Systemic counselling, therapy and supervision: A short introduction

In the period after the Second World War, several researchers discovered similar things in different fields of science such as biology, physics, sociology, namely:

• Elements or parts of a system (e.g. cells in an organism) are in exchange with each other
• Changing one part always has an impact on the other parts
• The way different parts communicate can provide clues as to the behavior of a single part

These discoveries also affected the field of psychology and psychotherapy.

Thus, the attention of psychologists increasingly focused on a person’s relationships and no longer only on his disorders or   symptoms. Systemic therapy treats families as “living systems” for families, but also other organizations where a person is staying or living. They are a web in which each is connected to each by many invisible threads. Thus, the actions of one always influences the actions of all others. As with a mobile, where a slight plucking is enough to make all parts vibrate.

In systemic therapy, therefore, the design and course of interpersonal relationships as well as the individual inner experience and behaviour pattern of a person is   important. The   importance a person attaches to his experience and relationships is also given special consideration.

The focus of attention is on people and their concerns, their strengths and their abilities. This therapy is less about concrete instructions for action than about creating conditions that can promote change.

As in any therapy, there are different currents in systemic therapy. Various approaches have proven their worth in working with people. When choosing the methods used, I prefer coordination and transparency in the procedure.