Approaches in Counseling

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APPROACHES IN COUNSELING

Gestalt therapy is an existential/experiential form ofpsychotherapy that emphasizes personal

responsibility, and that focuses upon the individual's experience in the present moment, the therapist-

client relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, and the self-regulating

adjustments people make as a result of their overall situation.

Gestalt therapy is process-oriented. This separates Gestalt therapy from any form of therapy that

contains or is founded upon sets of constructs about human behavior that are believed to apply to all

persons in prescribed experiences. Rather than trying to fit a person into a category, the Gestalt

therapist focuses with respect upon the uniqueness of each individual.

As the therapist pays attention to the stories or reports of events that a client shares, the focus is

not only on the report but also on the lively signals that indicate underlying material of which the

client may not be awarehow the client is experiencing him/herself in his/her world in the present

moment. Process may be signaled in both verbal and non-verbal behavior, often primarily in the

non-verbal sphere, in "metacommunication," as George I. Brown has stated (1987). These signals

indicate the client's contact or lack of contact with that which is meaningful.

Cognitive: We define this as any therapy that is based on the belief that our thoughts are directly

connected to how we feel. The cognitive therapies include Rational-Emotive, Cognitive-Behavioral,

Reality, and Transactional Analysis.

Therapists in the cognitive field work with clients to solve present day problems by helping them to

identify distorted thinking that causes emotional discomfort. There's little emphasis on the historical

root of a problem. Rather, what's wrong with my present thinking that it is causing me distress.

Common traits among the cognitive approaches include a collaborative relationship between client

and therapist, homework between sessions, and the tendency to be of short duration. These therapiesare best known for treating mild depression, anxiety, and anger problems.

Behavioral : This is based on the premise that primary learning comes from experience. The initial

concern in therapy is to help the client analyze behavior, define problems, and select goals.

Therapy often includes homework, behavioral experiments, role-playing, assertiveness training, and

self management training. Like its cognitive therapy cousins it utilizes collaboration between clientand therapist, and is usually of short duration.

Psychoanalytic : The original so called "talking therapy" involves analyzing the root causes of

behavior and feelings by exploring the unconscious mind and the conscious mind's relation to it.

Many theories and therapies have evolved from the original Freudian psychoanalysis which utilizes

free-association, dreams, and transference, as well other strategies to help the client know the

function of their own minds. Traditional analysts have their clients lie on a couch as the therapist

takes notes and interprets the client's thoughts, etc.

Many theories and therapies have evolved from the original psychoanalysis, including Hypno-

therapy, object-relations, Progoff's Intensive Journal Therapy, Jungian, and many others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assumptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assumptionhttp://www.afn.org/~gestalt/faq.htmhttp://www.afn.org/~gestalt/biblio.htmhttp://www.afn.org/~gestalt/contact.htmhttp://www.allaboutcounseling.com/library/cognitive-therapy/http://www.allaboutcounseling.com/anger.htmhttp://www.allaboutcounseling.com/counseling_approaches.htmhttp://www.allaboutcounseling.com/counseling_approaches.htmhttp://www.allaboutcounseling.com/anger.htmhttp://www.allaboutcounseling.com/library/cognitive-therapy/http://www.afn.org/~gestalt/contact.htmhttp://www.afn.org/~gestalt/biblio.htmhttp://www.afn.org/~gestalt/faq.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assumptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assumptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapy


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One thing they all have in common is that they deal with unconscious motivation. Usually the

duration of therapy is lengthy; however, many modern therapists use psychoanalytic techniques forshort term therapies.

Adlerian: Named for its founder, Alfred Adler, it is also called individual psychology. Considered

the first "common sense" therapy, the basic premise is that human beings are always "becoming,"

that we're always moving toward the future, and our concerns are geared toward our subjective goals

rather than an objective past. We are constantly aiming towards what Adler calls superiority. When

we have unrealistic or unattainable goals, this can lead to self-defeating behaviors anddiscouragement which may foster neurosis, psychosis,substance abuse, criminal behavior, or suicide.

The role of the therapist is to help the client identify mistaken goals, and to help the client do away

with self-centeredness, egotism, and isolation, and to develop positive, meaningful interpersonal

relationships.

Generally, a long term therapy, sessions involve the therapist listening and questioning towards the

goal of knowing the client as fully as possible, so that the therapist can feedback the faulty objectives

and behaviors of the client.

