Counselling psychology has been referred to as a “paradigm” due to its many therapeutic models and has been argued by the philosopher Thomas Kuhn (1962) that it is a “scientific community which is comprised of theories and concepts, experiences” (Woolfe, Dryden & Strawbridge, 2003). The humanistic paradigm is one that has been dominated by Carl Rogers and Fritz Perls, whereby the entire focus is on the client, also known as person centred or client centred therapy. On the other hand there is the existence of a more solution focused, problem solving paradigm which has been advocated by Albert Ellis’ Rational Emotive Therapy, Aaron Becks’ Cognitive Therapy and more recently Donald Meichenbaum’s Cognitive Behaviour Modification. Certain aspects …show more content…
They both have a “positive view of human nature and view the individual as not necessarily being a product of their past experiences, but acknowledge that they are able to determine their own futures” (Holder, 2013). They both attempt to improve their client’s wellbeing by implementing a two-way therapeutic relationship where both client and therapist collaborate to enable the clients coping mechanisms (Holder, 2013). CBT and PCT both instil the three core conditions of empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence but in CBT it is used mainly in the establishing of the working alliance (Holder, 2013). In both methods, the relationship between client and therapist is congruent and they both use the skills of reflection, paraphrasing and …show more content…
It has also been criticised because it “proceeds from no coherent theory of personality” but Rogers himself has backed up this statement by asserting that there is no need for a theory unless there is a phenomena to explain (Rogers, 1951, p. 15).
It has been suggested that it may place too much emphasis on the person and their ability to provide the necessary conditions for change and growth as there is not enough emphasis on problem solving techniques. It may be considered to be deceptive as it is too simple and mysterious due to its lack of structure which is in contract to CBT’s highly structured
My role as the clinician is quite important. The primary task is to engage the client in identifying cognitive errors, refuting them, and replacing them with more adaptive thoughts. A sound therapeutic relationship is necessary for effective therapy, but not the focus of the therapy. Many forms of other counseling believe that the main reason people get better in therapy is because of the positive relationship between the therapist and client. Cognitive-behavioral therapists believe it is important to have a good, trusting relationship, but I know that is not nearly enough. We believe that the clients change because they learn how to think differently and they act on that learning. Therefore, CBT tries and focuses on teaching rational self-counseling skills. CBT is the teamwork that exists between the therapist and the client. This form of therapy is used to seek ways of learning what their clients want out of life and then helping their clients achieve those goals. The therapist's role is to listen, teach, and encourage, while the client's roles is to express concerns, learn, and implement that learning (Pucci1).
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
Firstly, one strength of the counselling relationship which makes it the most important factor is its effectiveness. The counselling relationship allows client and counsellor to agree on tasks and goals (Colin Feltham 2010). Through the relationship the client can become aware of their problems and work with the counsellor to find solutions. The relationship works well in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as it combines interpersonal and technical factors to result in a favourable outcome (Glovozolias 2004). CBT is action orientated therapy used to change faulty thinking patterns to help clients overcome mental disorders such as depression. (Whisman 1993) Discussed five studies that looked at the relationship and CBT in cases of depression; three studies found the therapeutic relationship significant for positive outcome. Unfortunately, in CBT value is placed on technique and therefore there is not much research on the effect of the counselling relationship in this therapy. Although, the relationship is vital in person centred therapy, as it emphasises the importance of the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client. In person centred therapy the counsellor must find ways of using the relationship to highlight issues in the clients functioning. Person centred therapy was introduced by Carl Rodgers and is one of the most widely used therapies as it focuses on the client's thoughts, feelings, behaviours and needs.
Humanistic counselling is a process whereby the eventual goal is to facilitate the client in developing a personal understanding of self, and form a realisation of their own psychological needs and desires. It is, in essence, a route to empowerment for the client. Carl Rogers, father of client-centred therapy, described the client as an ‘organism’ whose natural tendency is a need to
Overall, CBT is a structured approach that emphasizes learning, empowerment, brevity, and focusing on the
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.
The theoretical orientation that best suites my personal style is a combination of both client-centered and brief therapy. In the first part of the paper, I try and describe the importance of developing a good client/therapist relationship using a client-centered approach. I like this approach the best because it helps the client to be more open and truthful with the therapist. There are several techniques that I find important in developing this bond such as: genuineness, unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy, and active listening. After building a relationship with the client, a therapist is now faced with identifying and solving a problem behavior. With this in mind, I found that the brief therapy method best fits my style.
