Relational-cultural theory (RCT) is a theory based on the notion that people grow into relationships and through them over the course of their lives, and that culture strongly influences all relationships. According to Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (2021), this theory is related to the feminist and the multicultural psychological movements. RCT’s scholars aim at promoting social change with the expansion of definitions and societal norms of individual strength and cultural well-being.
There is a number of readings on the theory that can enlighten one on RCT’s context, founding principles, and the ways it can be applied in therapy. For one, a work of the theory’s founding scholars, Jordan et al. (1991), speak about women-specific ways of being in the world, and how relational growth is one of the main organizing factors in a woman’s life. What I have not considered before reading this book is how, while both women and men can depend on one another in a relationship, this dependency emerges from different cultural expectations and life experiences. In Therapist’s Authenticity, Miller et al. (2004) speak about what in their opinion is the main source of change in therapy – so-called movement in relationship. The introduction of this term changed my idea about a therapeutic relationship: a good therapist should know not only about the strategies of connection, but also about the strategies of disconnection.
Then there is Robb (2006), who in her work provides insight into the change of the paradigm with the appearance of relational psychology. It is beneficial for any specialist to know how RCT was taking form and how ideas and practices related to it were a result of global social movements. Finally, there is an article written by Lenz et al. (2012) on the RCT intervention with incarcerated adolescent females. It was fascinating to learn about how the theory can be employed within the detainment settings and significantly increase young women’s relational empowerment.
In conclusion, RCT is a theory that views relationships as something people grow towards throughout their lives and need to flourish. With the help of RCT, one can become aware of how their self-worth is destroyed by people they are in relationships with, and start to change that. When it comes to me, I can use this theory to analyze the dynamics that I have with people in my life as to how they affect me and decide whether this should be changed or not.
References
Jean Baker Miller Training Institute. (2021). Relational-cultural theory. Web.
Jordan, J., Kaplan, A., Miller, J.B., Stiver, I., & Surrey, J. (1991). Harvard University Press. Web.
Lenz, A. S., Speciale, M., & Aguilar, J. V. (2012). Relational-cultural therapy intervention with incarcerated adolescents: A single-case effectiveness design. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 3(1), 17-29. Web.
Miller, J. B., Jordan, J., Stiver, I., Walker, M., Surrey, J., & Eldrige, N. (2004). Therapist’s authenticity. In Jordan, J., Walker, M., & Hartling, L. (Eds.), The complexity of connection (pp. 64-89). The Guilford Press.
Robb, C. (2006). This changes everything: The relational revolution in psychology. Picador.