Person-Centered (Rogerian): Founded by Carl Rogers in the 1940's, like Adlerian therapy, a basic

premise is that we are all "becoming;" we are all moving towards self-actualization. Rogers believed

that each of us has the innate ability to reach our full potential. As infants we are born with it, but

because of early experiences, we may lose our connection to it. The self concept we develop in

response to our early experiences may tend to alienate us from our true self. In this theory there is no

such thing as mental illness. It is just a matter of being disconnected from our self-potential. Thistherapy is often considered the most optimistic approach to human potential.

This often lengthy therapy is based on developing the client-therapist relationship. The therapist is to

provide the conditions necessary for the client's growth: genuineness, unconditional positive regard,and empathic understanding. To be genuine the therapist must strive to be transparent, open, willing

to express at opportune times their own identity in the relationship. There is no hiding behind

expertise or degrees. Therapists must be constantly doing their own inventory. Unconditional

positive regard is synonymous with acceptance and appreciation of the client for who the client is in

the present. Empathic understanding is based on the therapist's ability to see the world through theclient's eyes, to move into the client's world at the deepest levels and experience what the client feels.

If the process works, the client moves back toward self-actualization.

Gestalt Therapy: This term was first used as the title of a book in 1951, written by Fritz Perls,et.al.

The therapy did not become well known until the late 1960's. "Gestalt," a German word meaning

"whole," operates as a therapy by keeping the person in what is known as the here and now.Therapists help clients to be attentive to all parts of themselves: posture, breathing, methods of

movement, etc. Unresolved conflicts are worked out in the therapy session as if they are happening in

that moment. An emphasis is placed on personal responsibility for one's own well-being throughbeing as aware as possible at all times of one's interactions with the environment.
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This usually lengthy therapy is accomplished by the therapist asking questions and suggesting

experiments which will increase the awareness and sensitivity to the many parts of the client's totalself.

Eclectic Therapy: When therapists are asked their theoretical orientation, this is the answer most

often given. This is essentially a common sense approach to helping people by tailoring therapy to

the needs of the individual client. While this seems like a good idea, there is so much to know to

become an adequate therapist in any one of the schools, it is unlikely that any practitioner knows

enough to utilize and integrate the vast complexities of the many theories of therapy out here.

Instead, if you look just below the surface, there is probably a primary therapeutic orientation that is

simply not strictly adhered to by the therapist.

For instance, he or she may start out as a person-centered therapist, but has found a way to add

cognitive or reality therapy techniques to their personal approach. It's probably a good idea to check

this out with the therapist. Certainly some practitioners would argue, however, that "no theory means

poor theory." Therefore, the therapist may take the client down a number of blind alleys to dead ends

because she/he doesn't have a clear idea where therapy's going themselves.

Existential approaches to counseling and psychotherapy focus on exploring the challenges and

paradoxes of human existence, rather than psychopathology. Existential Therapy focuses on

exploring the meaning of certain issues through a philosophical perspective, instead of a technique-

based approach.

Rational emotive behavior therapy focuses on uncovering irrational beliefs which may lead to

unhealthy negative emotions and replacing them with more productive rational alternatives.

Transactional Analysis

Transactional Analysis is based on the theory that we each have three ego states: Parent, Adult

and Child. By recognising ego-states, Transactional Analysis attempts to identify how

individuals communicate, and how this can be changed.

Transpersonal Psychology and Psychosynthesis

Transpersonal Psychology means beyond the personal and seeks to discover the person who

transcends an individual's body, age, appearance, culture etc. Psychosynthesis aims to discover a

higher, spiritual level of conciousness.

Basic Approaches To Counseling

Counseling

Method

Causes For

Problems

Treatment

Method

Counselor's

Approach
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Psycho-

analysis(psychological)

Regression of natural desires

with sexual & social

maladjustment

Psychotherapy with

emphasis on childhood

experiences

Expert

Knowledge

Non-directive

Counseling

(self-discovery)

Lack of self-

understanding

Affirmation of self

andself-directed growth

Common

Knowledge

Existential

Counseling

(meaning)

Unfulfilled

needs & potential

Redirecting of

priorities to fulfill

personal needs with

self fulfillment

Humanistic

Knowledge

Transactional

Analysis(cognitive)

Playing out of

inappropriate roles

from learned past experiences

Re-education of mechanics

of roles (parent, adult, child)

Educative

Knowledge

Behavioral

Counseling(behavior)

Wrong learned

behavior

Relearning

based primarily upona reward system omitting

punishment

Experimental

Knowledge

RealityTherapy

(facing issues)

Refusal to accept

current reality

resulting in blame

and escapism

Confrontation

with facts

Authoritative

Knowledge

Biblical

Counseling

(obeying God)

Sin and a lack of

understanding spiritual

knowledge, wisdom,

and truth

Application of the

Word of God

by hearing and

obeying God

Revelational

Knowledge

Psychoanalysis attempts to have people recall, interpret, and work through childhood

experiences. Childhood experience may dramatically influence adult life. Emotional wounds

(especially parental abuse) may influence many areas of the adult life. However, psychoanalysis

often over emphasizes the sexual aspect. Furthermore, just recalling a negative childhood experience

does not bring emotional healing. Only God through Jesus can accomplish that. Also, false doctrines

and concepts learned in childhood may cause inner conflicts in adulthood. However, the lies must be

confronted with the truth of the Word.

Non-directive Counseling emphasizes the importance of getting the individual to share his

problems. The individual may need to unload and air his problems, and it is important the counselor

affirms the worth of the client by listening. However, just sharing doesn't bring resolution to theproblems. It is also important to allow the individual come to a conclusion; however, it is more

important to direct the individual to the correct conclusion. Furthermore, if the individual had the

answer within himself he wouldn't really need a counselor. Furthermore, so called "commonknowledge" is not always true knowledge and is, in fact, often wrong.

Existential Counseling attempts to relate the unfulfilled "needs" and "potential" to issues and to aid

the individual to redirect their energy to best fulfill their needs and reach their potential. Every person


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"needs" to have certain needs met. However, man is not to look at himself to fulfill his needs or

potential. God is to be his source. Furthermore, what the individual or even the counselor may

consider to be the proper priorities may not be what God considers to be the priorities. Man is to be

God-centered, not self-centered.

Transactional Analysis emphasizes the proper playing of roles (child, parent, adult). This is a

favored approach in communications in the business world. An adult should not treat another adult

as a child. Neither should a parent of a child treat the child as an adult. However, even proper role

playing may not change a rebellious attitude. Everyone is not O.K. Furthermore, this approach to

counseling gives little allowance for the principles of authority. Transactional Analysis normally

does not address the truth that God works through authority to teach, correct, discipline, prosper,

empower, and protect.

Behavioral Counseling says that we are simply a product of our environment; therefore, we need to

be reconditioned through the proper training. It is true that society (especially the home

environment) exerts pressure on people to behave in a certain way. Furthermore, some relearning

may be necessary. However, we are not robots or simply a products of our environment. Behavioral

counseling often pits reward against punishment. The preferred approach in behavioral counseling isreward because it generally gets better results. However, the combination of both is seldom used asbalanced in the Scriptures.

Reality Therapy approaches counseling from a confrontational perspective. The counselor

confronts the individual with the facts of life, expecting him to face up to the issues. It is true that we

are to confront people with the truth in love as directed by the Holy Spirit. However, the problem is

that most troubled people are running from the issues. Some professionals have categorized some

forty defense mechanisms that people use to avoid facing the truth. Often people run from the issues

because they don't see any solution for their issues; therefore the counselor must also offer true

solutions to the issues.

Biblical Counseling aspires to the truth that God has an answer for every issue and actively

intervenes in the lives of individuals. The answers are found in the Word of God and revealed by the

Holy Spirit. When an individual responds correctly in faith to the Word of God, God will bring

solutions to his problems, peace of mind, and fulfillment. Each approach to counseling is based upon

some truth; however, only the Biblical Counseling approach is based entirely upon the truth which

can produce effective, long lasting positive results. Furthermore, the other approaches may lead one

even into greater difficulties. One also should note that many Christian counselors, because of their

secular training, use primarily one of the secular approaches to counseling along with some

Scriptures.

The term invitationalwas chosen for its special meaning.The English invite is a derivative of

the Latin word invitare which means to offer something beneficial for immoderation. Translatedliterally, invitare means to summon ideally, not to avoid. Implicit in this definition is that inviting

in an ethical process involving continuous interactions among and between human beings.

The model of professional helping, based on self-concept that incorporates compatible theories,

systems, and practices into an overarching framework for human service. This framework is based on

the four basic assumptions that give invitational counseling identity, direction and purpose.


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Approaches in Counseling