Personal Approach to Counseling Essay Example

Personal Approach to Counseling Essay Personal Approach to Counseling Todd J. Schmenk, M. Ed. Rhode Island College Author Note Todd J, Schmenk, M. Ed. , Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, and School Psychology Department, Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, Rhode Island College. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Todd J. Schmenk, M. Ed. , Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, and School Psychology Department, Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI 02908 E-mail: [emailprotected] om 1. Key Concepts In dealing with individuals and in my experience and studies over the years I have come to the conclusion that a person’s development and interactions with the world is a compilation of internal adaptations to external stimulus. As the philosopher Ken Wilber put it â€Å" A person’s network-logic is a dialectic (an investingating or discussing the truth of opinions) of whole and part. As many d etails as possible are checked; then a tentative big picture is assembled; it is checked against further details, and the big picture readjusted. And so on indefinitely, with ever more details constantly altering the big picture—and vice versa. † (Wilber, 2000, Loc. 213-15) Drawing upon this broad but key ideology, any approach to counseling or psychotherapy, in my opinion, would have to be sure to address these internal processes and conclusions in order to help an individual deal with and achieve balance when an imbalance has occurred. In order to do so, this would mean incorporating upon several of the key components of made by astute individuals who have helped to define the various aspects of these processes. Of great influence to my approach would be Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development which considers the impact of external factors from family, specifically the parents, to cultural and societal influences and their effects on an individual’s personality (ego) development from childhood to adulthood. According to Erikson’s theory, every person must pass through a series of eight interrelated stages over the entire life cycle. (Arlene F Harder, 2011) At each transition, there is the possibility that the individual may falter and develop less than optimal approaches for dealing with external stimuli. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Approach to Counseling specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Approach to Counseling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Approach to Counseling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Going a step further in identification and specificity of those external influences and their effects on an individuals ego development are the works of Dr. Clare Grave, Dr. Chris Cowen, and Dr. Donald Beck, who have compiled their observations in their theory which they refer to as â€Å"Spiral Dynamics†. Dr. Graves in the early 1950’s refered to this new emerging approach to human understanding as a biopsycho-social system. In his words he defined the term as: â€Å"Bio† for the neurology and chemical energy of life and the organismic part of us. The â€Å"Psycho† for the variables of personality and life expereinces, our temperments and sense of self and relationships to others, the â€Å"Social† for the collective energy in group dynamics and culture as the interpersonal domain influences human behavior in collective settings ranging from small groups and families to corporations and entire societies, and the â€Å"System† for the interdependence and action/reaction of these three upon one another in a coherent whole according to principles laid out in General Systems theory and other approaches to how things work and interact. (Cowen, Todorovic, Lee, 2001) Or in more simple terms: â€Å"Briefly, what I am proposing is that the psychology of the mature human being is an unfolding, emergent, oscillating, spiraling process, marked by progressive subordination of older, lower-order behavior systems to newer, higher-order systems as man’s existential problems change. † (Graves, 1959) Where Er ikson, Graves, Beck, Cowen and a good number of other therapists saw he quantifyable development of human beings as the unfolding of stages, I also look to Ken Wilber who has devised a â€Å"Integral Theory† that looks for underlying connections between all these pieces of the same puzzle, drawing upon the available schools of thought in psychology, religion, philosphy, and other related fields, in an attempt to relate them to each other. One of Wilber’s greatest contributions to the field of psychology and counseling is by demonstrating that the various practitioners have all been studying several lines of development, yet collapsing these observations together as if they were one. By doing so, creating illisionary camps of opposing thought that are believed to be mutually exclusive. Wilber has shown that all of these lines coexist and need to be acknowledged in order for the treatment to have a larger impact. This is not to say that all approaches to pyschotherapy do this, many of the newer theories and approaches to therapy have begun to see and adapt this idea pulling from various modes of applications, such as dialectical, but few do this as broadly. An example of this can be seen in the following illustration: [pic] Wilber explains: And there are multiple paths or lines of development. It has been demonstrated that each level of development has a different worldview, with different perceptions, modes of space and time, and moral motivations (discoveries upon which the work of researchers from Maslow to Kohlberg to Loevinger to Gilligan would depend); he showed that reality is not simply given but is in many important ways constructed. (Wilber, 2000, loc 577-82) Given this explaination, Freud’s view could be seen and the identification of the psycho-sexual line of development, whereas Maslow focused on the needs line , Grave focus on an individual’s world-view, and Gilligan focused on the line of ego development. All equally important. Given this, my intake form that an individual would fill out combined with information collected during sessions should provide the basis from where to move forward in choosing the appropriate psychotherautic model for treatment increasing the effectivess and positive outcome in alleviating the individual’s current condition. This conclusion is echoed in this course’s text in that â€Å" Effective theories are grounded in an understanding of human development. They provide a framework for gathering and organizing information and exploring personality. