Globalisation and the Complexity of Self: The Relevance of Psychotherapy

Abstract

I have been wondering about the future of psychotherapy in an increasingly plural and global culture and would like to share some emerging reflections based on my engagement in both theory and research. These thoughts have been informed by a number of related questions and contexts that I will need to touch on. They are:

• • How culture and the nature of the self is changing through globalisation.

• • How psychotherapy has evolved historically to essentially address problems of the self.

• • How an empirical-phenomenological study of clients’ experiences of psychotherapy may help to clarify the possible tasks of psychotherapy within an increasingly global culture.