Compare/contrast three counseling theories - Research Paper Example

Comparison and Contrasting of Three Counseling Theories: Cognitive-Behavioral, Person-Centered and Gestalt Therapy BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE YOUR TUTOR HERE DATE HERE Cognitive-Behavioral, Person-Centered and Gestalt Therapy Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of social learning that is facilitated in direct interventions and communications between therapist and patient related closely to social learning theory (Reilly & Shopshire, 2002). This therapy style often utilizes operant conditioning, a form of behavior change that is reinforced through reward methodology (Morris & Maisto, 2005).

For example, if the patient has deviant behaviors created through hostility and aggression, the therapist will provide meaningful and positive feedback each and every time a desired behavior has been elicited. The goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to ensure the patient recognizes how to remove negative attributions from their thought process and aid in better conflict negotiation skills. Usually, this is accomplished through the communication process between therapist and patient. Person-centered therapy is a more interpersonal relationship that grows between therapist and patient, where “both are committed to moving towards a greater fullness of being” (Mearns & Thorne, 2007, p.2). In this therapy, the counselor is much more open about their own feelings and lifestyle elements to build a sense of trust in the patient to assist in developing self-confidence, self-esteem or a better general sense of self-awareness or emotional intelligence.

Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy that considers a patient might have unresolved conflicts or dissatisfaction stemming from events that occurred sometime in their history. In this therapeutic method, the counselor attempts to bring previous struggles or trauma from yesterday back to the surface for open discussion. These therapists “bring struggles to life by inviting clients to enact them in the present” (Grant, 2002, p.5). This is much closer to the traditional Freudian method of psychotherapy, however with a more humanistic approach.

Active experimentation is one method of getting the patient to relive these past problems and come to grips with them to become a better functional person. Comparatively, cognitive-behavioral therapy and person-centered therapy are quite similar and involve complex relationship elements pertaining to identifying with the self. However, cognitive-behavioral therapy allows the patient to explore their own personality or motivational attributes while person-centered therapy has much more depth in relation to the dynamics of the counselor/patient relationship.

Both assist in removing negative attributions about life from the mindset of the individual, however person-centered counseling requires a more personalized commitment in order to gain success when using this method. Gestalt therapy is considerably different from the other two forms of therapy as it explores elements of the unconscious and conscious mind to fully understand what has driven the patient to maladjusted or deviant behaviors. Gestalt therapy looks directly for causal relationships between the patient’s environment in much different degree than CBT or person-centered approaches.

What is different about Gestalt therapy from traditional psychotherapy methodology is the experimentation involved. For instance, the therapist might not focus so much on a poor marital relationship once experienced, rather have the patient pretend the ex-spouse is present and then actively talk to this individual in the presence of the counselor to achieve success. Each form of therapy described has advantages and weaknesses and should be left to the individual counselor to perform an adequate needs analysis before launching a therapy program.

References Grant, Sheila K. (2002), “Gestalt Therapy”, California State University Northridge. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://www.csun.edu/~hcpsy002/Psy460_Ch08_Handout_ppt.pdf Means, Dave & Thorne, Brian. (2007), Person-Centered Counseling in Action, 3rd ed. Sage Publications. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/14102_Mearns___Preface_and_Introduction.pdf Morris, C. & Maisto, A. (2005), Psychology: An Introduction, 12th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Reilly, P. & Shopshire, M. (2002), “Anger Management for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Clients: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Manual”, US Department of Health and Human Services.

Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://kap.samhsa.gov/products/manuals/pdfs/anger1.pdf