The Specter of Metaphysics in Counseling Research and Practice: The Qualitative Challenge.

After decades of scientific research, the specter of metaphysics pervades and hinders virtually all aspects of counseling research, theory, and practice. Qualitative research is suggested as capable of coming to terms with such issues. This article notes that qualitative research will gain acceptance when it takes a significant step toward solving a major problem in the discipline. A tentative outline of an approach to metaphysical problems involving radical empiricism and phenomenology is provided. Along the way, some necessary cognitive shifts are delineated, involving dialectical and abductive reasoning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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