Humanistic and Cognitive Approaches - Essay Example

? Can a humanistic model of counselling be integrated with a cognitive one? BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL HERE HERE Can a humanistic model of counselling be integrated with a cognitive one? Introduction Cognitive therapists work as deconstructionists in terms of changing the thought process of people suffering from a variety of mental dysfunctions, both minor and severe. This counselling method assumes that emotional experience is derived from the judgments one perceives about a particular scenario they are involved in, leading to behaviour changes or maladjusted personality. In somewhat similar accord, humanistic psychology has a people-centred approach that deals significantly with relationships between people in the social environment. Humanistic counsellors focus on emotional elements such as love, social belonging and self-esteem development to provide effective treatment. This paper answers the question as to whether humanistic models of counselling can be integrated with cognitive approaches and find success in the process. Humanistic versus Cognitive Approaches Humanistic approaches deal with emotional elements associated with social principles and adjustment. Self-esteem development and reaching one’s fullest potential, in self-actualization, are the key dimensions of this approach. The elements that drive internal motivation is explored in humanistic counselling, many of which are family-oriented or lifestyle-related when blended with emotional responses in the patient. To be considered well-adjusted in this field of psychological study, one needs to look beyond the external environment and social conventions to find mental health and well-being. Cognitive approaches are similar, yet have different elements of thought for the counsellor. This field is interested in the mechanisms for how people come to their conclusions, believing that emotions can be studied scientifically (Morris & Maisto, 2005). These counsellors have a more optimistic view that patient values and beliefs “can be tested against reality” to view the self and the external environment more positively (Leahy, 2009). Learning, intelligence and emotional responses are often measured in this counselling field to change or modify negative behaviours. Carl Rogers’ View of People Carl Rogers is a predominant psychologist in humanistic theory. He believes that individuals are all born with a certain inherent set of capacities, with a tendency to match self-concept with inborn biological realities of thought and behaviour. Rogers is a strong supporter of a nurturing environment as well, believing that unconditional positive regard is necessary for development of mental health and positive self-regard. For instance, love stemming from caregivers creates a more well-adjusted youth based on warmth and affection. Rogers believes that most people have considerable potential to become fully-functioning so long as the quality of relationships in their lives are satisfactory and rewarding. His belief is that maladjusted behaviours or attitudes are created by certain dependencies within the social network that create distortions in logic and thinking style, with many of these based on social experiences. Rogers believes that situations that can help a patient change these distortions is to re-enact situations from the past to identify where these distorted concepts of self and the social environment began. His idea is to build an empathic relationship with the counsellor to help them identify more fluid and mature styles of thinking. Under Rogers’ view, a humanistic counsellor will help people to steer away from defensive behaviours that might have been created in the social environment in their past experience. A type of perceptive defence against allowing troubling stimulus to enter the conscious mind plagues the patient with mental health crises (Rogers, 2002) and therefore a subception begins to block these negative feelings from burdening their lives and relationships. He believes that getting others to trust individuals in their social network and find interpersonal creativity are methods of non-conforming behaviour that are healthy for well-adjusted people. The counsellor must take the role of establishing the concept of belonging and self-value to change attitudes or improve negative behaviours. Egan’s Skilled Helper Theory The Skilled Helper Theory has three stages of treatment in counselling. The goal is to “manage problems in living more effectively and develop unused opportunities more fully to help people become better at helping themselves in daily life” (Egan, 1998, p.7-8). Concepts of respect, genuine behaviour and empathic living are key concepts in his philosophy. Egan believes that people can become more well-adjusted and avoid excuse production for their lifestyle or relationship failures and clear distorted attitudes about the self to create more productive goals and strategies (Egan). Giving a sense of personalized empowerment is a primary dimension of self-actualized thinking in this theory. The Skilled Helper versus Rogers’ Perspective These humanistic and cognitive principles are similar due to their focus on emotional development and the role of social systems in guiding behaviour and thinking processes. Trust is often considered to be built on the ability to find quality and truth in social relationships and this sometimes gets distorted based on experience. Rogers and Egan work toward empowerment where the patient receives guidance on how to find their own sense of self-identity that is not necessarily based on social norms and principles. Finding uniqueness and creativity about oneself and their belonging in the world improve thought processes and avoid negative self-statements. Emotional stimulus should be analyzed appropriately based on emotions in order to find a more well-adjusted style of thinking and behaving. The differences between these two approaches deal with the role of the counsellor in providing treatment and identifying motivations that guide behaviours. Egan believes it is necessary to take a somewhat passive role in the initial counselling interventions to allow the patient to come to grips with their actual values and needs, thus giving the patient opportunity to identify with their distorted attitudes or beliefs. Rogers, on the other hand, takes a more interactive approach to relationship development early in counselling interventions so that the client establishes a sense of belonging by using empathetic language and counselling structure. It is the difference in emotional interaction between Egan and Rogers that show two different approaches in providing behaviour changes or new motivational development. Egan first believes in the first stage to help the client understand their true needs and desires and helps them explore possibilities for new goal-setting. This is accomplished by asking very open-ended questions, maintaining silence to allow the client to speak about their troubles or lifestyles, and developing trust in the counselling relationship for full self-disclosure (Nelson, 2007). Brainstorming concepts is also used during this stage of the Skilled Helper philosophy so that goals or blocks to goals can be clearly realized by the client. Action plans are usually produced in this stage