This study is an account of the development of a personal, intuitive epistemology for psychotherapy, and an exploration of some possible implications thereof for a general professional epistemology. Initial analysis of the author's problematic clinical cases revealed that assumptions regarding the nature and process of therapy predisposed the author to a reliance on rational, theoretically founded therapeutic praxis. When rationality was perceived not to be achieving the desired ends in therapy, the author experienced escalating, critical self-consciousness, and worked ever harder at improved rational problem-solving. This constituted a self-reinforcing problem cycle during 'stuck' consultations. The premise that effective action is rational was seen to constitute a weltanschauung of the therapist, and understood to be inconsistent with the postmodern frame of ecosystemic theory. A hermeneutic .action research process was initiated, its concern to accommodate spontaneity as an antidote to rigidifying rationality in the author's clinical and academic praxis. The exploration of spontaneity and intuition was massively influenced by the author's unexpected immersion in shamanic tradition, itself predicated on mythological and intuitive construction of "a" world, rather than denotive description of 'the' world, as is the case in logocentric practice. i'he social disjunction and existential challenge occasioned by immersion in such tradition occasioned angst in the author, and it took years to find an uneasy rapprochement between the different contexts of the author's life. Nonetheless, a change in the author's epistemology and clinical praxis were effected, and the initial problematic clinical situation - partly a consequence of a relational stance entailed in notions of objectivity, a hidden concomitant of logocentrism - has not recurred. A case which evokes the revised epistemology and cognitive-affectiverelational stance of the author is presented. The possibility of an intuitive psychotherapy and its coherence with ecological thought and the tenets of postmodernism and narrative therapy are explored. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die komplementariteit tussen afstand en intimiteit in die terapeutiese verhouding word ge"illustreer en bespreek aan die hand van 'n enkeie gevallestudie. Die klem is op rekursiewe en selfverwysende prosesse wat tussen die terapeut en kiient plaasvind, sodat die vvyse waarop intiemer en meer afstandelike interaksies ge-kokreer is, uitgelig word. Die terapeutiese proses word binne die raamwerk van die ekosistemiese en sosiale konstruksionistiese epistomologie bespreek. Navorsing word uitgevoer volgens die naturalistiese navorsingsparadigma en raakpunte tussen die navorsingsparadigma en epistomologie wat bespreek is, word aan die hand van die gevaliestudie ge"illustreer. In die studie word daar ook verwys na verwante kwessies, soos aanraking en grense in die terapeutiese verhouding, terapie as 'n a-sosiale konteks, terapie as 'n paradoksale situasie en die neutraliteit van die terapeut, wat aansluit by die tema van hierdie studie. Hierdie temas word geintegreer tydens die bespreking van die gevallestudie. / An individual case study is used in this study, to discuss the complementarity between distance and intimacy in the therapeutic relationship. The focus is on recursive and selfreflective processes between the therapist and the client in order to explain the way in which intimate and distant interactions were coconstructed. The therapeutic process was discussed in the context of ecosystemic and social constructionist epistemologies. Research was done according to the principles of the naturalistic research paradigm and overlaps between this research paradigm and epistemologies that were discussed are brought forward through the discussion of the case study. There are also references in this study to related issues, such as touching and boundaries in the therapeutic relationship, therapy as an a-social and paradoxical context, and the neutrality of the therapist, which connect with the theme of this study. These themes are integrated in the discussion of the case study. / Psychology / M.A. (Kliniese Sielkunde)

This study is an account of the development of a personal, intuitive epistemology for psychotherapy, and an exploration of some possible implications thereof for a general professional epistemology. Initial analysis of the author's problematic clinical cases revealed that assumptions regarding the nature and process of therapy predisposed the author to a reliance on rational, theoretically founded therapeutic praxis. When rationality was perceived not to be achieving the desired ends in therapy, the author experienced escalating, critical self-consciousness, and worked ever harder at improved rational problem-solving. This constituted a self-reinforcing problem cycle during 'stuck' consultations. The premise that effective action is rational was seen to constitute a weltanschauung of the therapist, and understood to be inconsistent with the postmodern frame of ecosystemic theory. A hermeneutic .action research process was initiated, its concern to accommodate spontaneity as an antidote to rigidifying