ABSTRACT

This chapter explores some implications of post-existentialism for counselling psychology with a particular focus on diagnostic categories. It presents research carried out by interviewing qualified counselling psychologists who have experience of working with individuals with a diagnosis of "schizophrenia". The chapter looks at counselling psychology specifically; these issues may find resonance with psychological therapists in general. People who hear voices have started challenging the medical model of "schizophrenia" and have attempted to develop new coping strategies that exclude the extensive use of medication. The medical model is the dominant conceptual model for the understanding of "schizophrenia"; individuals diagnosed with "schizophrenia" are "in most cases called 'patients', reside in 'hospitals', and are 'diagnosed', given a 'prognosis', and 'treated', all a reflection of this dominance". "Schizophrenia" is therefore a highly seductive label, for psychological therapists, for relatives, for the public and for those whose behaviour has given cause for concern.