Connecting with the Undertow: The Methodology of the Relational Consultant

Abstract

The relational approach to consultancy is increasingly being explored by organizational consultants. Among the many questions raised by this development is what methodology is used when this approach in applied in consulting to organizations. This article explores the essence of the relational approach in the consulting process and describes an approach to training in relational methods.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Servaas Van Beekum

Servaas van Beekum, drs, Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (education, counseling, organizations), is a social scientist with a background in analytic, humanistic, and systemic modalities. He is a registered psychotherapist (Pacfa reg) and a psychodynamic consultant to organizations. Servaas is past president of EATA and the ITAA and cofounder of Group Relations Nederland (1992) and group Relations Australia (2005), associations that promote the study of unconscious process in organizations. He is globally active as a speaker and consultant while living in Sydney and directing the consulting training arm of the Australian Centre for Integrative Studies (ACIS) (www.acissydney.com.au). Servaas can be reached at [email protected]. An earlier version of this article was published in the December 2010 issue of De Strook, the magazine of the de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Transactionele Analyse (the Dutch Transactional Analysis Association). The author wishes to thank the workshop participants for their permission to use their written reflections for this article.