How to Choose & Use the Right Technique to Boost Employee Performance - Report Example

Running Head: COUNSELING Counseling Name Institution Date Introduction Counseling refers to professional guidance that involves resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems. The process is currently considered as one of the most useful in the efforts to handle complicated moments of life whereby the individuals are not able to resolve their problems. There are some factors or important techniques to be considered while undertaking this sensitive process for achievement of the set goals and objectives. The factors are generally classified into specific and common based on their area of specialization. Specific factors are those that relate to some specified therapeutic approach like the behavior of the parties, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic among others. The common factors are sometimes referred to as general factors are assumed to have contributions to the reforms in the psychotherapy and are not province of any specific theoretical model or approach. The relationship aspects play the greatest roles in the achievement of the set goals and objective of the counseling which entails the efforts top change the attitudes of the heart and soul. This study concerns the process of counseling and how various relationship factors works in the process of counseling in reference to therapeutic approach. Moving from specific factors into common factors That which makes a treatment effective is common to all the other forms of effective treatment not only in the psychotherapy but also in marital and family therapy. Mostly the marital and family therapy has ignored the research on the common factors although they reject the differences between the models of treatment. However, they are accepting some of the common factors and their implications especially in the family therapy. There are many components of common factors which enhances the success of the treatment process. The client who is seriously in need of the treatment is well prepared for the entire process through motivation, awareness and understanding of the expectations. Therapists effect as a common factor is also essential because they are able to have the desired skills for successful psychotherapy process. In the issues pertaining to the marital therapy, the client choose therapists whom they are sure of their personalities and the skills to effectively handle the issue, considering the virtues of the therapists more than the other theoretical allegiance is also of important. The research is therefore adapting the common factors and neglecting the specific factors for success of the process. The common factor also has a component of the relationship between the client and the therapists (Sprenkle & Blow, p. 113-114). Counseling The aim of counseling is to ill some of the most difficult psychological problems associated with stress or tension. The therapeutic on the other side concerns the treatment of the physical body and both interact because they provide individually tailored assistance to the clients. There are many and differing styles or mode of therapy which are to be considered while working with the clients. Both counseling and therapy work hand in hand because with the strengths and abilities and focus on the physical well-being and psychological health. According to the reports of the researchers and clinicians, clients are the most influential components who determine the outcome of therapy and counseling sessions. The researchers have moved from specific to common factors because they seem to take a less adversarial stance toward the traditional psychotherapy methodology of research. They allow for some benefits which are not portrayed by the specific factors thus they are found to be most suitable for family therapy (Sullivan, 2008). The professionals take it as their duties to know the clients and create a rapport with them so as have a good relationship hence it is easier to take them through variety of exercises, conversation, inventories and techniques while they are in the state of emotional vulnerability. The relationship between the clients and the professional highly affects the success of the processes cared out to help them overcome tension caused by diseases or difficult moments associated with things beyond their control; if they coperate it becomes easier to handle their conditions than if they do not cooperate with their professionals. The therapeutic approaches considered in the counseling sessions are based on the needs and goals of the clients (Stone, 2007). Components of common factors The common factors are dimensions of the setting of treatment which include therapists, client, expectancy, relationship and other treatment variables which are not specified to particular model. The many components of common factors include: The client as a common factor in psychotherapy This explains that the most important contributions of the common factors are to highlight the fact that the client is always the definitive hero of psychotherapy. The therapy is concern about activating the usual healing of the client’s propensities. Many of the clients go to the health clubs seeking for achievement of cardiovascular fitness and variety of the services are offered for the achievement of the goals. If the goals are achieved then the clients considers the services offered in the health clubs are effective and they are called to follow the program. However it is essential to note that there are many activities involved in this process like there are various models of therapy used to achieve the desired effects of therapy (Sprenkle & Blow, p. 120) Therapists’ effects as a common factor The effects