Deconstructing theory engaging practice

We live in a constantly evolving world where all our assumptions are open to change, and this is integral to what it means to be systemic as we participate in the living and ecological systems that form us. But what if the very definition of systemic thinking is under scrutiny? What would it look like deconstructed? When you deconstruct theory all languages and perspectives have currency because as Derrida said there is no longer just one language but the Many. 

To deconstruct theory is to put justice and the ethical relation to others at the forefront of family therapy practice. Here one’s preferred theory whether modern, postmodern or post-postmodern is suspended so as not to colonize others or to weaponize it. To move beyond theory is to have all theories available; where there is no prior commitment to any one theory or framework, you can move in and out of perspectives depending on the practice context. There is flexibility and creativity where improvisation is possible and the relationship to the other comes before a therapist’s commitment to a theory or model with the priority how to best help them. To deconstruct theory is to cut family therapy down to the bare bones of the therapy encounter where the focus is what is said and happens in the room when a therapist sits with a client or family. For a deconstructed theory the relational encounter with the other in a practice setting is paramount. To deconstruct theory is to engage practice! 

As Peter Rober (2024) notes, effective therapy has more to do with the quality of the therapeutic relationship including the capacity to be self-reflective, utilize client feedback, build a good working alliance, and foster safety, trust, and empathy than the treatment approach and presumably the theory that informs it.