Developmental eclecticism or systematic eclecticism is an
eclectic psychotherapy Eclectic psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the clinician uses more than one theoretical approach, or multiple sets of techniques, to help with clients' needs. The use of different therapeutic approaches will be based on the effective ...
framework that was developed by
Gerard Egan
Gerard Egan (born 1930) is Professor Emeritus of Loyola University of Chicago.
He later served as Professor of Organization Studies and Psychology and Programme Director for Loyola's Centre for Organization Development.
The eleventh edition of ...
beginning in the 1970s.
It is also referred to as the , after the title of Egan's book ''The Skilled Helper''.
Development
Egan's eclectic model was developed amid the shift in the field of
counselling
Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes.
This is a list of co ...
and
psychotherapy
Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
away from the adherence to distinct
schools of therapy and toward an
integration of therapies that appear to be universally effective. The framework was also influenced by the works of
Carl Rogers
Carl Ransom Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987) was an American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach (and client-centered approach) in psychology. Rogers is widely considered one of the founding fathers of ps ...
and Robert Carkhuff, particularly these authors' theories on
person-centered values and principles.
Egan introduced his approach through the book ''The Skilled Helper'', which was published in 1975.
In this book, Egan explained that the framework aims to help clients to: 1) identify and explore problems and opportunities; 2) determine their needs and wants; 3) discover for themselves how to obtain them; and, 4) act based on what they learned.
Model
Egan's eclectic model was first proposed as a
humanistic
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humani ...
framework but it increasingly adopted a more action-oriented form of therapy later on.
Egan likened the model to the browser in the sense that, like a
web browser
A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on ...
, it can be used to mine, organize, and evaluate concepts and techniques that work for clients regardless of their background.
Its eclectic orientation also means that the framework makes use of techniques regardless of their theoretical origin.
The developmental process involves three stages—exploration, understanding, and action—and each of these entails a set of associated skills.
The first stage is focused on the client as the therapist attempts to build a rapport and to understanding the client's experiences and goals in the process.
The stage of understanding or interpretation requires the therapist to formulate the problem using techniques such as psychodynamic and cognitive approaches.
Finally, the action stage uses behavioral strategies such as homework assignments.
Egan's three stages were later renamed: present scenario, preferred scenario, and getting there.
References
{{Psychotherapy
Integrative psychotherapy