A Relevance Theoretic Analysis of the Concepts of NEUROSIS and DISEASE in the Context of Psychotherapy

This article presents a short analysis of two concepts – NEUROSIS and DISEASE1 – as used in the context of cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy carried out with two different patients. Drawing upon notions developed in Relevance Theory (Sperber and Wilson [1986] 1995), the analysis aims to provide conclusions useful to psychotherapeutic practice. The underlying proposal is that the psychotherapist’s awareness of the relevance-based features of concepts can help contribute to positive therapeutic results through the accomplishment of self-disclosure, transparency of meaning and emotional communication (Pawelczyk 2010, 62). Moreover, the analysis of the meaning of the concepts NEUROSIS and DISEASE may also be seen as supporting RT’s multilevel perspective on concepts. Different ways in which the concepts may be used in therapy are presented, including the literal, metaphorical and metonymical understandings.