Sofrimentos contemporâneos: da evitação ao acolhimento genuíno

Abstract

The aim of this research is to discuss suffering from a contemporary perspective that promotes an exaltation of positivity, looking for the possibility of a clinical practice that truly embraces suffering rather than avoiding it. To this end, the research makes use of the theoretical framework of Gestalt-therapy as a theoretical approach to the clinical practice, as well as other adjacent theoretical sets, such as Actor-Network Theory and the philosophy of Byung-Chul Han. In an introductory section, subdivided into two parts, the text provides a context about the encounter between the author and the subject, followed by a theoretical presentation of the theme and its main theoretical references. The first chapter discusses pain in the contemporary scenario, anchored in the tale The Princess and the Pea and presenting three main figures: the individuals who suffer, what causes the pain and the mechanisms for avoiding this pain. In the second part of the text, there’s a description of the media, advertisements and general announcements, corroborating the theme presented and discussing the commodification of happiness and the inadequacy of suffering in contemporary times. The third chapter discusses themes that affect the clinical psychology environment and are influenced by the positivity/negativity binomial. The purpose is to offer readings that make possible to retrace the path from avoidance to genuine acceptance. At the end of the research, a chapter that discusses methodological issues is presented, in which a perspective is provided on the methodological trajectory of the research, mainly supported by the Actor-Network Theory.