Humanism vs. the Medical Model – can pluralism bridge the divide for counselling psychologists? A trainee’s perspective

Abstract

Content and FocusCounselling psychology has been described as having its roots in humanistic philosophy and this has been used to carve out a niche for itself within the wider psychological world. In doing so it has come into conflict with the medical model and defined itself in opposition. Now that counselling psychology is established, is there still a need for such resistance, or can we learn from wider sources? I consider this issue in the context of how the medical and humanistic perspectives have informed our understanding of depression and the way in which we try to help those suffering with depression. This leads to a wider consideration of the implications of scientific methodology and the arguments against the supremacy of empirically supported treatments. I then discuss the potential of the pluralistic approach outlined by Cooper and McLeod (2011) to bridge the gap between the two approaches and provide a more unified way of working within the evidence explored. Finally I look at the implications for the future of the profession concluding that the battle with the prevailing medical model is not yet won, but may not need to be. Also, our humanistic background may yet prove important, not just in the survival of the profession, but also in ensuring clients get what they need from counselling.