Systems Centered Therapy - SCT As Psychotherapy

SCT As Psychotherapy

The theory of living human systems has been applied to psychotherapy as well as to business, organizational and educational consultation. In its application to psychotherapy, a unique aspect of this theory is that it is equally applicable to both individual and couples psychotherapy and to group psychotherapy. SCT posits that much of a person’s suffering is related to viewing oneself only from the perspective of the individual self, a person-centered view. By developing a capacity to see oneself from the perspective of the system one is a part of, a systems-centered perspective, the psychotherapy client is able to more consciously influence their own development and the development of the systems they are a part of.

A SCT therapist uses the phases of development described in the theory of living human systems to systemically train a client to recognize states of mind that interfere with reaching the client’s goal. These interfering states of mind are referred to as defenses. Two of the most common defenses that bring people to psychotherapy are anxiety and depression; these are addressed in the first phase of treatment. Clients are taught how to recognize and reduce these defenses so that they are freed to traverse life less painfully and more smoothly. SCT work is a partnership in which the therapist governs the structure of the therapy and clients make a series of manageable choices at different “forks in the road.” Each fork is a choice a person makes between familiar defenses and experiencing the emotion, conflict or impulses that triggered the defense. The Systems-Centered therapist teaches the client to systematically weaken the defense, such as anxiety or tension, in a structured sequence that matches the client’s ability to choose. As each defense is undone, the client can choose to take the fork in the road away from the symptoms generated by their defensive responses, and towards discovering the conflicts, between their emotions or impulses and the fears of their emotions or impulses, that were being defended against. As SCT psychotherapy proceeds, the client acquires skills that increase their ability to undo their own defenses. Through this process, clients regain their ability to use their common sense, (and existential humor!) to manage the every day conflicts between themselves and reality. Clear outcome criteria for each step are in the sequence of defense modification locates the client in the SCT treatment plan. Because each defense modification addresses a specific symptom, therapy can be delivered either continuously or chunked into modules. SCT can therefore be applied to the goals of both short-term and long-term therapy.