Human Systems Therapy: Use of Interpersonal Relations in Promoting Therapeutic Change

The aim of this work is to present the central role of interpersonal relations in Human Systems Therapy (HST). Psychotherapies can be classified as (a) down-top therapies, such as individual therapies following reductionism, namely influencing the whole (behavior) through the intra-psychic parts, (b) top-down or holistic therapies, such as family therapies influencing the parts (individuals) through the whole family, and (c) the combination of down-top and top-down. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Multisystemic Therapy (MST) act on two levels that influence each other, namely the individuals and their relations. This is also applied, more or less, on relational and interpersonal therapies. When there is an intervention in two interacting parts or levels, then the result of the intervention is more than additive and more effective. When the levels are more than two, then the effectiveness is expected to be even higher. This is the case of Human Systems Therapy (HST), which is applied intrapsychically, on interpersonal relations and on family and/or larger systems, with interpersonal relations having a central role. HST is based on general systems principles and it constitutes a multilevel approach: (a) a definition of a human system, (b) epistemology, (c) a model of human systems personality/intelligence, (d) an increase in order and variety. Besides, HST includes a large number of techniques. Empirical support of HST effectiveness shows that (a) after seven sessions with schizophrenics, 39% of psychotic symptoms are reduced, (b) after eight sessions with hashish adolescent users, all users stop the use completely, and (c) 9 out of 11 psychiatric non-psychotic cases (81%), after four sessions, become non-psychiatric ones (treated).