preview

Therapeutic Approaches Provide Counselors With Different Ways Of Addressing Issues

Decent Essays

Therapeutic approaches provide counselors with different ways of addressing issues. Each approach provides a different perspective and thus a different way of looking at a problem. Some of these approaches include experiential and relationship-oriented therapies and cognitive behavioral approaches. Gestalt therapy focuses on awareness of our experiences in the here and now. Behavior therapy focuses on behavior and solving specific behavior problems. Cognitive behavior therapy emphasizes how our thoughts and emotions influence our behaviors. Though each of these allows counselors to consider problems in different ways, each approach has its strengths and weaknesses.
Gestalt Therapy Gestalt therapy strongly emphasizes self-awareness and …show more content…

Gestalt therapy is also highly focused on contact and dialogue between the client and therapist (Corey 2013). In order to effectively carry out this form of therapy, counselors must have a high level of personal development. In order to be effective, counselors need characteristics such as sensitivity, timing, inventiveness, empathy, and respect for a client (Corey 2013). This form of therapy often requires counselors to have advanced clinical training and experience.
Behavior Therapy Behavior therapy focuses particularly on behavior and changing certain self-destructive behaviors. This therapeutic approach assumes that by changing certain behaviors, clients can also begin to change how they are feeling. An advantage of this therapy is how it includes a wide variety of behavioral techniques that can be applied (Corey 2013). This form of therapy stresses doing and so counselors can use many behavioral strategies to help clients in developing a plan of action for changing certain behaviors. The techniques in this approach have been extended to more areas of human functioning than has any other therapeutic approach. It has made contributions to both the medical field and health psychology (Corey 2013). Behavior therapy has been exposed to a great deal of empirical research. Interventions have been under more evaluation than those of any other form of treatment assuring that clients are obtaining both

Get Access