Reflexivity of Counselling and Reflexivity of Consultants

Abstract

Social counselling of individuals in our society is a matter of reflexion of the professional practice on the basis of social sciences. The subject of the discussion is not only the relation between theory construction on the one hand and the theoretical based practice on the other hand, but also the relevance of the practice of counselling in a society which is characterized as postmodern. This issue is the topic of an intensive scientific discussion in the practice oriented social sciences, giving – for example – the background of social pedagogy and social work. Here the counsellors have to attend to the problems of individuals in the context of their every day actions and decisions in a society of «reflexive modernisation”. The text will show that a sophisticated psychological theory of human action is suitable for the guidance of the practical counselling of these individuals in the field of social work as well as the attempt of a systematic reflexion of practice on the one hand and scientific theory construction on the other.