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, loc. 972-73) Since I have the most experience in dealing with individuals drawing from health education and promotion theories that are similar to Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) methods, this would be the area I would most often begin. In SFBT, one of the core objectives â€Å" is to increase people’s hope and optimism by creating expectancy for change, n o matter how small. In this way, people become more aware of what is working rather than what is not. † (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, loc. 1000) Often times I have found that when people seek my services, they do so because something has changed, yet they are unaware of such a change, and that that change has been percieved as a negative effect by that individual. A common example of this is a person in their late 20’s or early 30’s who is distressed over a sudden increase in weight. There are many factors that can contribute to this, but a common theme I have observed is that the individual had continued to eat as if they were still an athlete, a teenager, or in their early 20’s. Their eating habits remained constant, however, their activity levels and the stage of their body’s development (they are no longer growing) have not, having an undesirable and unintentional impact. While this example is dealing with obersavable behaviors (activity, nutrition), the same can also be applied to an individuals mental constructs, schema’s, or beliefs. People often relate present expereinces with ones that look similar to what they have encountered in the past, yet the course their responses produces different results. One of the other great strengths is that SFBT focuses on the present and the future rather that on the past and allows an individual to focus on positive change. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, Loc. 10986-87) This would be especially important in the first few sessions since I would want to alleviate the immediate cause of distress. Using the above example, looking at the person’s belief and coming up with goals, such as using a nutrition journal to increase awareness, would be a good place to begin. Even small insights based upon this simple exercise can greatly motivate and increase this individual’s expectancy for further changes. Next I would turn to Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) because of its structure and its use of reason to challenge irrational beliefs. I love the outline presented in the class text because, in my experience, I have found that having a plan tends to increase the likelihood of compliance and therefore success. The typical session will almost always include the following tens steps 1. Review old business from the previous session – if it is the first session, than I would review the intake form to ensure accuracy and begin to develop the therapeutic alliance. 2. Check up on the mood, behavior, symptoms, and medication. 3. Elicit new business, especially and major life changes 4. Follow up on homework 5. Establish the agenda for the sessions 6. Do the work according to the ABCDEF format 7. Summarize the work that was done 8. Assign new homework 9. Obtain feedback on the session 10. Close the session (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, loc. 8046): This is not to say that I would be inflexible and if the situation presented itself, would even incorporate the use of Carl Roger’s more free-flowing client centered approach, but I would not start a session off that way. I have tried this type of approach and have found that for an individual who is looking for an immediate solution and possibly some guidance, that type of approach if used right from the start can be frustrating and de-motivating. I would also use the concepts found within REBT to help teach clients about rational and irrational thinking so that they could identify, dispute, and modify their irrational beliefs. By doing so, the individual should be able to develop a more rational and integrated approach to life. Unlike SFBT, which focuses on goal setting and problem solving, REBT dictates that I would need to go beyond this approach to enable the individual to establish more balanced, logical, and rewarding lives. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc. 7968) For emotionally based complaints that do not seem to be able to be addressed using SFBT and REBT, I would consider utilizing an emerging approach that has some components of Gestalt therapy, but it also based heavily on the concepts of Freud’s work called Core Energetics. The work of Core Energetics requires that clients want to dissolve their original wounds and evolve into their authentic selves, heart and soul. It is an emotional focused practice. It first appeared in the 70’s introduced by Dr. Pierrakos who had based this new methodology upon observations made by Wilhelm Reich, a colleague and disciple of Freud, about the connection between the body and psychological/emotional health and dysfunction. Black, 2004, 120-23) He believed that his clients’ bodies were tensed and distorted as a result of blocked energy and used physical approaches to alleviate or encourage an emotional discharge that often produced insight in to what was bothering them. I have experienced this type of therapy and have found it useful, especially when I was not completely aware of what was truly bothering me, though I would need further training before I was comfortable in implementing this type of approach. 