Change in Meanings in Psychotherapy: A Commentary on the Essay 'Conceptualization of Change'

Main Article Content

Miguel Gonçalves
University of Minho
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2575-7221

Abstract

This paper analyzes the audiovisual essay Conceptualization of Change from the perspective of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy aims to transform lives and alleviate people’s suffering, making it a natural setting to observe and study how individuals undergo change (or remain unchanged). The essay explores the concept of innovative moments, which represent exceptions to the problems that led clients to seek psychotherapy. Defining an innovative moment requires identifying a problematic pattern beforehand, as these moments are defined as deviations from the established pattern. This identification process is not straightforward in psychotherapy and becomes even more challenging in social and political contexts due to the involvement of political and ethical considerations. The paper suggests that increasing complexity and fostering dialogue serve as overarching criteria for defining innovative moments in the wider socio-political contexts.

Keywords: Change, Psychotherapy, Innovative moments, Dialogue, Dialogical processes

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