The inherent dialogicality of the clinical exchange

Dialogical theory is a contender to become a general theory of the psychotherapy process. In this perspective, it is important to clarify the specificity of the dialogical clinical standpoint within the more general domain of the relational paradigm. To this end, the authors propose to consider the constitutive nature of otherness for the self as the basic tenet grounding and qualifying the dialogical standpoint. Moreover, they provide a reading of some clinical theories as more or less radical interpretations of such a tenet. Finally, they raise the issue of the quality of otherness (a dialectic counterpart versus an organic complement) as a relevant issue that, due to its methodological and clinical implications, dialogical clinical theory is asked to address in its endeavour to develop itself as a comprehensive framework for clinical thinking