The person-centered systems theory (German: Personzentrierte Systemtheorie) is a multi-level concept aiming at the reconstruction and explanation of human experience, action and interaction processes in such a way that inappropriate reductions to the focus of individual therapeutic schools of thought are avoided as far as possible. It has been developed by the German psychologist and psychotherapist Jürgen Kriz. The approach takes into account findings and aspects from different discourses – especially from humanistic psychotherapy, synergetics, Gestalt psychology, biosemiotics as well as evolutionary psychology. Person-centered systems theory is, as Kriz emphasizes, neither a method nor a toolbox of methods. Its aim is to provide a theoretical foundation for integrating the valuable contributions of individual "schools" with more recent findings from other scientific disciplines.
Four process levels At the center of the person-centered systems theory is the human being in their everyday world with the necessary interest in creating a tangible, meaningfully organized world from the incomprehensible complexity of a (physico-chemical) stimulus world. Kriz assigns the multitude of relevant processes to four process levels. However, he underlines that this is a purely analytical distinction, because influences from all four process levels on living and acting are effective at every moment. In addition, further processes may be distinguished depending on the respective question. The following four levels are to be regarded as the minimum of what must be taken into account in order not to systematically disregard essential effects.
a) Psychological processes This is the main level on which people generate meaning and significance. Humans are connected to the world through perceptions and actions; through thought and emotive processes they evaluate these processes and can observe themselves.
b) Interpersonal processes This level deals with micro-social structures of couples, families or teams for whom face-to-face communication is typical. Terms such as "interaction patterns" or "communicative structures" indicate that the meaning of expressions and their contribution to mutual cooperation are negotiated in joint interaction. Everybody believes to know the expectations of the others and is influenced or even guided by these expectations. It is a network of mutual insinuations that stabilizes "reality" even when much of it is not true. Since these tacit assumptions are rarely talked about, the chances of correction are rather low. Everyday experience, as well as research, show how people often experience themselves as victims of others or of circumstances, although they themselves (unconsciously) contribute to maintaining this pattern. Psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching usually look at the processes on levels (a) and (b) and often also at their interactions. However, the influences of two other process levels are largely neglected:
c) Cultural processes Usually, people have not – neither individually nor interpersonally – invented the meaning of words and sentences, the expectations of fellow human beings, the inner images, "how living together works", and so on. Rather, different cultures and subcultures convey meanings that significantly influence the processes of (a) and (b). Clues about the meaning of events in the "here and now" are deduced from the media, conversation with colleagues at work, and from other non-family sources. These influences remain to a large extent unconscious. The impact of the cultural level, which constantly affects people, is by no means limited to cultural events – i.e. to what is happening in organizations, in legislation, or in the mass media. Rather, the socio-cultural aspects essentially concern the way in which persons see and understand themselves, their fellow human beings, and the "world". This becomes particularly clear when considering the interdependencies of levels (a) and (c): If human beings want to understand themselves in their feelings, thoughts and actions, then they have to use the "cultural tools" of their social environment. This is especially true when it comes to their very own, innermost "subjective" processes (affects, perceptions, etc.). The effects of the cultural process level remain largely hidden from everyday consciousness. They are, however, essential components of the structures in human expectations of the world and of others as well as their own expectations of what others expect of them.
d) Bodily processes In accordance with Ciompi's affect logic, Kriz highlights that at any given moment both cognitive-psychic and affective processes occur simultaneously in the human organism. Because of the slower change of biochemical parameters, the affective processes form the framework for the rapidly changing cognitive processes with their bioelectric basis. Furthermore, the implicit knowledge of the human organism, which originates from early experiences as well as from evolutionary preformations, is of great relevance. This has long been underestimated, but is now discussed under the term "social brain". Humans are hardly aware of many of these structuring effects of the bodily processes on what is described under (a) and (b). Nevertheless – or precisely because of this – these processes have a very strong effect.
Stability, instability, and the interaction of the four process levels Kriz understands symptoms and problems with which people come into psychotherapy, counseling, or coaching as over-stable process patterns. These were mostly appropriate and functional in earlier stages of development, but have not adapted to new conditions. This is because human development – both at the level of the individual and in social systems – consists of repeatedly abandoning effective process patterns whenever new developmental challenges arise. For example, different patterns of interaction are required at the family level depending on whether a child has just been born, is in kindergarten or school, reaches puberty, is starting professional training, and so on. The same applies to the organization of the psychological processes of the child itself. Also, companies have to change their structure and processes because the business environment is constantly evolving.
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