Written by: Shalyn Isaacs / Communication Coaching / November 26, 2021 / 10 minutes read

Have you ever wondered how your communication style and strategies may be influenced by different life experiences or by your experiences within different social and cultural institutions? In this blog post, we will explore a Bio-Ecological Model that analyzes the ways people’s mental health is impacted by different life experiences and how this model translates to treatment of communication issues.

In order to discuss the ways that my psychotherapy practice is informed by diversity theory and how it is applicable to treating communication issues, an explanation of The Brofenbrenner Bioecological Model is necessary. The Brofenbrenner Bioecological Model is a theoretical model that conceives of an individual’s psychological development being influenced by 5 bioecological systems. These bioecological systems are represented by 5 concentric circles (Brofenbrenner, Urie & Morris, 2006). Starting from the inner circle to the outer circle, these bioecological systems that influence one’s development include: The Microsystem, which consists of the primary relationships in an individual’s life such as parents, siblings, teachers, friends, etc; the Mesosystem which includes the relationships between those in the microsystem with those in external organizations; the Exosystem which consists of power relations between systems that influence an individual; the Macrosystem  which consists of predominant socio-cultural and political perspectives embedded in various social institutions; and the Chronosystem which encompasses the multiple ways that all of these systems interact with each other to influence an individual’s development over the course of their life (Brofenbrenner, Urie & Morris, 2006).

My psychotherapy practice is informed by primarily theoretical perspectives in feminist psychology, somatic approaches, psychodynamic theory and existential psychotherapy. In my practice, I use the Brofenbrenner Model as a foundation to explore the ways that a client engages with issues related to their self-identity, existential issues, career decisions, trauma, and other psychological and emotional issues that arise in our sessions. Feminist psychology and somatics are predominant theories that I draw on in my practice because Feminist psychology explores the ways that socio-cultural and political forces influence the psychological well-being and empowerment of individuals (Stewart & Dottolo, 2006), while somatic approaches to mental health treatment explore how the body remembers and can heal traumatic experiences (Haines, 2019; Sharpe, & Carson, 2001).

When integrating the Brofenbrenner Bioecological Model, I  use the above theoretical perspectives to explore how relationship dynamics and power relations within the client’s 5 bioecological systems influenced their development through the lens of Feminist psychology (ex: how did certain power dynamics within a client’s core relationships and institutions influence their development?) and Somatics (ex: how did the client experience the relationships of these bioecological systems within their body?). In addition – how do these experiences impact their social relationships and communication issues?

From a diversity perspective, I understand that the complexity of a client’s psychological, emotional, and spiritual development cannot be understood completely through a single psychological theory or model. It is for this reason that my practice, for now, is eclectic and draws on different psychological frameworks to understand a client’s life experiences and development to explore multiple stories, perspectives and nuances. Therefore, the Brofenbrenner Model is an important model that serves as a powerful foundation for therapeutic work because it provides flexibility in understanding a client’s life stories from multiple perspectives. 

How could one begin applying the Brofenbrenner model to explore their issues with communication, social skills or relationships as a whole? Personally, I would suggest looking at how your life experiences with the micro and meso systems you have engaged with throughout your development may have influenced your core beliefs related to communication. For example, did you grow up in a household where healthy communication and boundaries were modeled for you? Did you grow up in a cultural environment that valued honest communication or the repression of feelings? All of our social experiences influence the ways that we communicate and form relationships with others. 

In order to understand how to develop NEW communication styles, first we must explore where our current communication issues stem from. We can work on bringing unconscious experiences to the surface of our awareness in order to let them go when we are ready and begin creating new patterns that can transform our communication and relationships.

REFERENCES

Haines, S. (2019). The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice. North Atlantic Books. 

Stewart, A. J., & Dottolo, A. L. (2006). Feminist psychology. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 31(2), 493-509.

Sharpe, M., & Carson, A. (2001). “Unexplained” somatic symptoms, functional syndromes, and somatization: do we need a paradigm shift?. Annals of internal medicine, 134(9_Part_2), 926-930.

To work with Shalyn Isaacs as your psychotherapist (qualifying) at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or by calling (647) 795-5277.