Gestalt Therapy at Counseling Children - Book Report/Review Example

 Gestalt Therapy at Counseling Children The chapter exposes the approach styles that can be used to comprehend the different characters that define human beings. For the counselor to come up with core concepts on their therapy, he or she has to understand the nature of people. It can be done through comprehension of a client's awareness and mental health. A Gestalt therapist is always aware that awareness represents emotional health (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). Self-regulation that is imperative in emotional support requires that the client be aware of both internal and external environments that affect their health. Additionally, the contact methods also depend on the client's social context of the integration styles. The therapy highly depends on the personal responsibility and client-therapist relationship. After establishing a tight relationship with the client, the therapist has to put into account the goals of his/her counseling classes. According to the author, these goals also contribute to the use of counseling method that will be used. The counseling process has various procedures such as techniques and languages used by the client and the therapist. Perfect results call for the understanding between client and therapist languages. For example, various substitutions have to be done to the client's language. ‘What' and ‘how' may be substituted with ‘why' while other questions can be changed to statements. Gestalt therapy objective is to change the client's way of thinking through taking responsibility of his/her characters. The counselor may attain results if he/she makes the client o unveil emotional stresses and substitute them with self-confidence. The provided video link shows the procedure of carrying out a Gestalt Therapy session between a client and a therapist. It displays a real life counseling session and the used introduction principles. It has provided knowledge on basic styles of gathering data from the client and using it to provide guidance on the changes in character. As a result, it offers in-depth comprehension of the Gestalt Therapy visually. Personally, the chapter has presented the reader with satisfactory counseling skills that are based on the theory. Chapter 8: Behavioral counseling The chapter expounds more on the comprehension of individual characters and their effect on counseling approaches. Firstly, the therapist has to understand the nature of various individuals by having a behavioral approach on the clients. It has also highlighted the reinforcers and punishers that can be used to change the behaviors of children during the counseling period. A child is more vulnerable to behavioral change as compared to adults. The reinforcers are classified into positive and negative factors that can help change a child's character depending on various emotional changes. Reinforcers act as motivators that will help a child change his/her reaction towards actions (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). For example, toys may be withdrawn so that he finishes his homework. The toys act as positive reinforcers to the child's behavioral therapy. Additionally, the chapter has also exposed the fixed and variable interval changes that can be used to make the diagnosis, and action plans in cases of behavioral counseling. Both the client and therapist’s sides may make counseling goals depending on extents to which the client’s behaviors have changed. The goals also depend on the financial status of the client and other determinants such as age, culture, and ethnic backgrounds. The chapter has also highlighted on the differences between traditional and behavioral counseling and their approach styles. Behavioral includes first identifying the problem and coming up with the right strategy to change the behavioral change. Finally, the authors have encouraged individuals including therapists to change from using extrinsic models to intrinsic. This move will help in self-acceptance of one's behavior and later make changes to please people present in their social relationships. In my opinion, this chapter has provided a vital counseling factor that helps therapists to guide their clients based on individual behaviors. Chapter 9: Reality therapy: counseling with choice theory The chapter has focuses on the choice theory and ways of using it in counseling practices. The theory represents personal affiliations that can only work in case the individual chooses to have them. Choices differ due to personal tastes and preferences that lead to the change of behavior and active thinking of the child (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). A person may only control his/her behavior while total behaviors are made up of components that include psychology, acting, thinking, and feeling. The thesis also states that children choose on their behaviors depending on internal emotional and external environments. These factors can be used in the counseling processes where therapists have to understand the environments that surround the child whether at home or in public places. The control theory has also been emphasized in this chapter since it works closely to the choice hypothesis. It explains the active role of an individual towards the choice and control of behavior. Glasser understands that all behaviors that come up are because of powerful forces within the individual's body (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). These forces have to be satisfied, and it is through this urge that personal behaviors change. Without the control, they may lead to negative behavioral changes that happen in most children if they are not monitored. Therapists are advised to use the ten-step therapy consultation model to come up with proper and diverse counseling methods. Chapter 10: Brief counseling This chapter has initiated the need for brief counseling and ways in which it can work. It is a goal based practice