Toward a dialectical metatheory for psychotherapy

This paper develops a metatheoretical perspective for psychotherapy using a dialectical approach. A brief review of current theoretical writings shows how little attention is paid to the person and family in social context. Dialectics is then examined from an historical perspective to illustrate how it can enrich current theoretical work in psychotherapy. In concluding, the paper describes the ways in which a dialectical metatheory could delineate more precisely the relationship between the person and the society in which we live.