Dialogical Self , Dialogical Other : A Brief Overview of Dialogical Psychotherapy

The philosophy of Martin Buber as a philosopher of dialogue is well known to philosophy, philosophy of religion, and philosophical anthropology. His thoughts and how they have been applied to human counseling and psychotherapy are however, less well known. This article presents an overview of some of the modern and postmodern therapists and analysts who have drawn from his philosophy important principles that guide their clinical practice. Drawing upon the distinction made by Maurice Friedman (2003) between ‘therapists of dialogue’ and ‘dialogical therapists’ the basic elements of a dialogical approach to counseling and psychotherapy are discussed. Some of the philosophical implications of the development of self and other in the therapeutic context are briefly discussed in the concluding remarks.