that involves precise behavioral changes in a child. The counselor has to come up with leading questions on the problems facing the child and address them exactly. Solution focused brief therapy has is also highlighted where observations are made on the client's responses to questions that have been created by the therapists. They are bound to respond to both present and future problems of the client. The questions' aim is to identify the client's goals on the situation. They are later analyzed and interpreted to recognize effective solutions. Solution based therapists have their approaches on the behavioral changes where most of them are used positively to change the client due to similar future cases. This method is highly recommended in behavioral situations where children have psychological disorders. In relation to other counseling methods, most clients recommend brief counseling since it does not take long. However, the therapist has most of the work since he/she has to listen actively, and work with both negative and positive goals. They also have to change, make exception, and scale the problem of the situation. The Miracle Question can be used to show the client his/her future after the problem is gone (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). It is used to motivate the client towards a better future. The video in this chapter reveals the fundamental procedures of carrying out a brief counseling session between a client and a therapist. The questions have been simplified and through The Miracle Question the therapists can identify the main setback in the client’s behavior. Finally, an individual can clearly identify the lead questions by the counselor to acquire the set goals. Chapter 11: individual psychology After intense study on the psychology of human beings, Freud came up with beliefs that they are responsible social beings whose actions are directed towards a certain goal. All individuals are born helpless and during childhood attain an inferiority factor. During growth, the factor is reduced when the child adapts various behaviors, strengths, and traits. The superiority factor hits when the child becomes observant of internal and external emotional environments. Decisions are now made based on private logic. However, despite the understanding of individual psychology, there are determinant factors that lead to diverse behavioral changes. They are physical, biological, cultural and emotional determinants. The adoption of various behaviors also depends on the set goals. For example, a child may change his/her behavior depending on the objectives that he/she wants with his life. Family factors also affect individual psychology. They may include the time of birth of a child where firstborns may become motivators of reinforcement for the young ones. The number of children may also instill emotional features to the weak children. Consequences can be classified into natural and logical that depend on the approach style used during the Adlerian Family Counseling (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). Finally, the chapter has identified stages of child insight and intervention to misbehavior. Chapter 12: Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy This chapter has focused on the child's thoughts and their effect son emotions and behavior. Based on Buddhist laws, its mission statement is "What we think, we become". Rational thinking leads to coherent decisions. Through the scholar Albert Ellis, most counselors have adopted rational emotive behavioral therapy (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). The therapy can only work if the individual discovers their thoughts and behavior and their effects. During counseling, therapists have the honors of helping clients identify their thoughts whether positive of negative. The objective of this therapy is first to make the client understand his thoughts and responses to real life situations. Consequently, the counselor should use these thoughts and guide the client to make rational decisions rather than just responding to situations without a second thought. Since the thinking capacity has a direct effect on the making of rational decisions, children are bound to have irrational beliefs that affect their behaviors and attitudes towards several situations. Parents also have irrational beliefs on their children and ways that their children are bound to act in response acts. The chapter has highlighted common beliefs among children, adolescents and parents that can be used by counselors to understand character traits. Therapists should follow the right procedure in offering rational behavioral therapy because without making the client discover his inner thoughts, he/she cannot find the need in making rational decisions. Additionally, the common beliefs may affect the thinking and behavioral changes in different stages of human life. A parent should understand ‘why’ and ‘how’ children make their decisions and guide them perfectly without introducing other factors. The therapy can be done to solo clients while in some cases can also agree to group therapy that is common in schools where adolescents tend to have the same feedbacks. Chapter 13: Cognitive behavioral therapy This chapter deals with automatic thoughts in relation to behavioral changes. Cognitive therapists believe that children have various temperaments that contribute to the diverse character traits (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). As a result, humans are not passive but tend to change and follow up with upcoming situations. The chapter has also revealed the four cognitive levels that an individual are bound to and include core beliefs, automatic thoughts, intermediate thoughts, and schemas. Identification of automatic thoughts is the first procedure of the counselor. These thoughts lead to the success and attainment of set goals and objectives. They also connect emotions to the different situations that an individual may go through during