CONSTRUCTIVISM - AN APPROACH TO CLINICAL-PRACTICE

Constructivism, a view that we cannot know reality apart from our constructions of it, along with social constructionism, a belief that knowledge is socially, historically, and culturally situated, form the basis of a new approach to clinical practice. In the explication of this perspective, assessment is defined as a collaborative inquiry. Multiple theoretical perspectives are used as viable alternative explanations, with no single perspective privileged. In treatment, clients' narratives are emphasized and meaning is co-constructed. The therapeutic relationship is construed as reciprocal, with more attention given to the client's perceptions. Values have a central role in treatment.