What Is Parallel Processing Psychology And Why Is It Important?

In cognitive psychology, parallel processing refers to our ability to deal with multiple stimuli simultaneously. One example is driving. When we drive a car, we don’t focus on driving exclusively; we also listen to music, carry on a conversation with our passengers, and look for the name of the street where our destination is located.

Our ability to process different kinds of stimuli at once enables our brain to carry out all these tasks at once.

This article discusses the discovery of parallel processing, how it works, and the limitations of this brain function.

Origins

The concept of parallel processing originated around the same time as the concept of information processing, which came about with the invention of computers in the mid-twentieth century.

Psychologists used computers as a metaphor for the way the human mind works. This lead to the ascendance of cognitive psychology in the psychology field.

Information Processing

Information processing was a central tenet of classical cognitive science when it became popular in the 1950s and remains important to this school of thought today.

A cornerstone of information processing is serial processing, which is the idea that the brain can process only one stimulus at a time. From this perspective, information is processed through a series of stages. First, a stimulus is encoded, then it is processed by the brain, and finally, the individual settles on a response to the stimulus and generates it.

One of the criticisms of serial processing is that if we only dealt with one stimulus at a time, we would process information too slowly. And in fact, evidence suggests that parallel processing is possible.

Today most cognitive psychologists are still exploring the domains in which we rely on serial or parallel processing. Because the inner workings of the cognitive system are challenging to study directly, this work is ongoing.

How Parallel Processing Works

The effectiveness of parallel processing psychology depends on two processes: transference, and countertransference. Both processes are subconscious, but awareness of them is necessary for the treatment to be effective.

In transference, the counselor identifies with their client and automatically reflects the client’s behaviors and thought processes during parallel processing. There are all kinds of reasons that this may be happening. Sometimes, the counselor is simply trying to put themselves into the client’s shoes to empathize better. It’s also possible that the counselor or therapist may be struggling with some of the same issues that their client is dealing with. After all, many therapists go into the profession because they see therapy as a route to healing. In turn, the supervisor models responses or possible solutions.

For a long time, it was thought that parallel processing was happening in one direction only, with transference the sole method through which a solution could take place. But later research has found that the effects of parallel processing move in another direction also: from the supervisor back down to the client through the process of countertransference.

Not only does the therapist replicate the counseling situation, but the relationship between the therapist and their supervisor is mirrored back to the client, as the therapist unconsciously identifies with their supervisor and passes along the same responses to the client.

Benefits Of Parallel Processing

While there are many potential problems with parallel processing as a means of treatment, there are situations in which it can be helpful. Here are a few:

• To move treatment along more quickly and make it more effective. There are times in the client-counselor relationship when treatment may be moving very slowly. Perhaps you’ve been rehashing your problems in your marriage for weeks, and your counselor seems hesitant to make suggestions. Or maybe you have been trying to resolve the trauma that resulted from being the survivor of a violent crime, while unbeknownst to you, your counselor is also a survivor of a similar crime and has some of their past issues to resolve. In cases like this, parallel processing can help you and your counselor moves past these problems and work together to find solutions.
• To help tease out dysfunctional responses from individual counselors or therapists. Therapists are human too! It is possible to become locked into dysfunctional patterns with your therapist or counselor. They may be reacting too harshly or punitively, or perhaps too passively and hesitantly. There may be a personality conflict or an uncomfortable dynamic between the two of you. Parallel processing can make your therapist aware of this and resolve it to respond more healthily.
• To encourage reflection. Therapy is an emotional process, and sometimes a little distance is necessary. Like anyone else, counselors and therapists sometimes need to take a step back and look at their work from a distance to gain perspective and determine what should be done.
• To help mental health practitioners manage their stress. Mental health counseling is consistently ranked as one of the most stressful occupations in the US, and no wonder. As much as it can be rewarding to help people resolve their deepest inner conflicts, it can be difficult to absorb that much pain daily. Parallel processing is one way that mental health practitioners can share the load with others and make it more manageable so that they can help you better.

Potential Problems

Parallel processing does not always work, and in some cases, it can potentially do more harm than good. It’s important that this approach is utilized properly, and only by a licensed mental health professional.

Here are some potential disadvantages to the parallel processing method:

• Lack of awareness. The transference and countertransference processes can happen without the therapist or the supervisor being aware of them. Without this self-awareness, therapy can remain stuck in the same unproductive pattern. It requires specific reflection on issues as they arise to break these patterns and move forward.
• The nature of the relationship between the therapist and supervisor can make the therapist feel anxious and defensive. Unlike the client-therapist relationship, which is safe and non-judgmental, a relationship with a supervisor has the power to influence a career for good or ill. Because of this imbalance of power, therapists may be uncomfortable simulating a counseling relationship with a supervisor.
• Exhaustion if overused. Parallel processing is meaningful if it is used judiciously, within a context that makes sense. But using it excessively or using it at the wrong time can make it seem superfluous. Any insights gained could be completely offset by the sheer exhaustion of the strenuous process.

However, there are a few tried-and-true ways that counselors and supervisors can avoid some of these common pitfalls.

Strategies For Success

Here are some strategies that can be used to get the full benefits of parallel processing:

• Provide a framework for understanding the process. Especially for beginning counselors, it’s crucial to help them understand the process in terms that are simple and specific. It’s important to guide counselors to self-awareness in ways that make the process seem manageable and can reduce anxiety.
• Use parallel processing only with mature, confident counselors. Novice counselors often lack the confidence and self-awareness to get much out of parallel processing. But advanced counselors, who have been engaged in the process for some time, have usually developed enough awareness and confidence to open themselves up to the scrutiny that is required.
• Exercise caution about when parallel processing is used. When the decision is made to use parallel processing, the supervisor must be clear about the reasons for using it and the goal that it will accomplish. It should be used with discernment and only when the situation calls for it.
• Pause when necessary to reflect on what’s happening. Because so much of what happens during parallel processing is subconscious, participants may be unaware of how they are mirroring the counseling situation. In this circumstance, change can’t happen unless the therapist specifically reflects on the process to tease out what isn’t working. Otherwise, they will likely continue to make the same mistakes that they are already making, because they’ll be unaware of them. A good supervisor will point out obstacles as they come up so that the therapist can observe alternative ways of dealing with them.
• Keep the client’s needs to the forefront. It can be hard to break out of that anxiety-producing perception of being judged in a supervisory setting. But if both supervisor and therapist put the client’s needs ahead of their own, the process can work very well. That’s because they are considering how best to help the client rather than how well they are performing.

Parallel processing psychology can be challenging and taxing, and doesn’t work in every situation. If a counselor undergoes this grueling process, you can be sure that they genuinely care about their clients and want the best for them.