therapist operating from a contextual ...