The technological psyche: a challenge to psychodynamic counselling?

Abstract

In this paper the author aims to explore the way in which contemporary society is informed by the values of technology, and how this ‘technological milieu’ influences the practice of counselling and therapy. The philosopher Albert Borgmann identifies some of the values of technology as efficiency, speed of results and ease of availability. While acknowledging technology's undoubted benefits, Borgmann warns that allowing these values to dictate ever more aspects of life threatens to impoverish us. In contrast with technological devices, the ‘focal’ experiences which give our lives meaning are rich and complex, as much to do with the journey as with reaching a goal. In this paper, the author argues that it is important to try and preserve counselling and psychotherapy as focal experiences, despite increasing pressure to conform to a more technological approach. In the light of this, the drive towards evidence-based treatments, the promotion of time-limited focused approaches to treatment and current trends such as the interest in neuropsychological approaches to attachment theory are examined.