that any therapy has on the targeted individual are a component of the common factors. When choosing a therapist for a friend or relative we prefer the personal qualities and the virtues of the individual we opt for more than the theoretical allegiance for proper achievement of the expectations of the client. The possible outcomes of the intended therapy should be carefully analyzed in comparison to the expectations for positive effects. The therapeutic relationship as a common factor This component focuses on the relationship between the client and the personnel offering the therapeutic process, this affects their joining together and the perceptions of eth process by bringing together the product of the therapists and the expectations of the client and considering them through out the work of therapy. The therapists understand the complications of eth client that he is dealing with and creates a good relationship with him for proper achievement of the healing process (Sprenkle & Blow, p. 121). Expectancy (placebo) as a common factor This component concerns what the client expects as the outcome of the healing process after having knowledge of the finding treatment of his complication and instilling some hopes of being healed. The client develops some high expectations of having positive effects of the process on his health Nonspecific treatment variables as a common factor There are many nonspecific variables offering the most influential and parsimonious effects. These include: behavioral regulations or the efforts to change the behavior of the client and adapt those that have positive effects in the healing process. Cognitive mastery concerns the efforts of changing the views of the clients gaining new perspectives or meaning of living a health life. Emotional experiencing concerning the understanding of the emotions of the client by the therapists and connecting them with those of theirs and the process of healing the condition (Sprenkle & Blow, p. 123) . The impact of relationship and client factors in counseling outcomes The main factor in the development of an effective relationship between the counselor and the client is the development of a very strong alliance of working. According to the research the unemployed clients or those who are less fortunate clients have weaker working alliance than the employed ones since their conditions are more complicated as a result of their disabilities to solve even the minor most issues due to lack of finances. The attitude of life also affects the acceptance and the understanding of the content covered during therapy of counseling process of the client. The formation of a working alliance is defined as an effective collaboration between the client and the counselor on the basis of development of a strong attachment bond and well shared commitment to the goals and tasks of counseling. Working alliance is seen as a good collaborative effort where by both the client and the counselor equally contributes to the relationship of counseling for both to benefit or achieve the set goals and objectives. A good working alliance enables the client to accept and be very attentive through the entire process of counseling depending on the sense of ownership or belonging to the cooperation. Thus it is more conducive in situations where there is active participation of the clients and counselors thus the counselor is able to rehabilitate the behavior of the other (Gladding, 2008). A good relationship between the client and the counselor is the key to changes in the attitudes of the client and its development. The growth of a strong alliance of working between the counselor and the client enhances the changing of the attitudes of the client to overcome the self defeating behaviors and thoughts outside of counseling contents. There are some other factors which are considered to boost the relationship between the client and the counselor of other professionals like theraputicals. These include: technique, hope, motivation and accessing of the resources which can enhance the understanding of the client. The client factors have the greatest roles to play in determining the type of therapy to be considered. He or she should have an idea of the needs and the necessity of the process of therapy thus having motivation, expectations, awareness and good preparations before the whole process starts. The client should have a positive attitude towards the process hence highly contribute to its achievements. An effective technique should be considered to hold the attention of the parties involved in the process. According to Sullivan (2008), there are many and differing approaches of handling difficult issues of mental illness. The counselors, psychiatrists and social workers are supposed to specialize in particular and precise approaches based on training and needs of their area of specialization. The three commonly considered techniques include: insight therapies, behavior therapies and biomedical therapies. Insight therapy is also known as talk therapy and the most common is cognitive behavioral therapy. This explains that the clients should be made to talk about life experiences to allow the counselor to fully understand him and find effective solution s to the problems (Janice, 2004). Behavioral therapies focus on the patterns of the changing behavior of the client. This is also associated with learning what can or cannot be done, for example, according punishment for a mistake done and reward for an achievement. Biomedical therapies involve the use of drugs to cure the some of the mental illnesses. These drugs may be considered to ill complications of anxiety, depression and psychosis. This is done incase the patient is not responding well to the process of