rationality in the author's clinical and academic praxis. The exploration of spontaneity and intuition was massively influenced by the author's unexpected immersion in shamanic tradition, itself predicated on mythological and intuitive construction of "a" world, rather than denotive description of 'the' world, as is the case in logocentric practice. i'he social disjunction and existential challenge occasioned by immersion in such tradition occasioned angst in the author, and it took years to find an uneasy rapprochement between the different contexts of the author's life. Nonetheless, a change in the author's epistemology and clinical praxis were effected, and the initial problematic clinical situation - partly a consequence of a relational stance entailed in notions of objectivity, a hidden concomitant of logocentrism - has not recurred. A case which evokes the revised epistemology and cognitive-affectiverelational stance of the author is presented. The possibility of an intuitive psychotherapy and its coherence with ecological thought and the tenets of postmodernism and narrative therapy are explored. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die komplementariteit tussen afstand en intimiteit in die terapeutiese verhouding word ge"illustreer en bespreek aan die hand van 'n enkeie gevallestudie. Die klem is op rekursiewe en selfverwysende prosesse wat tussen die terapeut en kiient plaasvind, sodat die vvyse waarop intiemer en meer afstandelike interaksies ge-kokreer is, uitgelig word. Die terapeutiese proses word binne die raamwerk van die ekosistemiese en sosiale konstruksionistiese epistomologie bespreek. Navorsing word uitgevoer volgens die naturalistiese navorsingsparadigma en raakpunte tussen die navorsingsparadigma en epistomologie wat bespreek is, word aan die hand van die gevaliestudie ge"illustreer. In die studie word daar ook verwys na verwante kwessies, soos aanraking en grense in die terapeutiese verhouding, terapie as 'n a-sosiale konteks, terapie as 'n paradoksale situasie en die neutraliteit van die terapeut, wat aansluit by die tema van hierdie studie. Hierdie temas word geintegreer tydens die bespreking van die gevallestudie. / An individual case study is used in this study, to discuss the complementarity between distance and intimacy in the therapeutic relationship. The focus is on recursive and selfreflective processes between the therapist and the client in order to explain the way in which intimate and distant interactions were coconstructed. The therapeutic process was discussed in the context of ecosystemic and social constructionist epistemologies. Research was done according to the principles of the naturalistic research paradigm and overlaps between this research paradigm and epistemologies that were discussed are brought forward through the discussion of the case study. There are also references in this study to related issues, such as touching and boundaries in the therapeutic relationship, therapy as an a-social and paradoxical context, and the neutrality of the therapist, which connect with the theme of this study. These themes are integrated in the discussion of the case study. / Psychology / M.A. (Kliniese Sielkunde)

This is a postmodernist dissertation contextualised within the new epistemology. The dissertation's descriptive methodology mirrors a personal journey from intrapsychic to ecosystemic psychology which operates within the domain of language and narrative discourse. As such it is founded on the principles of ecosystemic rather than Newtonian thinking. A conversation between various participants constructs the dissertatioi1 through polyphony and academic dialogue. This is then deconstructed through the use of metalogue thereby allowing the dissertation to operate simultaneously on a number of different levels. As it is a postmodernist text, the structure is in a sense an 'anti-structure' in that it is indirect while it is still acknowledged as a construction. In this way it is constructed and deconstructed in terms of its own premises. Expectations in terms of conventional dissertation formulae are challenged without negating academic requirements. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This is a postmodernist dissertation contextualised within the new epistemology. The dissertation's descriptive methodology mirrors a personal journey from intrapsychic to ecosystemic psychology which operates within the domain of language and narrative discourse. As such it is founded on the principles of ecosystemic rather than Newtonian thinking. A conversation between various participants constructs the dissertatioi1 through polyphony and academic dialogue. This is then deconstructed through the use of metalogue thereby allowing the dissertation to operate simultaneously on a number of different levels. As it is a postmodernist text, the structure is in a sense an 'anti-structure' in that it is indirect while it is still acknowledged as a construction. In this way it is constructed and deconstructed in terms of its own premises. Expectations in terms of conventional dissertation formulae are challenged without negating academic requirements. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)