ABSTRACT
The current therapies primarily based in postmodern and social construction philosophies that have evolved over the last 20-plus years represent a hybrid-like ideological shift that can be traced back to the California rootstock and to developments in philosophy and the social sciences. Language emerged as the meaningful and useful metaphor, especially its role in the creation of knowledge, in the power of discourse and transformation, and in human systems and interaction. Postmodern social construction premises influence a dialogical and relational perspective on understanding human behavior, including the dilemmas of everyday life and a therapist’s stance regarding these. A growing number of therapists place their practice under a postmodern/social construction umbrella or are heavily influenced by it. The collaborative approach evolved from the 20-year mutual work of Harlene Anderson and Harry Goolishian and their colleagues and students, beginning in the early 1970s within the context of a medical school and later in what is now the Houston Galveston Institute.