In the humanistic approach in counselling there is a vital importance that the core conditions between client and counselling are present from
CBT explains the model of psychological health and dysfunction as dependent on the processes by which experiences and information are interpreted, psychological health being dysfunctional when there are malfunctions in such processes. Whilst it is accepted that some bias in information processing can be positive, with regards to psychological disturbances such information processing is negatively distorted. (Moorey p 257) However, in am optimistic way not dissimilar to Rogers’ optimistic view of human potential, Beck asserts that all individuals have the potential to function as ‘rational problem solvers.....and that psychological health requires us to be able to use the skills of reality-testing to solve personal problems as they occur’(Moorey p257) Beck identifies a legion of means by which
By definition; counselling interventions and techniques can be described as a unique interrelationship between a client and a counsellor, with the sole aim to promote a change and growth and encourage a shift in behaviour towards fulfilling his or her human potential. (Feltham & Horton, 2006) It is the responsibility of the counsellor to contribute to the process of change during the counselling process, to enhance his or her client's personal development. The current essay will critically evaluate three counselling intervention / techniques and use this evaluation to reflect on the application of the humanistic theory in counselling practice and how they contribute to the effectiveness of the process.
Additionally, current research continues to support its efficacy. In a study spanning five years, 697 individuals effectively benefited from person-centered therapy for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression (Gibbard & Hanley, 2008). In an article that dissected three major schools of psychotherapy, students were asked to the video series, the Three Approaches to Psychotherapy Shostrom, 1965). Each therapist interviewed the same client, Gloria, each using a different technique from their school of psychotherapy. Carl Rogers presented using his client-centered counseling, Fritz Perls utilized Gestalt therapy and Albert Ellis gives his example of rational emotive therapy. Through the sample of 97 students, from both graduate and undergraduate programs, Rogers theory received the most positive reaction (Reilly & Jacobus, 2007). Therefore, it comes to no surprise that this theory has been given the support of more than 200 organizations around the world “dedicated to researching and applying the principles developed by Rogers (Kirschenbaum & Jourdan,
The ‘principle of non-action’ (Carl Rogers 1961 p.8), as the Actualising theory suggests, shows that change happens anyway, given the right conditions to promote growth and understanding. The Person-Centred approach is all about the therapeutic relationship and its importance above all else. The emphasis is that it is the client who ‘knows what hurts, what direction to go.’ (Carl Rogers. Becoming a person p12). Meaning that the practitioner need only embody certain conditions, to promote growth and actualisation within their client. There is a focus on ‘meeting’ the client in their process and facilitating the Actualising Tendency (Carl Rogers. 1961), without appropriating the content to the counsellor. In order for this to be achievable Carl Rogers says the counsellor must embody what he calls the three ‘Core Conditions’. The first of these is Unconditional Positive Regard (‘UPR’); this is somewhat elusive as it depends on the attitude of the therapist and is somewhat immeasurable but if present has huge therapeutic qualities on its own. The
Among the three main approaches to insight therapy (psychoanalysis, client-centered, or group therapy), the one that l believe has the most reasonable way to deal with psychological problems, is client-centered therapy. Client-centered therapy is an insight therapy that emphasizes providing a supportive emotional climate for clients, who play a major role in determining the pace and direction of their therapy (pg. 459). According to Carl Rogers, the man who devised client-centered therapy, three elements were necessary to promote positive changes in therapy: Genuineness (honest communication), Unconditional positive regard (therapist remains supportive, non-judgmental) and Empathy (therapist understands issues from client’s point of view) (pg. 460). In following these three elements, client and therapist were working together equally and helped client become more aware of themselves and even feel more comfortable with their therapist and the idea of therapy. Some people don’t seek help because they feel therapy might be too intimidating for them or it’s a step that they fear having to take. I can agree with this, because from my personal experience, l had pushed off therapy for so long because l was afraid to admit that l needed it.
The purpose of this paper is to present a brief comparison of the approach to psychotherapy using Client–centred therapy and Rational-emotive behaviour therapy. The Client–centred therapy and Rational-emotive behaviour therapy are both offspring’s of great personalities in the field of psychological therapy, Carl Ransom Rogers and Albert Ellis respectively. They were the creators of these fundamental therapeutic approaches, which proved to be of great importance in the development and evolution of counselling and psychotherapy. There are several commonalities between the two approaches of therapy and also some profound differences between them, such as nature of the therapist, aims, goals and strategies to name a few (Ziegler, 2000). What