Theories and concepts of counselling - Coursework Example

? THEORIES OF COUNSELING Theories and concepts of counselling are discussed while practical and theoretical approaches are applied for future practice of counselling. This is the gist of this essay. Approaches to counselling which are common in everyday practice include psychodynamic approach and the cognitive or behavioural approaches. Practically, these theories and framework are effective but they depend on different circumstances. There is no permanent and formal approach to all kinds of cases because each case requires a distinct approach to healing. Psychoanalysis emphasizes past experiences to be erased from the unconscious mind but other theorists argue that immediate experiences are of paramount importance. Physiological responses are susceptible to some sort of conditioning. The theories discussed in this paper can be applied to my future formal practice of counselling. There are instances that I have included personal experience to be a part of my own informal training in counselling. Sharing personal life, making people at ease, solving friends’ problems, can be informal education and training in counselling. It makes life fun and easier. Definition and essential characteristics of a helping relationship Counselling is helping the individual reconcile with himself/herself. Counselling is applied to people who need help as a result of negative experiences. This can be conducted in sessions where the counsellor uses methods or strategies to allow the memories of the past be stricken out from the unconscious mind; that is one method of psychotherapy. Psychodynamic counselling has its origin from psychoanalysis popularized by Sigmund Freud. The counsellor advises the counselee in several sessions and the latter recalls the events of past experiences. The American Psychological Association defines counselling as “helping individuals towards overcoming obstacles to their personal growth, wherever these may be encountered, and towards the optimal development of their personal resources”. (Murgatroyd, 1985, p. 6) Counselling has no permanent and constant approach to persons in need because, as Corey (2009) says, each client and situation is unique and each counselling and therapy is distinct and unique. Clients or patients must be understood in different perspectives. The British counselling psychologist John Heron suggests the essential characteristics of a helping relationship. An intimate helping relationship must be: Prescriptive – the counsellor should be able to give advice and judgemental by looking at the behaviour of the person seeking advice, particularly the behaviour that is not seen within the helping relationship; Informative – the counsellor can be didactic and give instruction by imparting new information in order to correct and reform the behaviour , thoughts and feelings of the person in need; Confronting – the counsellor challenges the attitude of the person in need by having him/her recognize the negativity and change it for the better. Cathartic – the helper should encourage emotional discharge to the person by releasing the pain and experience the emotions of sadness, joy, tension, pain, sorrow, excitement which have been kept inside. The person in need should be able to release those emotions and not lock them inside. Catalytic – the person in need should be able to direct himself/herself; the helper must encourage the person to take control by allowing the counsellor to help him/her. Collaboration between the two should also be enhanced with both the counsellor and counselee opening up. Supportive – the helper encourages the person in need to accept what is going on; the helper assists the person in need and a mutual support is encouraged. (Murgatroyd, 1985, p. 7) The six strategies mentioned above can be grouped into two styles of helping: either the helper directs and be in control on the person in need in giving appropriate action (prescriptive or directive), or the helper does not direct but just encourages the person in need to accept the reality and discharge emotion (facilitative or developmental style). Helping is applied in a dynamic way and depends on the circumstances of the problem. Persons in need will respond to different strategies applied in the counselling process. Elements to be covered in the first session with a new client This can be a challenging part in my quest to help a client or person in need of counselling. I know I will be able to experience a different feeling on my first encounter with this new client but I will have to control myself so as not to complicate the client’s own apprehension and anxiety. The important steps will cover establishing rapport with the client, describing the rules and framework, obtaining a background of the problem and establishing a plan of action if necessary. Other topics will include defining the client’s problem and what future steps to be taken. This can be done in an office or a private room wherein the person in need will be able to express his/her problem. My knowledge and experience will influence how to deal with the client in this first session. The most important thing is to understand the client’s problems. A framework is necessary which is aided by my experience and knowledge of counselling. I have to be effective in this stage, have a closer collaboration with the person in need, control the process in order to minimize misunderstandings with my client, effectively assess the client’s problems and see to it that I have a clear set of criteria in assessing the needs of the person. (Miller, 2006, p. 45) This maybe a learning process for me as all our experiences tend to be learning processes. I have to start a conversation that will put interest and enthusiasm on the part of the client. I have to answer questions that will be lurking in my mind, for example: How am I going to start a responsive and interactive conversation? How do I greet this person? What will keep me going and not get stuck on a question or