science

Process-oriented psychology

Process-oriented psychology is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Process-oriented psychology rather than just read about it. In short: Process-oriented psychology, also called process work, is a depth psychology theory and set of techniques developed by Arnold Mindell and associated with transpersonal psychology, somatic psychology and post-Jungian psychology. Process oriented psychology has been applied in contexts including individual therapy and working with groups and organisations.

Key takeaways

Process-oriented psychology belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Process-oriented psychology to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Process-oriented psychology from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Process-oriented psychology, also called process work, is a depth psychology theory and set of techniques developed by Arnold Mindell and associated with transpersonal psychology, somatic psychology and post-Jungian psychology. Process oriented psychology has been applied in contexts including individual therapy and working with groups and organisations. It is known for extending dream analysis to body experiences and for applying psychology to world issues including socioeconomic disparities, diversity issues, social conflict, and leadership.

Origins and reception Process oriented psychology was originated in the 1970s by Arnold Mindell, an American Jungian analyst then living in Switzerland. It began as a development of Jungian psychology with the concept of a 'dreambody' that extended dream analysis to include work with people's body symptoms and bodily experiences. Jungian analyst June Singer commented that Mindell's work 'expands the scope of Jung's psychology to include not only the psyche but also the body, relationships and the total environment.' Stanislav Grof has described Arnold Mindell as one of the 'pioneers of transpersonal psychology'. Mindell's concepts of 'deep democracy' and 'worldwork' have been identified as part of a toolkit for transformational change which supports collective governance. In a critical exploration of the relationship between African Americans and C.G. Jung's analytical psychology, Fanny Brewster describes Mindell's dreambody work and his linking of body symptoms and psychological development. Brewster finds that Mindell's development of Jungian ideas is aligned with traditional African concepts of healing which link mind and body:

‘I believe that Mindell’s approach to dreamwork with its emphasis on body healing mirrors the African system of healing’s inclusiveness of body and mind in the process.’ Process Work is recognised within the field of body psychotherapy and somatic psychology with its emphasis on movement and body feeling. Mindell was one of five people honored in 2012 with a Pioneer Award from the US Association of Body Psychotherapy. Following the publication of his book Dreambody in 1982, it reportedly gained a 'worldwide following in the field of holistic healing' although remaining little known in 'traditional psychological circles'. Process Work is described as an integrative and holistic approach to understanding human behaviours. It is characterized as creative and improvisational: a 'fluid, flexible, playful approach, using some basic principles to improvise effective approaches to whatever comes its way, even-handedly weaving together the personal, political, the bodily, the relational and the spiritual aspects of existence.' It is considered to have similarities with Eugene Gendlin's Focusing and is identified with a focus on the unknown aspects of experience:

'Process Work ... seeks to encounter with the unknown and the irrational side of life. ... [It] appreciates symptoms and disturbances of any sort, not as pathologies to be healed or transcended or somehow got rid of, but as expressions of the very thing we need for our further growth, happiness, or enlightenment.' From its original 'dreambody' concept, Process Work developed a theory and method of working with altered states of consciousness including near death and coma, and with experiences given psychiatric diagnoses. Mindell's book on coma and palliative care inspired a UK theatre production performed in Edinburgh and London. Process Work and Arnold Mindell are also known for a theory and methods for working with conflict resolution and leadership issues, in groups and organisations. Process oriented psychology has been associated with alternative spirituality movements. It is considered an example of a modern Western eclectic adaptation of shamanism and has been taught at the Findhorn community in north-east Scotland. Fred Alan Wolf cites Mindell's 'dreambody' concept and the Institute of Noetic Sciences lists Mindell in their directory.

Theory and practices

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Process-oriented psychology

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Process-oriented psychology claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Process-oriented psychology before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Process-oriented psychology ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Process-oriented psychology

In research: Process-oriented psychology appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Process-oriented psychology in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Process-oriented psychology is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Analytical psychology, Body psychotherapy, Dreams, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Process-oriented psychology outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Process-oriented psychology in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Process-oriented psychology means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Process-oriented psychology out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Process-oriented psychology in simple terms?

Why does Process-oriented psychology matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Process-oriented psychology?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Process-oriented psychology.