TY  - SER
AU  - Gelo, Omar Carlo Gioacchino.
TI  - A dynamic systems approach to psychotherapy : : a meta-theoretical framework for explaining psychotherapy change processes 
PY  - 2016///
KW  - Psychotherapy
KW  - Psychodynamic psychotherapy
KW  - Meta-analysis
N1  - Psychology
N2  - Notwithstanding the many methodological advances made in the field of psychotherapy research, at present a metatheoretical, school-independent framework to explain psychotherapy change processes taking into account their dynamic and complex nature is still lacking. Over the last years, several authors have suggested that a dynamic systems (DS) approach might provide such a framework. In the present paper, we review the main characteristics of a DS approach to psychotherapy. After an overview of the general principles of the DS approach, we describe the extent to which psychotherapy can be considered as a self-organizing open complex system, whose developmental change processes are described in terms of a dialectic dynamics between stability and change over time. Empirical evidence in support of this conceptualization is provided and discussed. Finally, we propose a research design strategy for the empirical investigation of psychotherapy from a DS approach, together with a research case example. We conclude that a DS approach may provide a metatheoretical, school-independent framework allowing us to constructively rethink and enhance the way we conceptualize and empirically investigate psychotherapy.
ER  -