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Process-based psychotherapy

Dr. Christian A. Latino

Abstract
The science of psychology has a renewed interest in human subjectivity and mental health —
termed as process-based interventions — due to increasing recognition of shortcomings with
its current materialistic model. This article provides a critique of the materialistic approach,
a look at current and past understanding of process in psychotherapy and further elucidates
what process actually is, along with providing examples of approaches for psychotherapy.

field had hoped as decades of funding and
research have not supported this materialist-
first approach (3). As such, the new trend at
hand may be ushering in a renewed focus
on human subjectivity and complexity, which
has the potential to move the field away from
a strictly materialistic focus and to begin to
identify the deeper aspect inherent in each
human being. But then, the question arises
of how does a psychotherapist go about
implementing a process-based approach in
New innovations in the science of psychology practice, especially when it is still being
have begun to identify the importance of defined? And what would be the benefits
process (i.e. focusing on the individual’s unique of a process-based approach to the client
subjective contributions to their mental illness) of the psychotherapist? Before we answer
in psychotherapy (1), though the idea is still these questions, let us further explore the
in its very nascent stages. Nevertheless, shortcomings of the current materialistic
this is a positive sign for psychology and viewpoint.
psychiatry as, in recent decades, the fields
have become almost exclusively focused on The materialistic viewpoint
identifying specific treatments and specific
brain chemical deficiencies for specific mental Issues are rife with the materialistic viewpoint
disorders (2). This has not worked out as the currently prevalent in psychology and

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