counseling thus needing some medical attention to prevent the complications of the mental conditions. The other therapeutic relationship factor is hope; this means that both the client and the counselor should have a positive attitude of experiencing a positive change by the end of the process. This enhances positive thinking thus it will be easier for the counselor to mold the mind of the client to what he or she wants. The other important factor is motivation of the parties involved to actively participate in the success of the process. Both the client and the counselor should consider all the factors which motivate each other in the working together with the intention of achieving the set goals and objectives of their collaboration. This motivation is essential in making healthier decisions and taking the courage to change their own situation and well being. The more the counselors attend to the responsiveness of the client and the therapeutic relationship with them thus they are able to help meet their needs to boost their lives and health conditions. The counselors need to be careful because some of the complications may posses little sense of motivation, for example, a person who is alcoholic or drug abuser may have a negative attitude towards the efforts put to help him through the process of therapy and counseling because they do not easily accept their condition (Geldard & Geldard, 2008). Both the counselor and the client need to accept and agree that human change entails hope, motivation, human agency, determination, good decision making and a supportive environment . While developing the therapeutic relationship with a health working alliance, growth and changes in the wellbeing is very important, it is becoming difficult because most of the people avoid counseling processes especially when they discover that there are some efforts and commitments required of them to enhance the process counseling. All the resources which are required to enhance the success of the operation should be considered to improve the comfort of the parties involved. These resources are considered to be part of the environment on which the process is carried out (Sullivan, (2008). ‘What works in therapy?’ Currently the number of the models of therapy has grown from the initially 60 to 250. All the research reports also show that different treatment approaches achieve almost related results. What works in therapy to separate the facts from fictions can be challenging. The therapeutic activities are expected to handle only facts and view them from a positive perspective thus the parties involved are able to come up with a permanent solution to the problems or difficult situations of life. What works on therapy is translated into common sense and empirically supported skills of therapeutic which can be used to effectively and efficient resolution to the problems that the clients raise for treatment (Masters, 2004). The entire process of therapy concerns the treatment of certain disorder or difficulties in life. The psychologists use the word to mean psychotherapy or a talk therapy where by the client and the counselor sit to discuss the issue a difficult situation presented by the client. There are many types of therapies based on the stage at which the client has come for the service. These includes: prevention, treatment and cure. Prevention measures are considered to avoid the occurrence of injuries or diseases. This works as guidance on the behavior of the individuals to enable them live a positive life which is not likely to be affected by such complications as physical or psychological diseases. The treatment ends up curing although it is not a complete solution to the problem. It is effective for as long as the treatment is continuous especially in chronic illnesses like cancer. Good counseling is also essential to mold the psychology of the client thus he or she perceives things on a positive dimension thus they will be able changes or instructions recommended by the counselor. Some of the chronic diseases may not have medicines to cure them like HIV AIDS but there are many ways of slow down the rates of its maturity hence reducing the fatality of the disease. The patient requires most of the therapy processes like psychotherapy. The clients need to be convinced to accept the fact of their condition and the need for them to live appositive life with the intentions of improving their health and live long (Cooper, 2008). Cure is the subset of the treatment process and its results are positive on the health of the client. Its aim is to reverse the condition of illnesses or permanently end the medical problems. Some of the complications can be cured using drugs or other forms while others cannot be cured but keep on recurring. The client is taught on the important ways of accepting his or her real condition and the ways of living positively so as to embrace change. There are three types of therapies which are considered during the process and depend on the complication that it is handling: they are grouped under the category of therapy composition and first or second line. The therapy composition include: Human interaction is the common most considered, it occurs in various forms for example, counseling like psychotherapy, education and physical. Its main concern is to improve the health condition of the client by educating on the best ways of living to overcome difficulties and prevent some of them from happening. By matter is another form of treatment which uses some forms of matter like, drugs (chemotherapy), gene (gene therapy) or hormones (hormone therapy) among others. By energy is another form of therapy which uses some form of energy for treatment of complications like electricity (electrotherapy), radiation (radiotherapy) and heat (thermotherapy) among the others. First-line therapy is the initial treatment used and sometimes referred to as induction therapy or primary therapy. The second therapy is another form of treatment administered when the first- line therapy fails to achieve the set goals and objectives (Kindsvatter, 2006). The elements of counseling should be well considered and planned for depending on their order of merit. This helps the parties involved in the process to effectively achieve the intended goals and objectives. The components of the common factors should be well considered so as to identify the most applicable for the condition at hand. This enables both the client and the therapist to come up with the best way of handling the complication. High rates of chronic illnesses are calling for more and special attention to either heal or reduce the complication. The therapeutic approach health centre is a cooperative of varied health care practitioners who offer medication services including the orientation medication, physiotherapy, message therapy and other forms of therapies to improve the health of the body. There are some chronic illnesses which do not require any form of treatment to be cured but only need a change of the attitude of the client towards the health condition. Others require some form of medication to be administered to the patient together with the other forms of therapies to heal the condition. HIV AIDs is one of the chronic illnesses which do no require any medication to be healed unless treatment of the opportunistic diseases like Tuberculosis which infect the patient as a result of weakened the immune system of the patient (Duncan, 2009). The counselor need to very careful while handling the patient with any chronic illness because of the attitude that the affected. There are many and different forms of stigmatization associated with the chronic illnesses since most of the beliefs and cultures of various communities isolates the sick people from the health population in the name of not infecting the others or are likely to die anytime, these diseases are associated with some stereotypes like doing against the will of God or breaking the cultures thus falling sick as a form of punishment. There is need for the parties involved in counseling and therapy to have a good relationship so as to be able to handle the condition at hand. Good relationship enables the client to freely speak his problem to the counselor for the discussion; the counselor will also be able to fully understand the personalities of the client dealing with so as to know the most effective ways of handling his complication. The aim of the counseling session should be to help the client understand and accept his or her condition and find out ways of living with it so as to live like an ordinary person (Kaufman, 2008). Setting up of a friendly environment for the patients to feel comfortable hence develop positive attitudes towards their condition. This helps to improve their hopes of getting over the difficult situations. The clients are also motivated to work towards improving their conditions or completely healing the condition. The techniques applied to handle the situation should be most effective and based on the nature of the condition as well as the personalities of the affected individual. Conclusion Counseling is an important tool while dealing with most difficult life situations like chronic illness and other complications. Therapies are also considered while handling these complications because some of the situations are a bit complicated for counseling alone thus calling for more. There are some important factors which should be considered to enhance the success of these processes. A good relationship between the counselor and the client should be considered, this will help in sharing of the ideas between the two parties and finding a good solution to the problem. The other factor is motivation, the client should be motivated speak out his problems for the counselor to be able to help him. This will enable the clients to develop some hopes of overcoming the difficulties hence develop some a positive attitudes of improving his or her health. Technique is another factor which should be considered, they should be suitable for the nature of the condition as well as personalities of the individual for effective achievement of the set goals and objectives. References Stone, F. (2007). Coaching, counseling & mentoring: how to choose & use the right technique to boost employee performance. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Gladding, S. (2008). Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Janice, L. (2004).Handbook of group counseling and psychotherapy. Panama: SAGE . Geldard, K. & Geldard, D. (2008). Personal counseling skills: an integrative approach. Missouri: Charles C Thomas Publisher. Masters, R. (2004).Counseling criminal justice offenders. Panama: SAGE. Cooper, M. (2008). Essential research findings in counselling and psychotherapy: the facts are friendly. Panama: SAGE Publications Ltd. Kindsvatter, A. (2006). Factors associated with counseling client perceptions of contributions to pre-treatment change. Pasadena: ProQuest. Duncan, B. (2009). The Heart and Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy. Toronto: American Psychological Association. Kaufman, E. (2008). Doing what works in brief therapy: a strategic solution focused approach. New York: Academic Press Sprenkle, D. & Blow, A. Common factors and our sacred models: Journal of marital and family therapy, (30)2; 2004 p. 113-129 Sullivan, B. (2008), Counselors and counseling: a new conversation, Frenchs Forest NSW: Pearson Education: Australia pp 38-55 Read More