Counselling Skills Level ThreeUnit Two – week 7

Theories and Perspectives in counselling – The Social, Professional and Organisational

Context

Session Objectives

You will be invited to:• Check in and reflect on your experience.• Sign the group agreement• Hand in your first assignment.• Consider the topics and assessment requirements for

unit 2 • Research and list key features of the counselling

provision in Britain. • Consider Corey’s Categorization of key counselling

approaches• Recognise • De-brief.

What will we be studying?• Historical, cultural and social context of counselling in

Britain – general, local and personal perspectives• Counselling in different settings – how is counselling

provided? • The medical model and other influences on theory

and practise• Role of counselling in relation to client well-being

and in the context of national policies.• Measuring success/outcomes in counselling • Interventions and initiatives ( IAPT, regulation,

legislation, ethical frameworks and policies)• How counselling is provided in a specific local

setting/practise.

Unit 2 Assignment

Assignment title :Explore some key issues and challenges faced in the

provision of counselling today (part one); and their impact on a specific counselling provider (part 2). (2000 words)

In your assignment you should:

(part 1)• Identify some of the key ideas, issues and challenges

involved in providing counselling in Britain today. • Briefly describe the current provision of counselling

in Britain, including different theoretical approaches, client issues and delivery.

• Discuss the role of counselling in relation to client well being; and in the context of national policies

In your assignment you should:

part 2• Select one specific organization or setting and describe how

counselling is practiced. • Briefly discuss the impact of national policies on counselling

practice in this setting. • Describe one aspect of legislation that impacts on practice in

this setting and explain how it impacts. • Provide evidence of compliance with legislation, the spirit of

legislation or national policies in policy statements (e.g. in leaflets, web-sites, codes of practice)

• N.B. Helen Fry from Lancaster and Morecambe College will be visiting to talk and to answer questions about their counselling service.

In your assignment you should:

General• Identify appropriate sources to support your

evaluation, both in the text and in a bibliography, using the Harvard system of referencing

• Present your findings in the form of an essay of approximately 2000 words

Counselling Provision in BritainList:• Counselling Theories or Approaches (e.g. Person-

centred, Jungian…)• Issues which bring people into counselling (e.g.

addiction, relationship problems…)• How counselling is provided (e.g. by telephone, in

groups…)• Which organisations/institutions/individuals offer

counselling (e.g. NHS, Women’s Aid…)

Philosophical, scientific, political, social ideas which underpin some key counselling approaches.

• There are many different counselling approaches, each underpinned by one (or more) of a range of philosophical, scientific , political and social ideas.

• These ideas have a huge impact on the way in which the client issues are perceived and the way in which the counsellor aims to support/help the client.

• Gerald Corey explores 11 key contemporary counselling approaches and categorizes them into 5 categories:

• Analytical therapies, experiential and relationship oriented therapies, action therapies, systems perspective therapies and post-modern therapies.

Corey’s Categories

• Analytical (psychoanalytical, Adlerian)• Experiential and Relationship Oriented (existential, person-

centred, Gestalt)• Action therapies (reality therapy, rational emotive behaviour

therapy, cognitive therapy)• Systems perspective (feminist counselling, Family therapy)• Post-modernist (social constructionism, solution focussed

brief therapy, narrative therapy)• (See handout on different therapeutic approaches)

Corey’s Case for Integration

• Gerald Corey argues that, to be effective, a therapy must address three key areas:

• Thinking• Feeling • Doing

“If any of these dimensions is excluded, then the therapy approach is incomplete” (Corey:10)

What do you think?

• Corey, G. (2005) Theory and practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy 7th edition. USA: Brooks/Cole

• N.B. There is a later edition!

Homework Reflection

• Reflect on your experiences on the course so far. • How are you getting on with the group?• Which exercises have you enjoyed/not enjoyed• What, if anything, have you learned about yourself.• Please hand in your reflection next week.