Counseling Theory And Theory Of Counseling Essay

This is an overview of personal thoughts regarding the views of human nature and goals made therapeutically as a professional counselor. The paper will include a description of my therapeutic process and evaluations of other theories which I believe to share common ground with and other theories I do not agree with. The roles and duties of a counselor will be clarified. The relationship between the counselor and client will be illuminated, regarding what the relationship should consist of. There will be shared insight on what is believed to bring about changes in behavior.

A person’s theoretical orientation is important because it provides a framework for how an individual’s problem has developed and how the problem can be resolved. It is the guiding principle in treatment and how the counselor interacts with the client. A counselor’s theoretical orientation shows their personal style and traces back to several factors like the counselor’s life experiences, values, beliefs, and perspectives. Having knowledge of a particular theory helps to address the clients major life issues and confidence in their competence. This paper will depict the theoretical orientations used, case conceptualizations, and how I have become an instrument of social change in my internship experience.

In this essay I will describe key elements of Psychodynamic theory, Person-Centred theory and Cognitive-Behavioural theory. I will also identify the key differences between the above theories. I shall also describe how counselling theory underpins the use of counselling skills in practise. I will then end with my conclusion.

My top five theories are Gestalt, Reality, Person Centered, Existential and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Within these five theories my top five aspects that I would like to incorporate into my own personal model of counseling is as follows: 1.) From Gestalt therapy I would incorporate staying with the feeling and use experiments along with internal dialogue exercises (Corey, 2013). The aspect of getting to the root of unfinished business in regards to impasse is appealing in regards to this theory as well as the idea that it moves the client to a place where they are more confident asking for help (Corey, 2013) 2.) From the Reality Therapy approach I would incorporate the WDEP technique (Corey, 2013). I feel that it is of the most importance to recognize what one wants from his or her life and to be able to verbalize and have an action based, planned path that moves one towards the goal (Corey, 2013). 3.) From the Person Centered Approach I would incorporate genuineness, unconditional positive regard and accurate empathic understanding (Corey, 2013). In regards to the therapeutic process when working with people in crisis I believe this model is most effective (Corey, 2013). 4.) From an Existential Therapy approach I would incorporate the aspect of guiding the client to a place of awareness. I believe being aware of why one is not living their life fully is very important to moving a person toward making choices that will get them to a life that is more authentic to who

2). Counseling theories allow practitioners to use them in the way best suited for the clients needs. The application is given when a counselor or therapist assesses the theory for the best use in their current circumstance. For example, a client comes in an anxiety disorder. One should not use a theory just because it has been used in similar circumstances before. The counselor can deviate from the use of only one theory to use parts of several for the best outcome of the client.

Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.

My counseling theory is that even though human beings have the need for approval or longing of someone else to bring substantial meaning in their life, they are not by any means validated by any one person or situation because you focus on the present and future and make the most of your circumstance. I experienced that in my childhood every time I saw my mother and father arguing and later I would hear from her what exactly happened between them. I remember thinking to myself that why would someone stay in an abusive situation or at least not stand up for themselves. I concluded that she needed to be validated by the relationship and for her to leave the relationship or stand up for herself would mean to defy her husband, church, and God.

This essay will attempt to highlight and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the three main theories of counselling within the module covered this term. The three approaches in discussion are psychodynamics, cognitive behavioural and humanistic.

A theoretical orientation is the model used to describe a client’s behavior, tendencies and personality. Therapists can’t approach and find explanations of behavior or personality in the same manner due to the difference in client issues, diagnoses, and symptoms. Although different in nature each theoretical orientation consists of the general themes that can be seen and utilized universally. As a counselor, it is important to develop and have sense of which theoretical orientation works best for you and the type of clientele that you will be servicing. While it may be a challenge to pick one theoretical orientation and stick to it due to the vast variety, it is important that you incorporate your background, values, religious beliefs, as well as a host of other factors into your decision to ensure that that orientation can be utilized properly.

Over the last 100 years, the underpinning concepts in the fields of psychology and counseling were wrought. Within this period, these concepts have transformed and evolved from somewhat crude conceptions of the psyche toward more holistic interventions and approaches. As the profession continues to move forward, adaptations of the original theorists regarding the nature of man and the development of personality continue to emerge. These adaptations, along with the integration of new concepts and ideas, continue to contribute to the field. The author describes his view of man and human nature, personality development, and explores potential implications for counseling.

When I first starting to read the chapters I never thought that there would be five theories that I could see myself using with my clients. I learned from this paper how even though my clients are coming to me for personal counseling and not necessary career counseling these theories are ones I need to know about. I am going to have clients who will have career problems and now I have tools to help them work through them. I can see myself using these theories with children as many pointed out that your career story starts from a young age.

Seligman, L., and Reichenberg, L.W. (2014). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Systems, Strategies and Skills. 4th Edition. Pearson, Boston, MA.

The three counseling theories that I chose to talk about are; Person centered therapy, which is where “People are essentially trustworthy, that they have a vast potential fir understanding themselves and resolving their own problems without direct intervention on the therapist’s part.” (Corey, 2013, p.174) The second is Behavior therapy which is where “Practitioners focus on directly observable behavior, current determinants of behavior, learning experiences that promote change, tailoring treatment strategies to individual clients, and rigorous assessment and evaluation.” (Corey, 2013, p.247) The last one is Family Systems Therapy and that can be described as; “Individuals are best understood

Ego: In this second developmental stage, compromises in instinctive responses to environmental circumstances begin to develop. The ego mediates with the id by considering the rules of the real world and the consequences of actions taken in that world.

In this chapter, different approaches to counseling were addressed. Of the five approaches, person-centered stood out to me the most. In person-centered counseling, “the counselor is most often interested in focusing on the meaning and feelings of the client; the actual facts of the problem are considered less important” (p. 397). I like this approach the best because I feel that therapy should focus on the client. The client is attending therapy for him or herself, not for another person. I feel that this approach is very authentic to the client because when decisions are being made, it is based on the client’s feelings and emotions rather than the therapist. In role play, I wanted to keep the focus on my client. I stated things like “Who do you think you are as a person?” and “I want to focus on you and who you are”. In this session, I really wanted