topic? What theoretical approach will I apply? How am I going to end the session in a fruitful way such that the person in need will have the longing to come back? There are guiding principles that I’m going to use in my encounter with my client. First, I will have to avoid making assumptions about my client’s concerns, beliefs and wants in life. There will be goals but I should limit to small achievable goals in this first session and future sessions. I will use a language that is clear and understandable to both of us as this will have an impact on our learning process. I have to accept and understand the client’s weaknesses and recognize his capabilities, be realistic about his situation, and be a learner myself by consulting and asking help or supervision from others who are more learned and capable than me. Theories of Counselling Person-Centred Theories Person-centred approach or “client-centred” was popularized by Rogers (1942) who suggested that it is the client who determines how the session should be conducted. The focus is provided by the client and this has been one of the commonly practised orientations to counselling. This kind of approach is significantly influenced by the relationship of the counsellor and the client. As a counsellor, my attitude and qualities are most important in this approach and interview techniques do not provide much focus. These attitudes and qualities include congruence (genuineness) which allows me to be real with my client; unconditional positive regard which tells me to respect my client in a non-judgemental way; empathic understanding which allows me to understand my client from his own perspective. (Kidd, 2006) The Cognitive Theory The cognitive theory in counselling focuses on the behavioural habits of the patient. According to Riley (2001, p. 7), “behaviour is determined not by the decisions of an inner self but learnt through stimulus response association”. In other words, behaviour is learnt and bad habits are learnt from experiences. But bad habits can be unlearnt and moulded to become good habits. Riley further says, “Responses can be positively reinforced by pleasurable consequences and negatively reinforced by unpleasant outcomes.” Psychoanalysis of Freud Psychoanalysis is an important feature in counselling. This was introduced by Sigmund Freud who taught the world the original and interesting concepts of counselling: psychological disorder and physical sickness are interrelated. Physical illness is a malady of the mind and psychological factors are some of the major causes of man’s illnesses. Psychoanalysis according to Freud emphasizes the sexual libido and the oedipal complex. There are past experiences present in our unconscious mind which can be discovered through techniques such as “free association, the interpretation of dreams, thoughts and feelings emerging through reveries on the couch and nothing slips of the tongue, misreadings and the forgetting of names” (Riley, 2001, p. 5). Freud’s technique focused on reconciling past experiences with the individual’s conscious life. Hypnosis is one way of releasing negative experiences and reconciling these experiences with the conscious mind. Stress for example can cause anxiety, fear or burnout. As a result sicknesses come out like mental illness, cancer, cardiovascular disease and even common cold. Fear can destroy a person’s career. A musician who thinks that she cannot perform well will have this negative impact. Because of fear, an individual experiences a number of psychological attitudes and our mind and body react. (Pargman, 2006) Techniques from this course and an explanation The ambiance and tone of counselling can be set with the so-called coach technique where the client is allowed to sit on a coach and let him release the locked emotions inside him/her: let the problems and the negative feelings inside be expressed. It can be similar to friends consulting and expressing their problems; in other words, the setting must be friendly allowing the client to be at ease and not being pressured. This can be critical. I should allow my client to express herself and speak out. My understanding and listening can set the tone for an open discussion. I should set a friendly atmosphere by saying that the session is a friendly talk and this is just between the two of us. My client should feel at ease and safe in our session. I can apply hypnosis. The person in need must be focused, relaxed and be able to talk freely. He must feel that I am here to listen and understand. I can ask questions which are comfortable to answer, like: What led him/her to come to me? What is going on with your life? How can I help you? Another method is the Adlerian psychotherapy which applies the technique known as the Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT). As a counsellor, I have to be direct to the point. This is the anti-psychoanalytic approach, popularized by Albert Ellis. REBT espouses the philosophy that what a person thinks, that is how he/she feels. REBT actually came from ancient Asian and Greek philosophers and twentieth century psychotherapists. (Eisner, 2000, p. 27) REBT is more depth-centred than psychoanalysis because it looks at the disturbing assumptions and the facts behind the person’s problems. The therapist is straightforward in his dealing with change on the person in need. The counsellor deals with activating events. Emotional upsets come from irrational beliefs. A person believes that something should happen and if it does not happen, something bigger will soon happen. Irrational beliefs are ambiguous according to the REBT therapist. REBT has shown some improvement in the therapy sessions but its effectiveness has not been shown scientifically. Life experiences that will help me as a counsellor work effectively with a wide range of clients Many of us need counselling at some point in our lives. Perhaps, this is the result of negative experiences. Life is filled with events where many of these events are forced upon us that make a negative impact. We try