based on personal client reflection of their past experiences or current lifestyle as it relates to future goal-attainment. In the second stage, Egan believes that brainstorming concepts should be used during this stage of the Skilled Helper philosophy so that goals or blocks to goals can be clearly realized by the client. This philosophy of counselling attempts to balance realism with perceived motivations about goals so that the client understands the difference between distorted rationale and tangible abilities or opportunities in their lifestyles. It is in this stage that distortions are challenged and the client begins, with counsellor assistance, to identify recurrent patterns about thinking that serve to block well-adjusted beliefs or behaviours. In the third stage, the counsellor helps in identifying actual ways to achieve the goals outlined in the earlier stages. These are transition experiences with time-planning occurring and the counsellor becomes a supportive advocate for helping the client achieve their goals. The client is inspired to seek guidance also from friends or family members to become quality resources in helping the client achieve (Nelson). The goal is to use teaching skills combined with better problem-solving techniques to ensure positive behaviours become the product of a new, non-distorted thinking style associated with the outside world or their internal dynamics. In opposite accord, Rogers would provide a more authoritative, yet tender counselling style built on emotional regard between the counsellor and the patient. This is the nature of humanistic counselling to act as a facilitator and also a companion throughout the treatment process. It is therapeutic philosophy with the counsellor acting as a fearless interactor to help the client gain these same person-centred, emboldened attitudes. This type of counselling is “a relationship between two persons, both of whom are committed to moving towards a greater fullness of being” (Mearns & Thorne, 2007, p.2). The dynamics of the relationship between counsellor and client is one of the facilitator being a coach or mentor with elements of compassion, empathy, genuineness and trust so that the client changes their incongruent attitudes or simply use better judgment in lifestyle and social relationships. Integrating Egan and Rogers’ models There is a process of counselling in psychology referred to as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that offers guidance related to social learning theory. This states that people learn by observing behaviours of others and then moulding their own behaviours to fit if they witness reward for the actions. CBT involves relaxation techniques to target irrational or aggressive behaviours effectively, along with a variety of cognitive-based interventions. These include changing irrational belief systems and removing negative attributions about the social environment or even the self (Reilly & Shopshire, 2002). This counselling method attempts to build a new type of autonomy and assertiveness in lifestyle with better conflict resolution capabilities at the end of the intervention. CBT was identified since it already seems to serve as a blend of cognitive and humanistic psychology in relation to the role of the counsellor in providing guidance. CBT aims to remove hostile thinking or emotional maladjustment from the client’s cognitive processes, something that is present in both Egan’s model and Rogers’ model of treatment. Since the counsellor acts as a form of role model or reference group in humanistic psychology, the success of cognitive behavioural therapy indicates that blending these approaches can be successful as well. Rogers believes that when the client views the counsellor as real and empathetic, with unconditional regard for their well-being, the client will “move away from a static, fixed, unfeeling and impersonal type of function” (Rogers, 2002, p.55). Egan believes in empowerment models with a focus on empathy, something common in humanistic psychology: to develop a better social coping system and behavioural strategy in the social environment. These approaches can be blended so that emotional awareness and emotional responses directly from the counsellor create cognitive changes and behavioural changes as well. The dynamics of trust are important and, when blending approaches, should be the foundation of the client/counsellor relationship. Personal Critique of Strategies In the earliest stages of counselling whether using a cognitive approach or a behavioural approach, the client is often unwilling or reluctant to share information related to genuineness or emotions. Even though both humanistic and cognitive approaches have effective structures for treatment, it does not seem, based on experience and observation, that drawing out these initial self-disclosures are accomplished successfully without some other form of personalized style. Every person is different biologically and in terms of lifestyle and goals, therefore the counsellor should take a more active role in their own self-disclosure and lifestyle (when appropriate) to serve as a social role model in the early stages of counselling. There is not much margin for diversity of thinking in Egan’s or Rogers’ approach without fully understanding the person at the most inherent level. To be flexible and provide diverse treatment to many different cultures or lifestyle backgrounds, gaining knowledge of what motivates and what drives cultural values should be accomplished to achieve disclosure desired. Conclusion Both the humanistic approach and the cognitive approach are more similar than what most critics of psychology might believe. Both involve empathic counsellor interventions and both attempt to achieve a more self-actualized person, though techniques vary slightly by situation or client. Goal-setting is unique for Egan’s model, whilst emotional belonging is the primary foundation of Rogers’ philosophy as it is generated by the person-centred counsellor. In any event, the elements of both can be blended successfully in order to provide more effective treatment and guide persons in their journey toward fulfilment and self-actualization. References Egan, G., 1998, The Skilled Helper, A problem-management approach to helping, Brooks Cole. Leahy, R.L., 2008, [internet] Cognitive behavioural therapy: basic principles and applications, American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. [accessed June 20, 2011 at http://www.352express.com/wpm/files/40/Cognitive%20Therapy-%20Basic%20Principles%20and%20Applications.pdf] Mearns, D. & Thorne, B., 2007, Person-Centred Counselling in Action, 3rd ed. Sage Publications. Morris, C. & Maisto, A., 2005, Psychology: An Introduction, 12th ed, Pearson Prentice Hall. Nelson, P.J., 2007, [internet] An easy introduction to Egan’s skilled helper: solution-focused counselling approach. [accessed June 20, 2011 at http://www.mystrongfamily.org/downloads/PDFs/SFP-EasyIntroToEgan.pdf] Reilly, P. & Shopshire, M., 2002, [internet] Anger management for substance abuse and mental health clients, a cognitive behavioural therapy manual, US Department of Health and Human Services. [accessed June 19, 2011 at http://kap.samhsa.gov/products/manuals/pdfs/anger1.pdf] Rogers, Carl, 2002, On becoming a person: a therapist’s view of psychotherapy, Suffolk: London, p.55. Read More