his/her social life. After identification of the automatic thoughts, the counselor can change the intermediate thoughts and core beliefs of an individual. These beliefs may depend on responses that come up due to various situations. The thoughts can be modified to schemas that are important to the individual's decision-making processes. For example, one can connect success with the input effort through emotions. Cognitive therapy also focuses on the behaviors that are instilled by emotional changes caused by internal and external factors (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). Biological factors such as disorders may lead to cognitive behavioral changes that are caused by cognitive thinking. External factors such as parents and peers may lead to cognitive causes such as anxiety, fear, and depression among others on the client. In some cases, parental behaviors lead to various characters of the children such as obesity. The tendency to eat and act in uncouth behaviors in most modern day families can be changed through cognitive therapy. Chapter 14: Transactional analysis Berne is the leading scholar in this chapter with his understanding on life and its simplicity (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). However, the different characters lead to individuals upsetting themselves with life issues. In most cases, individuals are observed relating to religions and past problems. Berne also believes that life is simple and filled with individual problems to be solved and decisions to be made. Additionally, he uses his views to claim that all individuals have their rights to rational thinking and decision-making. Human nature has been classified by age in eight different stages and the necessities to be satisfied. Life scripts are written depending on the stage and can be changed through the help of a counselor. Counselors use the transactional analysis to identify ego states that in most cases differ with the age brackets. The analysis works on the principle of autonomy. Therapists have to provide nurturing and supportive environments where the clients feel free to rewrite their life scripts and adopt new behavior. It also helps in identifications of various games played by clients during interviews. The use of strokes to seek recognition has also been emphasized. Positive strokes can be used to motivate children through presentation of gifts that will help them in being recognized. Life positions can be held through motivation on individual behavior that can be done with the help of a counselor. Most successful life positions have been attained through optimistic thoughts that originate from positive strokes. Videos have also been used to highlight of the strokes (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). Chapter 15: Family counseling It involves the guidance of the family unlike in individual cases. It includes the operations of the family members irrespective of their age. In modern families, biological factors have led to disorders that affect most of the family members. Family therapy clients depend on the level of family. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most counseled disorder in families. It includes substance abuse and conduct disorders in children. The chapter has shown ways in which disorders can transfer from one affected person to another in the same environment (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). For example, parents may have behavioral disorders that lead to their children adapting unaccepted characters. Family counseling helps these situations where advice is diversified to every member to help control the entire situation. Positive reinforcements can be attained through parent management training. It can be used to reduce factors such as stress in parents and personal disorders in children. During family counseling, therapists should identify factors that affect the family such as ethnic backgrounds, biological effects and cultural statuses. Strategic family therapy is one of the ways used in family counseling and includes understanding basic rules of operation and power relation in the family (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). It also exercises assumptions that family member behaviors are only repetitive in the same family and are different among the members. Structural family therapy depends on the rules of operation in the family as a structure. Finally, the communication approach may also be used in counseling and is recommended due to its involvement in every individual in the family. It uses the communication practices between the family members to comprehend possible disorders that are present. Most members have the tendency to share problems with their peers and not parents. Through communication, the therapist is able to identify potential disorders in both family members and extended social peers. Chapter 16: Consultation and collaboration This chapter improves the counseling process by adopting two principles namely collaboration and consultation. Consultation is therapists’ use other members of the problem to gather data (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). For example, the counselor may contact parents, teacher and guardians to help them in providing guidance to the client who is the child. Most therapists do not have sufficient data on the child's social and personal life and by consulting parents and teachers they can gain first-hand information of the child's behavioral changes. Professionals consult with adults and guide them on ways of helping the child in his/her current environment. It is a voluntary practice where only willing adults can help in the growth of the child. Collaboration, on the other hand, is where teamwork comes up with a relationship between the counselor, adults and his/her client. Working hand together with children helps in motivation and opening up in case of any conduct disorders. Since the counselor is only assigned to specific time frames, collaboration