Theories and Techniques of Counseling - Report Example

Psychoanalytic theory Psychoanalytic theory looks at the way thoughts and behaviors are influenced by the unconscious mind. In psychoanalysis, early childhood experiences are analyzed to evaluate their effects on personality and their contribution to the individual’s actions. Psychoanalytic theory is based on the work of Sigmund Freud who is known as the founder of the psychoanalysis school. It is also known as “talk therapy” because in it, the psychoanalytic therapists listen to the life events of the patient. Psychoanalytic therapy is time-consuming and costly, but provides the patient with a safe environment to share his/her feelings with the psychoanalytic therapist in. Psychoanalysis requires meeting the patient at least once a week and its duration ranges from few weeks to years (Cherry, 2013). Adlerian therapy Adlerian therapy considers the birth order, social interests, lifestyle, and concepts of superiority and inferiority as the main components of personality. An individual’s psychological health is depicted by his/her contribution to the development of the society. The patient’s mental health is gauged through his/her integration into and promotion of the social context. This may be attributed to the fact that reduction of mistaken beliefs increases an individual’s social contribution and relieves the feelings of superiority or inferiority. False beliefs are eradicated through fostering a better understanding of the family constellations, dreams, and memories of childhood in the patient. Psychotherapists using Adlerian therapy tend to identify and address the incorrect belief patterns of the patients. Techniques used in Adlerian therapy include but are not limited to immediacy, encouragement, acting as if, and the question (Hunter, n.d.). This theory is also based on the work of Sigmund Freud. Existential therapy Existential psychotherapy is an optimistic approach that takes human condition seriously. This therapy derives its optimism from the fact that although it embraces the human potential, yet it remains realistic by recognizing the human limitation. Existential therapy has many aspects in common with the relational, humanistic, experiential, and psychodynamic approaches to psychotherapy. It is a philosophical therapeutic method which functions on the belief that an individual’s inner conflict exists because of his/her confrontation with the existence’s givens that include meaninglessness, the inevitability of death, existential isolation, and freedom and the responsibility that attends it. These givens are also known as the ultimate concerns. These four givens compose such a framework that enables a therapist to conceptualize the problem of the patient with a view to development a method for treatment. The British School of Existential therapy sees these givens as predictable tensions (Cooper, 2003). Person-centered therapy Person-centered therapy or client-centered therapy is a non-directive talk therapeutic form. Mental health professionals that utilize the person-centered therapy tend to develop a therapeutic environment which is empathetic, conformable, and non-judgmental. The main elements of the person-centered therapy include its non-directiveness and emphasis on the unconditional positive regard. In person-centered therapy, therapists let the patients steer the discussion in the direction they want to rather than having therapists lead the discussion. Therapists show absolute support and acceptance toward the patients. The person-centered therapy essentially has three qualities, namely genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathetic understanding. Although these qualities have very positive impact on the patients, yet the effects of this therapy are generally not very long-lasting. Gestalt therapy Gestalt therapy is used to deepen the patient’s awareness about himself/herself. The therapist makes the patient aware of his/her own feelings in a way that is less intellectual as compared to the ways adopted in the traditional forms of therapy. Gestalt implies wholeness, meaning that every experience has certain feelings in the background and certain in the foreground. Gestalt therapy is based on the idea that every individual suppresses or represses certain aspects of his/her life because they are not supported or accepted by the society. These aspects comprise the background and become businesses that are unfinished. Gestalt therapy throws light on these unfinished businesses by focusing the awareness on the feelings moment by moment. Identifying these unfinished businesses is the foremost requirement of getting equipped of understanding ourselves better and decide if we want to change them or not. The empty-chair technique is an effective technique employed in the Gestalt therapy. Behavior therapy Behavior therapy helps the patient understand the way feelings can be changed by changing the behavior. The goal of a therapist employing behavior therapy is to increase the engagement of the patient in the socially reinforcing activities. It provides the therapist with a structured approach to carefully observe and analyze the patient’s activities and optimize the chances of positive experiences. Techniques used in behavior therapy include self-monitoring and role playing (Herkov, 2006). Cognitive behavior therapy Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic treatment which creates an understanding of the thoughts and feelings in the patients which influence their behavior. CBT is short-term generally and is used to resolve a very specific problem of the patient. The goal of CBT is to make the patients realize that they can control the way they interpret the things in their surroundings and how they deal with them. CBT is not time-consuming generally and its cost is also lower as compared to many types of therapies. Types of CBT include cognitive therapy, multimodal therapy, and rational emotive therapy. Techniques used to overcome the negative thoughts include relaxation techniques, journaling, mental distraction, and role-playing. Reality therapy Reality therapy is based on the principles of choice theory. It suggests that unfulfilled relationships with others are the origin of all sorts of issues faced by humans. The goal of reality therapy is to provide people with connections starting with the connection between the client and the therapist. Once this is achieved, the therapist starts the transformation process by drawing the patient’s behavior away from the past and drawing attention toward the present behaviors. Thus, the patient plays an active role in self-transformation which builds his/her self-confidence. The therapist and the patient establish goals with each plan they set and stay committed to achieving it as failure is not considered as an option. Feminist therapy Feminist therapy examines relationship’s role in the life of a woman and considers all aspects of bias in sexuality. It values women and their experiences. Feminist therapy is often used to explore the disparities of opportunities between men and women in schools and workplaces. The fundamental goal of a feminist therapist is to empower the women. Feminist therapy is grounded in the concept that there are inherent differences between men and women. Therefore, feminist therapy recognizes the issues of women independently and addresses them in unique ways for the women. Postmodern approaches (Solution-focused brief therapy and narrative therapy) Their key techniques and concepts include consideration of patient as the expert of his/her own life, focus upon solutions and the future, use of questions, positive orientation, importance of language, and belief that big changes are brought by small steps. Some therapists use solution-focused brief therapy and narrative therapy together to have a variety of strategies to suit the needs of individual patients. Family systems therapy Family systems therapy suggests that to understand patients, they should be considered in context of their families as family is the fundamental emotional unit. The therapist forms a family genogram. New options of problem solving emerge as the behavioral patterns of the patient are studies in relation to the behavioral patterns of the family as a whole. Therapy that suits me Therapy that suits me the most is the reality therapy. I believe in the transformational power of relationships. Oftentimes, all people need is someone committed to take care of them, and help them come out of their depression and achieve their goals in life. I always look for commitment in relationships. References: Cherry, K. (2013). What Is Psychoanalytic Therapy? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/pindex/f/psychoanalytic-therapy.htm. Cooper, M. (2003). Existential Therapies. Sage Publications. Herkov, M. (2006). About Behavior Therapy. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/about-behavior-therapy/. Hunter, C. (n.d.). Adlerian Therapy from a Christian Perspective. Retrieved from http://www.christiehunter.com/personality/alderian-therapy.htm. Read More