Theory of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Assignment Example

Counseling and Psychotherapy Personal Theory of Counseling My personal theory of counseling resembles that of a problem-solving mechanism: you tracethe causes or roots of the problem, identify the strategies and solutions applicable to the problem, and implement those strategies. This personal theory coincides with the basic definition of counseling theory, which states that a theory must “accurately describe, explain, and predict a wide range of therapist and client behaviors” (J. Sommers-Flanagan & R. Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, p. 9). I believe my personal theory of counseling is practiced by many hopeful and licensed psychologists because it is actually addressing directly the causes of the person’s problems. For instance, if a client suffers from bouts of depression, I should explain how he acquired those symptoms of depression, think of ways and strategies on changing his behavior, and predict how he is going to respond to my psychotherapy strategies. According to J. Sommers-Flanagan and R. Sommers-Flanagan (2012), predictions are important because they determine what techniques to be used, the duration of therapy, and the manner in which the therapy is going to affect the client. Basic View of Human Nature Humans are extremely complex entities in nature. They vary in terms of thinking, behavior, and obviously the physical aspect. This is the reason why we often heard that human beings are indeed unique creations. Despite being viewed as complex entities, I believe there are a whole lot of perspectives in understanding human nature. In my personal views, our thoughts and other cognitive processes affect our emotions and behaviors; in other words, I believe in the cognitive, behavioral paradigm. Corey (2012) likewise believes that thinking and feeling are important aspects in understanding human nature, but do not give us limitations on exploring other dimensions, such as knowing the manner in which the clients behave. I also agree with some of the views presented in the psychoanalytic theory, such that the past plays an important role in shaping our present behavior and personality, but I also argue that humans are not victims of their past; I still believe that it is inherent among humans to seek for their own free will. The past serves as an important factor that influences our present behavior, but it is a hopeless case to view it as something that hampers individual from changing that deterministic view. Factors Accounting for Changes in Behavior Conditioning and learning are two very important factors accounting for changes in behavior. Early childhood accounts for the important stage with which to change or illicit a particular behavior that parents want for their children. Conditioning happens when a particular behavior receives a corresponding reward or punishment. For instance, when a child is told to wake up early so that he will not miss the bus and is offered a dinner treat if he does, will wake up and take a bath early so that he will receive the positive reinforcement. On one hand, children who receive punishment after doing some prank are not likely to repeat the behavior that has a corresponding negative reinforcement. Simple as it is, but it happens most of the time, although this reward-punishment setup is not totally true in some cases. Moreover, learning is also a manifestation of behavioral change (Domjan, 2009). We know that a child changes into someone who knows how to tie his shoelace because he learns how to. Learning is also tied up with history; previous experiences allow humans to learn from their own mistakes and change behavior or retain the behavior depending on the outcome of the past experience. Nature and Importance of Client-Therapist Relationship There is a sense of confidentiality and intimacy in the relationship between the client and the therapist. More importantly, the relationship is centered mostly to the client, which is usually typified as “client-centered approach” (Kielhofner, 2008, p. 144). This happens because the therapist is there to listen, is attentive to the needs of the client, and exerts the much-needed patience in dealing with problematic clients. Kielhofner (2008) also states that the therapist must understand the ways in which his or her client views the world; the things that are important to the client and make him happy, so on and so forth. In addition, the relationship between the two extends to a deeper relationship such that the therapist exerts efforts in engaging the family members of the client in the therapy by asking them pertinent questions, such as family background and history that are beneficial to the client’s recovery. Rapport is also required among therapists because it can foster mutual trust. These things are very important because the nature of the relationship determines the success of the therapy sessions and wellness of the patient. Key Functions and Role of Therapists Corey (2009) lists creating a good relationship with the client as the main function of the therapist. By establishing a good relationship, the therapist is able to evaluate the relationships that surround his or her client (Corey, 2009). Therapists perform overall functions in order to become effective in their craft. They function as teachers, to some extent, “coach, model, and consultant” (Corey, 2009, p. 465). To feminist therapists, they function as moderators between two different sexes, and, in fact, promote client-therapist relationship to be based on women empowerment and egalitarianism. Roles and functions are used interchangeably, and for this matter, roles are attributed to the general aspect of their job that corresponds to their specific job description. Therapists never stop learning theories and strategies in their style of therapy. The role of the therapists is to affect the life of the client based on their personality, which then affects the way they provide therapy to their client and the success rate of those therapies. Key Goals of Therapy Novalis, Rojcewicz, and Peele (1993) explain the goal of supportive psychotherapy towards the person’s self-esteem. The target population of this therapy involves those who suffer mostly from shattered self-esteem and confidence out from relational problems. Supportive psychotherapy seeks to lessen the impact of lowered self-confidence by initiating measures that alleviate the symptoms observed by the therapist. Moreover, feminist psychotherapy also seeks to solve problems that relate to gender problems encountered by women by providing techniques effective in gauging the symptoms presented by the client. In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapies aim “to assimilate problematic, unintegrated experience into the patient’s existing schematic structures” (Gold, 1996, p. 61). This is particularly important to clients who have mental pathogens. However, this kind of therapy only works best when the patient is “unaware of the experiences and meanings that need to be assimilated,” while clients who know their existing problems can undergo anxiety management techniques, among others (Gold, 1996, p. 61). Clients who have the same denominator with other clients can also participate in group therapies. Individuals with unique condition are exempted to this setup. The key goals of this therapy are to provide assurance to clients that they are not alone in their struggle, and they can listen to testimonies of other patients who share the same condition as theirs. References Corey, G. (2012). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th ed.). California: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed.). California: Thomson. Domjan, M. (2009). The principles of learning and behavior (6th ed.). California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Gold, J. R. (1996). Applied clinical psychology: Key concepts in psychotherapy integration. New York: Plenum Press. Kielhofner, G. (2008). Model of human occupation: Theory and application (4th ed.). Maryland: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Novalis, P. N., Rojcewicz, S. J., & Peele, R. (1993). Clinical manual of supportive psychotherapy. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press. Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2012). Counseling and psychotherapy theories: In context and practice (2nd ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Read More