When I began my training to become a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor in 2017 I entered it with many biases and a perception framed by my own interaction with Mental Health services. At the age of 19 I was referred to Mind for a six-week block of talking therapy; what was to be the beginning of my engagement in the world of secondary services (much, much more on that in posts to come). Even at such a young age and not previously acquainted with therapy services (not empirically) I was not a tabula rasa; where direct experience could not provide a reference point media like movies, television, music, newspapers and public relations campaigns did. When I entered a room seemingly void of any smell or atmosphere, the main features of which were two dull armchairs, a dejected looking parlour palm potted plant and the obligatory box of tissues, I had some of my expectations validated. These impressions found their way to me explicitly through movies like Good Will Hunting, Donnie Darko and even Don Juan De Marco. Even at the time of writing I would hesitate to guess at the other means of travel found by additional impressions; after all, a good deal will have taken the subliminal route and settled beneath my consciousness. The way in which the subject (media) represents the object (therapy) provides a prime example of what I set out to explore in not just this 'series' of blogs, but as you will see from the site's masthead, what fascinates me most of all. That is the manner in which I feel Philosophy-intersects-with-Mythology-intersects-with-Psychology (and I'm sure Spirituality will find its way in there).
To use a fancy term that makes me seem smarter than I am, this is a case of Epistemology; that branch of philosophy that in essence asks 'How do you know what you know?' The message 'Therapy will involve a somewhat plain room with tissues' clearly does not encapsulate the complexity of the subject but I am interested in where these messages come from and what they contribute to what we know and how we know it. In the following post I will go into greater depth about two schools of Philosophy - Analytic and Continental and how each approach can tell us a lot about the meaning we parse or create from...things. From here we will vault to the fascinating world of Mythology to set us off on our journey exploring representations of Mental Health and Psychology in Media (Mainstream and not so) of the present. To whet your whistle I've included a video below on a very important underpinning of what it is we're about to embark on - Structuralism.
If this all sounds a bit high-falutin - well, it is! Don't worry. I always approach any reading or studying with the mindset that I can't drink the sea in one gulp; what goes in goes in and the rest may take a some time. The ideas, concepts and theories I've studied over the last four years have often taken this course. I feel really privileged to have had the opportunity to put my learning into practice when on placement with clients which has in many ways afforded me a more rounded sense of understanding (though, as I say, certainly not instantly. These things take time - also, note the operative word, sense). In fact, the old theory vs. practice argument has led to much self-reflection. I've spent much time considering my theoretical approach and practical approach. Derick Varn discusses in an interesting video these Ancient Greek ideas of Theoria (contemplation) and the way in which Aristotle contrasts this with Praxis (theory practiced, enacted, realised, embodied). Pursuant to our upcoming dive into Structuralism is Varn's phrase 'Theorising with a hammer'. In the video below we see how one of Structuralism's aims is to 'Unify human sciences by applying a single methodology' (my emphasis). Varn states boldly, 'You can't have a model that explains everything within a system'. Bear this in mind when looking into all models like Structuralism. My understanding of 'Theorising with a hammer' is to come at theory looking to knock and chip at it to see what can remain standing/what lies underneath - these may be 'big ideas' from historically significant thinkers but just like we as therapists must actively engage with self-reflection we must also question everything we're being taught. As Varn goes on to say, ‘We are trying to remove the contemplation frameworks…that stop us from understanding things. We are not just trying to win debates here.’
That notwithstanding I believe that Structuralism leads us neatly into the Philosophy of Roland Barthes (as we shall see) and how 'things' come to signify 'things' which is entirely germane to how media represents Psychotherapy and Mental Health matters.
I hope you join me for this deep dive!
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