Briefly Outline the Key Features of a Cognitive-Behavioural Approach to Counselling

The psychodynamic approach focuses on individuals who behave in a certain way due to having emotional feelings buried deep inside their unconscious mind. The theory was developed by Sigmund Freud who was a psychologist. The use of the psychodynamic approach within health and social care helps individuals understand and support patients who are undergoing the psychodynamic process as it is generally used around the world. This essay aims to show my understanding of the approach and the ways health and social care workers could apply the theory to a health and social care setting. By explaining what psychodynamic counselling is and how it helps individuals it shows how I am able to identify the solutions to the problems.

Counselling and psychotherapy are very different areas of speciality than psychiatry or psychology. Yet it is from these two health practices that counselling and psychotherapy practice emerged. The emergence and beginning of this takes us back initially to 1887, when the specialism of psychotherapy emerged in psychiatry. In the nineteenth century there was a general shift towards science and

Cognitive-behavioural theory can be used on a one to one basis or in a group setting. It is said that in order for cognitive-behavioural therapy to be effective, the client

Transference is often manifested as an erotic attraction towards a therapist, but can be seen in many other forms such as rage, hatred, mistrust, prettification, extreme dependence, or even placing the therapist in a god-like or guru status. When Freud initially encountered transference in his therapy with clients, he felt it was an obstacle to treatment success. But what he learned was that the analysis of the transference was actually the work that needed to be done. The focus in psychodynamic psychotherapy is, in large part, the therapist and client recognizing the transference relationship and exploring what the meaning of the relationship is. Because the transference between patient and therapist happens on an unconscious level, psychodynamic therapists who are largely concerned with a patient's unconscious material use the transference to reveal unresolved conflicts patients have with figures from their childhoods. Countertransference is defined as redirection of a therapist's feelings toward a client, or more generally as a therapist's emotional entanglement with a client. A therapist's atonement to his own countertransference is nearly as critical as his understanding of the transference. Not only does this help the therapist regulate his or her own emotions in the therapeutic relationship, but it also gives the therapist valuable insight into

Can a humanistic model of counselling be integrated with a cognitive (or cognitive – behavioural) one? Discuss with reference to Rogers and either Beck or Egan.

In the humanistic approach in counselling there is a vital importance that the core conditions between client and counselling are present from

Freud’s followers came to realise that transference could represent a replay of how a client wished an original relationship experience had been eg. if a client saw their father as aloof and disapproving they may see the therapist that way or as warm and loving creating the father they had wished for. O’Brien and Houston (2007) argue that transference may be about the unfulfilled; an innate need unfulfilled in early life and now sought from in the therapist. Joseph (cited in O’Brien and Houston, 2007) claims that fantasies, impulses, defences and conflicts are all lived out through transference. He suggests that transference can act as a framework within which the therapeutic situation can be understood elucidating characteristic ways of relating in the present as well as providing clues about the origins of these patterns of relating. Transference is so powerful that it expresses itself regardless of therapist gender and all within therapy significant relationships will eventually be transferred onto the therapist (Kahn, M., 1997).

Transference belongs to the client, it is the projection of both positive and negative feelings and emotions directed at the therapist but are toward someone else. One example of transference in the therapeutic environment would be if I were a counselor and I asked my client Sally, a 13- year-old female, how her day was going and her response was vague with no enthusiasm assisted by her rolling her eyes. Sally’s response might not be intentionally directed at me personally, rather the question that I asked. Transference is displayed in this example by the way Sally responds.

The therapist fails to correct the relational patterns of the client when faced with client-induced countertransference (Teyber & McClure, 2011). The therapist is to be providing treatment that will facilitate change so that the client can be successful in their current and future relationships. Some effective therapist can identify client-induced countertransference while some therapist later discover it. The discovery of client-induced countertransference can be beneficial earlier rather than later so that the relationship between therapist and client continues to produce effective

Writing this paper and trying to choose the theory that best suits me, I realized that no matter which theoretical orientation the therapist choses, warm, non-judgmental, productive therapeutic relationship, along with empathy, congruence and genuineness, are the foundations of counseling. However, it is essential to be comfortable with the techniques the chosen theory offers and to teach the client to produce healthier behaviors and beliefs; therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy is definitely compatible with my world of view.

The identification and interpretation of transference is a cornerstone of psychodynamic therapy. Through the linking of the here and now interactions of client and therapist with experiences from the past, transference interpretations can often serve as a valuable tool for insight and change.

The discussion is based on my personal beliefs, values, life experiences, and cultural background. Cognitive behavioral therapy will be discussed and why I chose to elaborate on the ways it help clients in counseling sessions. Goals, strengths, limitations, and approaches will be discussed in the paper. This theory is very effective and I was able to see it first hand.

In modern-day psychology, it is not uncommon for clinicians to make a distinction between helpful and unhelpful countertransference (Countertransference, 2016). For example, many contemporary psychologists openly share their feelings with their clients, often times using countertransference, in a conscious manner. When using countertransference in this way, it may be beneficial in understanding the differences between their own experiences and the experience of the person in therapy. On the other hand, unhelpful countertransference is problematic and can be harmful to the relationship between the client and therapist. Problematic countertransference occurs when the therapist transfers inappropriate feelings to a client, or when the therapist uses a client to meet personal psychological needs (Countertransference, 2016).

Of the 6 therapeutic approaches, Cognitive-Behavioral (CB) best fits my current style. I have always had an interest on the ideas of thoughts and feelings, even before deciding to pursue counseling. When I found out there was an approach to counseling that focus the relationship between thoughts and feeling I immediately grew fond of it. In agreement with CB, I believe thoughts and feelings can influence behaviors. I feel that one of my biggest counseling skills is my ability to be supportive and explore cognitive distortions. One of the assumptions of CB is that CB is most effective when the professional establish an environment that is warm, supportive, collaborative (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012).

Cognitive behavioral techniques are used during a counseling session in a hospital or office setting by therapist. Although I was unable to do a current Site visit to a human service department of a company to write my report, I do know from my own experience some things pertaining to programs that employ behavioral or genitive intervention and or models. In this paper I will attempt to explore some areas within a cognitive intervention such as: