Primary Emphasis In Counseling Paper

“Counseling’s focus on development, prevention, wellness, and treatment makes it attractive to those seeking healthy life-stage transitions and productive lives” (pearson). In the early 1900’s, there was a movement within the counseling profession that centered on promoting the prevention and the objects that provided purpose in a person’s life. The idea was to help individuals avoid problems and “focus on wellness, development, mindfulness, meaningfulness, and remediation of mental disorders” (pearson). This was the beginning of one of the three philosophies that comprises the key philosophies of counseling.

1.1 Reflect on ways in which the study of counselling theory has developed their understanding of self

When comparing and contrasting the differences in the three approaches, I will review the relationship between client and counsellor. I will attempt to discover how the relationship is formed and how it is maintained during the therapeutic process. Once this has been established, I will then look at how the changes occur in the therapeutic relationship and which techniques will be used. I will compare and contrast the approaches of Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis. I will look at how their theories have impacted on the counselling processes in modern times and throughout history.

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.

Both of the selected theories place high importance on the relationship between the counselor and client. Given that research indicates

The purpose of this paper is to introduce to the reader the theoretical orientation of Taneka Gibson. The theoretical orientation adopted by the student should represent by beliefs and values as a professional counselor. Theoretical orientation reflects the theory or theories at which a counselor base their practice. The theories identified in this paper are Person-Centered and Reality Theory.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) define counselling, along with psychotherapy, as being “umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies” (BACP, 2012: 1). In addition, counselling is provided by practitioners who “work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing” (BACP, 2012: 1). Those who practice counselling in a professional manner undergo intensive training and personal development, the latter of which has been “defined in terms of self-awareness and change” (Wheeler, 1996: 75). These changes, according to Johns, “influence the

Gestalt therapy, which was founded by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940s, teaches the therapists and their clients the phenomenological awareness method, where feeling, perceiving and acting are differentiated from interpreting and rearranging the pre-existing attitudes. Gestalt therapists and clients’ dialogue, thus communicating their phenomenological perspectives, and their differences in perceptions form the basis and focus of experimentation and continued dialogue. The desired outcome of the therapy process is for the client to become aware of their actions, how they are acting, and the ways they can change their actions and learn to accept and appreciate themselves. Here, the emphasis is mainly on the process rather

I believe counseling is a collaborative partnership between client and counselor. Furthermore, this collaborative partnership is built from trust and acceptance of both client and counselor. I hope in conjunction with clients to understand the issues and concerns so to help them tap into their wisdom, creativity, and strengths to meet their current challenges. I believe in a comprehensive perspective through which clients can better comprehend themselves in the framework that our thinking about events can lead to emotional and behavioral upset. Moreover, counselors are to provide a safe environment for clients to explore their challenges and identify ways to move differently in overcoming these challenges.

The counselling process is based on the exchange of emotions between the client and the counsellor which aims to form an alliance (Hough, 1998). It involves the counsellor using skills in which they possess in order to communicate effectively with clients (Hough, 1998). This reflective essay clearly articulates my application of counselling skills used in this practice session and suggestions for improvement. It will provide a summary of the session, identification of a range of skills used and a brief explanation of the reasons for using the skill. It will also provide an evaluation of my application of the skills chosen, including verbatim examples, suggestions for improvement, also including verbatim examples to demonstrate what could

Counseling is a relatively young profession when compared to other mental health professions. In my brief personal and professional experience with the field, I have come to define counseling as a process of engagement between two people, both of whom are bound to change through a collaborative process that involves both the therapist and the client in co-constructing solutions to concerns.

Psychotherapy and counselling are inseparable. The effectiveness of a counselling program is not just based on the connectedness and interaction between a therapist and a client, but also the framework of the counselling approach in helping the client improving his mental health or overcoming personal problems. There are an extensive number of psychotherapies developed by past researchers, with each therapeutic concept offering unique contributions in understanding human behaviour and useful implications for counselling practice (Bedi et al., 2011).

The therapist and the client may look back on how the client has answered life's questions in the past, but the attention ultimately shifts to searching for a new and increased awareness in the present and enabling a new freedom. The patient can then accept they are not special, and that their existence is simply coincidental, without destiny or fate. By accepting this, they can overcome their anxieties, and instead view life as moments in which they are fundamentally free. One therapist states “My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati”, (Nietzsche, cited in Langdridge, 2010, p.130) which in essence is learning to love ones fate, not to focus on working through the past to remedy the future, but to rewrite their story to help accept the experience and gain greater control over their

Gestalt therapy is an experiential and humanistic form of therapy. Therapist that practice this type of therapy uses creative and experiential techniques to enhance awareness, freedom and self-direction. Gestalt therapist usually focuses on “Here and Now”. Gestalt therapist use moment to moment observation of the client to help provide of the problem for the client. Using the results from the observations is how the therapist helps the client to enhance their awareness (Mann, 2010).

As we are beginning to learn, the way we approach counseling and our clients derives from our own perspectives and experiences. As it says in our text, “A critical issue in counseling and psychotherapy is that the same comment may have different effects on individuals who have different personal life experiences and multicultural backgrounds, because everyone has a unique history with a unique pattern of communication.” This proves to be true as fundamental principals of the social animal, every type of relationship we have with an individual is a different relationship from another, so of course this applies to counseling, because, how could it not? Although, before we are able to start a therapeutic relationships or beginning the healing