In the world of psychotherapies, there is a growing drive for integration. Schools that used to see themselves as the only effective and scientifically based school are increasingly open to integration.

These aspirations are also a consequence of the changes in philosophy that characterise our time. In a nutshell, I would like to give a brief overview of this.

Until the Enlightenment, thought was dominated by dogmatism. Whoever had authority determined how people, society and the world were to be seen, and people believed in authority without wanting to make sure, on the basis of their own experience, that what they believed was true.

The promise of the modern age was that the world and man in it could be fully known through experience, through the scientific method. It is only a matter of time before humanity will have all the knowledge. This has given people drive, motivation, confidence and a positive perspective for a long time.

But history has shown that such complete knowledge cannot be achieved through the natural sciences. The postmodern crisis lies in the uncertainty of relativity.

Not only have dogmas been disproven, but also scientific research that was thought to be absolutely certain has been disproved, and it has been shown that we will not have all the information. The achievements of science have been used by 20th century man to wreak terrible destruction.

In this frustration there are two extremes into which we can fall. The first is that, when we want to summarise our existing psychological knowledge, we want to return to the approach of modernism, to create a new trend that claims infallibility. In this case, we would be blind to the complexity of reality, to the multiplicity of human experience. A kind of self-righteous and superior attitude, aggressively defending its own position for fear of collapsing its belief in its infallibility, does more harm than good.

At the other extreme is nihilism, a cynicism that no longer wants to claim anything, because it knows that whatever it claims can be supplemented, or even refuted in part or in whole. It is afraid to make any statement, lest it become dominating, lest it give an opportunity for arrogance, for the abuse of power.

But neither the blind faith and rigidity in the absoluteness of a particular psychological trend, nor the cynicism that no longer dares to say anything, can provide a cure for people's suffering.

What is needed, therefore, is a middle way, a delicate balance that integrates existing psychological knowledge into a system that does not consider itself absolute, is open to nuance, to questioning and reformulating its previous statements, but dares to speak out, dares to assert what it recognises as true here and now. With the humility to revise his statements at any moment. 

Integrative psychotherapy must have such a humble attitude in order to truly help the groundless man of the postmodern age.