with teachers and guardians who spend most of the time with the client will help in administering aid. For these therapies to work there are various educational and psychological tests that have to be administered to the consultants and collaborators to test whether the information is valid. Chapter 17: Play therapy This therapy according to Freud is the best for children due to their playful acts (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). He has also defined that most children express their emotions and feelings through playing with others. Plays sessions in most situations provide a platform where the child can adopt skills that are useful in life. Play provokes a child’s self-esteem and actualization that helps in the child’s growth. Play therapy is efficient in most cases since most of the children in their younger years are involved in playful situations. However, play can be classified in various ways such as group and prescriptive play therapy. Group therapy involves providing guidance and counseling to more than one child involved in a certain game. When children play, they can socially interact. A counselor can use this chance to provide knowledge to kids of the same age group. Counselors choose play therapy as the treatment of choice for dissociative and depressive disorders that can be caused by family problem such as divorce and severe trauma. Observation of play patterns will help in choosing the right approach. Games played by children provide them with chances of expression. Play therapy depends on the visual and listening skills of the children. Parents can use therapy to administer parent-children interaction therapy where parents get involved in children games (Henderson and Thompson, 2011). They may also use friends to pass messages to their children while playing at school and other public sites. The provided video captures the use of theraplay in children and has shown different games that can be used by counselors to provide guide children and also understand their disorders. According to Henderson and Thompson, a counselor should first identify a child’s favorite game before adopting therapy procedures. Chapter 19: Group counseling with children This chapter highlights counselors who prefer working in groups. These groups involve adults and children and may be formed at school and homes. According to Alfred, groups are sources of motivation due to the social interactions and practices that take place. Some children may have difficulties getting into relationships with their parents but with peer influences at schools, group work can help them socialize. It is believed that group members observe and admire the success and actions of their group leaders. Reality orientation has been made capable by group counseling. Children adapt required behaviors can be mentors and motivators of others leading to positive results. Group leaders can be used as temporary counselors since they have influence on their members. Various determinants influence the success of the group theory such as size and the age of members. Group interactions depend on the level of emotional bonds among the members. Group stages have also been illustrated to provide individuals with the transition of activities. Chapter 19: Counseling children with special concerns The chapter introduces the presence of child maltreatment on most societies. It may range from physical abuse to emotional to sexual among others. These mistreatments on children lead to responses such as behavioral changes and disorders that require counseling services. They need different methods of approach due their special concerns. For example, group therapy may not be efficient in these cases compared to private therapy. Additionally, therapeutic factors have to be considered since without guidance some children may have suicide plans. Chemically dependent families include those that rely on drug and substance abuse in their lifestyles. Children in these families are bound to maltreatment as compared to those in normal families. For example, most of the neglected children are found in these special families. Drug abuse may lead to divorce that may have negative repercussions on the child's behavior. Additionally, behaviors such as poor performance and school absenteeism reflect some of the children who need special concerns. Finally, counselors have the role of helping children overcome cases of death of loved members in their life. Unlike adults, they may be affected directly and indirectly by these bereavement cases. Chapter 20: Counseling children with disabilities Disabilities in children mean that they have to be handled with professional care to ensure that they attain the same knowledge as the normal children. These disabilities may be categorized into mild, moderate and severe depending on the needs. To meet these children's psychological and education needs, the counselors and parents prefer meeting the child in a non-restrictive environment. They can confess to negative emotions such as self-hate and guilt, and a counselor can use the chance to make them comprehend their importance in life. The disabilities can be categorized in physical and emotional though some of the scholars argue that the classification may lead to lack of self-confidence while they are introduced to groups. Counselors are issued with the role of identifying the disability and its effect in the child's behavior. Children with mental retardation are difficult to counsel due to their mental health. Parents also require counseling since most of them do not accept their children's situation. Teachers require professional counseling so that they can handle the disabled children while at learning facilities. Personally, this chapter has brought a balance in counseling where it accounts for all children despite their mental and physical shortcomings. References Henderson, D. A., & Thompson, C. L. (2011). Counseling children (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Read More