Dialectical Pluralism in Counseling and Psychotherapy Research

Abstract

This chapter argues for ensuring that psychotherapy research reflects the diverse values of the stakeholders surrounding it, by suggesting a dialectical reasoning and listening approach to guide initial discussion in a research project. This is guided by a pluralistic view of reality and psychotherapy research methods and a philosophical pragmatism that guides the linking of stakeholder values and research tactics. The authors reflect over some of critiques of DP and on recommendations for psychotherapy research that may help the field produce a richer, more multifaceted, and socially relevant set of findings regarding counseling and psychotherapy’s processes and outcomes.