to avoid them and so our inner selves provide defense mechanisms. As we go on with life, these experiences are kept locked inside that result into illnesses, anxiety, fear, or burnout. As a counsellor, I try to avoid these negative experiences but there are times that I really cannot get away from it. I only think that I have the will and courage to fight and become an effective counsellor someday and this allows me to go on without being too much affected by these negative events. Everyday life and events can provide a training background and experience. I don’t need to go to a formal training setting because I can have it with my friends and loved ones. Having an informal sharing and exchange of ideas, talking with friends and asking their advices and ideas about some personal problems can give us wonderful and informal counsellor-counselee experience. I try to do this at times when there are not enough pressures from university and work or when I am relaxed. This way, bright ideas and fresh thoughts come out from my mind. I also tell my friends and anyone who want to experience the same to be “fresh”, relaxed and allow themselves to be open. I think this is how a counselling atmosphere should be, as also explained in the theories above. Some limitations in my own life experience that might hinder my ability to understand and relate to certain clients There are negative experiences in life that might that can affect my relationship with some of my clients. As I’ve said, we all have experiences which are not all too pleasant, which we cannot be avoided. These experiences might still be fresh; but I have to deal with them so I can move forward – let the leaves of the past remain where they must be. An example that I want to share here is problem with the family. There are times that I am affected with this kind of problem, my mind cannot focus on things that I do and if I can’t deal with it then I myself needs help and counselling. But I think I have to be more mature than I used to especially with my new-found calling – to be a counsellor. If I can’t do it to myself, how would I be able to do it to others? How can I be open to persons in need? How can I understand others if I cannot reconcile things to myself? Client populations I do not believe that I would be able to work with This is similar to the facts I just mentioned. If I have to be open and understanding, clients should do the same. We have to deal with the situation between the two of us. It’s a sort of collaboration for a common goal, i.e. to be free of the negative feelings and emotions, erase past experiences and be in consonance with the world and with nature. If the client cannot cooperate with me, then what’s the use of counselling? Before we go on with the sessions, we have to lay the theoretical framework and clear the obstacles. Client populations I do believe that I would be able to work with As soon as obstacles to our working relationship are cleared and ironed out, then we have a working relationship. This is a sort of partnership between me and the client and we cannot have a good partnership if we don’t understand each other. So the first thing to do is to make my client at ease with me, let him/her be a friend because friends share each others’ feelings. Conclusion Counselling and therapy can be applied to people who are willing to change their state, from negative to positive. Some aspects of counselling need formal training and experience but generally, we can have counselling through informal methods, although this is not advisable most of the times. I still have to practice and make myself more mature and well-versed in the art and the different methods involved in counselling. As I “heal” my client, I accept healing myself. In formal practice, I still need training and experience although I think I can do some informal practices at home with friends and relatives through sharing and interaction. Problems with relatives and friends become therapeutic if we are able to deal with them and solve them like common cold. I will have an exciting life as a counsellor. ?list PSYC371 Final Paper Grading Scale (include as the last page of your paper) Possible Points Points Received Content & Directions Content: Does the paper cover the subject as thoroughly as possible? Does it demonstrate a thorough personal understanding of the subject? 50 Introduction: Does the paper have an abstract? 10 Topics: Are all the topics included and shown? 20 Guidelines: Did student stay within the guidelines given? 20 Conclusion: Does the paper have a concluding paragraph? 10 Spelling/Grammar: Minus 2 points per mistake (30 point max) - Directions: Is this page provided as the last page of the paper? 10 APA format 120 Cover Page: Title of paper, student name, running head, page number 20 Headings: correct level - title, all topics, references 20 Margins/Spacing: 1” margins, & everything double-spaced 10 Header: ­Each page has the running head. The correct page Number is ?” from edge, top right corner 10 References: 5 References shown, citations match, correct format 20 80 Total Score 200 References Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed). United States of America: Cengage Learning. Eisner, D. (2000). The death of psychotherapy: from Freud to alien abductions. Westport CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Kidd, J. M. (2006). Understanding career counselling: theory, research and practice. London; California; New Delhi: SAGE Publications Ltd. Miller, R. (2007). The first session with a new client: five stages. In R. Bor & M. Watts (Eds.), The trainee handbook: a guide for counselling and psychotherapy trainees (second edition) (pp. 44-65). London: Sage Publications Ltd. Murgatroyd, S. (1985). Counselling & helping (psychology in action). London: The British Psychological Society. Pargman, D. (2006). Managing performance stress: models and methods. Oxon, Great Britain: Taylor and Francis Group. Riley, J. (2001). Getting into counselling. Great Britain: Trotman and Company Ltd. Read More