On the Reification of Systems in Family Therapy*

All theories of Psychotherapy may be viewed as metaphors, each of which draws attention to particular aspects of human personality, behaviour and the behaviour change process. As such they are partly reflections of their own philosophic assumptions rather than absolute representations of reality. Yet the disciples of each school tend to internalize its model and act as if its assumptions were reality. Symptomatic of such reification, systems oriented and individually oriented therapists often appear to inhabit different and mutually incompatible worlds. This paper a) discusses the limiting effects of reification; b) describes the logical and practical shortcomings of being shackled to either frame of reference; c) argues for the therapeutic benefit of bringing both perspectives to bear simultaneously; d) outlines five principles of psychotherapeutic change which are independent of any one therapeutic metaphor.