Defining or Redefining Normal

Human behavior can be a very fickle and complex thing. Just as human behavior is a rather complex and variable thing, solution-focused therapy variations are much the same way. Indeed, there different viewpoints and methods like postmodernism, general systems, biopsychological, spiritual/ecological and the very important contributions of people like Bronfenbrenner. Regardless of the influence or the method, the overall focus of any solution-focused therapy is to find solutions and better outcomes.

The major thing that varies is the precise pathway and method that is used to get to that end. Indeed, the patterns and facets of a given method will vary based on the ideology and logic that underpins it. While there are multiple ways and methods that can all accomplish good things for a therapy patient, it is important to know the desired endgame and find a way to move towards the same.

Analysis When it comes to postmodernism, the important thing to remember about the subject and the method is that knowing and understanding is subjective and interpretive. As one might expect, therapy that is based on postmodernism draws upon this approach and paradigm. One manifestation of this understanding and pathway is the use of narrative therapy. There is an emphasis placed on the client's subjective experience, how they interpret it and how they process it.

There are some that suggest that this subjectivity can lead to skewed perspectives and equally skewed outcomes. Even so, there has been some promise seen in this approach (Phipps & Vorster, 2015). By contrast, general systems-based therapy and counseling has its own list of assumptions. Rather than the patient and their narrative or perception being the focus, the therapist is the most important person in any therapy that is underpinned by general systems theory.

Further, a person is multi-system in nature and the emotional-cognitive process is one of the systems within every person. There is also focus on boundaries and the associated systems involved. As for the therapy itself, it focuses on "thinking systems" and content thinking. Whereas postmodernism is subjective and fairly simple, general systems theory-based therapy is much more complex and can involve groups of people rather than one single patient (Whitner, 1985).

When it comes to biopsychological perspectives vis-a-vis therapy and mental health, thre is a tacit admission that complexity is the name of the game if the disorder in question is itself complex and multilayered. One great example of a disorder that is very intricate in its manifestations and, by extension, the treatments that would be necessary, is post-traumatic stress disorder.

There are many that suggest that there has to be an approach to therapy that takes biological, psychological and psychosocial interventions into account as doing only one or two of the three does not fully address or identify the real problems as they truly exist. As other methods typify and make clear, keeping things simple and basic has its upsides. However, there are some disorders and life situations that do not allow for such simplicity and thus a more robust and comprehensive approach is needed.

The salient point to find here is that the solution-based method of therapy and counseling needs to be scaled properly to address the catalytic events and patterns that led to the dysfunction (if any exists) and this will inform how wide a net to cast when it comes to the method used to treat the patient (Shalev, 1993). Another therapeutic method and ideology that thrives on simplicity would be the spiritual/ecological method. Indeed, many manifestations of this method give a heavy focus to what are known as spiritual ecomaps.

Indeed, the spirituality of a marriage or family can indeed be used as a tool and an asset for helping everyone involved. Further, they can be used by families with diverse spiritual traditions. This is perhaps something that would be hard to pull off with, for example, postmodernism where everyone's perspective is going to be subjective, different and perhaps very conflicting. Indeed, there are instances where reality has to be called what it is and then everyone in the therapeutic situation can go from there.

The usefulness of an ecomap can be compared to a genogram, which shows simple family links in terms of relationship and blood. An ecomap is like that but better in that it shows the relevant ecological relationships and spiritual mindsets in space and thus in a way that can be used and applied to a therapy situation (Hodge, 2000) When it comes to ecology in a therapy or counseling environment, one of the biggest names when it comes to this is Bronfenbrenner.

Much like the other example of ecology, there is heavy use of conceptualizing and otherwise visualizing the totality of what is going on. This can and has been used rather extensively in both real-world therapy situations and training for counselors alike (Lau & Ng, 2014).

Further, there is a good amount of congruity between the work of Bronfenbrenner and his ecological systems theory (EST) and that of the prior-mentioned biopsychological paradigm in that there is a recognition and emphasis placed on the idea that people exist in different forms of interactions and systems and the way these play off of each other has a lot to do with how people behave and what has to be done if an intervention is needed.

As stated by Neal and Neal (2013), Bronfenbrenner pointed to viewing "ecological systems as an overlapping arrangement of structures, each directly or indirectly connected to the others by the direct and indirect social interactions of the participants (Neal & Neal, 2013). Indeed, when deciding if this is a more basic way of dealing with therapy and people or if it is more complex, the answer is definitely the latter.

Again, simplicity is all well and good but many situations, including those that lead to a person seeking therapy, are indeed complex and indeed must be addressed as such (Neal & Neal, 2013). The methods above all go together in they try to assist in human understanding from a therapy and counseling perspective and thus help to try to find a way to help the patient, presuming that the patient needs help.

Indeed, there will be patients that are basically fine as they are and really just need confirmation that their behaviors and patterns are not destructive or counterproductive. However, there will be other patients that absolutely need to change their perspective and condition and that is what therapy is for. Indeed, any given malady or perspective can be treated and addressed in a number of different ways.

However, there are obviously going to be some situations that are more complex than others and the methods used to treat the same need to match this. For example, post-modernism is about the subjective narrative and viewpoint of the patient but using this with a PTSD patient is probably not the best course given that their perspective is surely very damaged and destructive. Given presumptions and logical.