Postmodernist psychotherapies : narrative therapy and cooperation-oriented therapy as examples of the paradigm shift

Schools of psychotherapy originated in 20th century are still considered to be not only classic, but also fundamental in approach. Nevertheless, new psychotherapeutic concepts based on postmodern thought become increasingly more popular. They reflect the ongoing changes of the modern society, yet their emergence can be simultaneously perceived as a symptom of these changes. The article describes two of the new therapeutic approaches that seem to be the most powerful and widespread - in order to situate them in the field of contemporary psychotherapy and to point out their advantages and potential disadvantages.