2. Signs of Change As I worked with an individual there would be signs that I would be looking for that would help identify if my approach was having the desired effect. As reflected in our text: As they become cognizant of the possibilities for positive change, their empowerment and motivation increase correspondingly, creating a beneficial circle; positive change fuels people’s belief that change can happen, which enhances their motivation and efforts to change, which in turn leads to more positive changes. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, loc. 11001) When it comes to SFBT, simple indications would be compliance, the client creating and meeting the goals that were agreed upon, an increased motivation to be in action, and their reported belief that they were getting something out of our sessions. When it came to REBT, one of the advantages of the approach is the scaled questions that would be attached to their irrational beliefs. Those issues causing the most turmoil should be seen over time to diminish moving down scale on a scale of 1 – 10, where 10 would be most distressful to 1 being the least. If I find that the individual is still holding on to these irrational beliefs and being negatively affected by them, it would be because that they are still active and the individual was still using them (still unaware) and an adjustment would be made. Two other themes I would look for in working with the individual would be self-acceptance and awareness. The REBT approach â€Å"suggests that emotional difficulties often are found in people with conditional self-acceptance and that they value themselves because of their accomplishments rather than because of their basic worth as a person. † (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. 5828-30) In other words, for many, when they have a set-back or fail at something, they believe it is because they are bad or a failure. (conditions of self-worth) Those who were able to differentiate and see these differences (and display behaviors congruent with their statements) I would see as both making progress and as becoming more self-aware. By being aw are of their approaches to life, they would then be able to make changes, become fully self-expressed or authentic in the moment and see the possibilities available to them. . The Role of the Therapist and the Nature of the therapist-client relationship Given my experience over the last 15 years in dealing with individuals with a variety of health concerns and now moving to a more broad based look at an individual’s over-all mental health and its effect on those health issues, my approach and role in a therapist-client relationship would tend to be eclectic, integrating different treatment strategies as needed. Interactions and assessments with the individual would help to clarify what is most likely the main issue and which counseling theory or theories and the tools provided in each would best increase the chances for the most favorable outcome. With that being said – all of my approaches would begin by ensuring the strong development of a therapeutic alliance as illustrated by several of the fields most prominent therapists since the formalization of this idea by Carl Rogers. Therapist traits such as empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence (or being genuine with a client) create the conditions necessary to develop a more effective alliance between clinician and client. Therapy sessions then primarily act as a place where an individual can explore uncomfortable emotional experiences and learn or relearn more constructive ways of dealing with them. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc 1186) Even though the initial approach to REBT and SFBT tend to be more structured and more formal, it is still possible to create a warm, safe space or clearing within these contexts in order to foster re-education, insight, reframing, challenging irrational beliefs, and personal growth. By doing so it is almost inevitable that change will occur and that it will â€Å"have a ripple effect on many aspects of the client’s life. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc 11142) In REBT and SFBT the therapist often assumes many roles such as an educator, a mentor, a role model, and a coach using a wide variety of interventions, tools, and resources. Some of these tools I would bring into sessions would be identifying the situations and utilizing the three column technique, using a dysfunctional thought log or other journal and asking questions like â€Å"Between now and our first session, I want you to notice the things that happen to you that you would like to keep happening in the future? † or â€Å"What changes have occurred since the person first made the appointment? † all the time utilizing active listening skills, portraying empathy, offering reassurance, and making suggestions when they are relevant. When I was in session, I would keep all the above in mind in regards to the following: Current research suggests that treatment approaches and interventions are just one factor in producing change. In a landmark study, Miller, Duncan, and Hubble (1997) found that clients attributed 40% of the change they experienced in treatment to extratherapeutic factors (including people’s internal resources and events in their lives), 30% to the therapist–client relationship, 15% to particular techniques and interventions, and 15% percent to their hope and expectation of positive change. Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc 1043) which demonstrates the power of the therapeutic alliance and the need to be seen as both an expert, a guide, an advocate, and as most importantly, another human being just like them. 4. Goals Given the processes of the therapies I would tend to implement, I believe that the amount of sessions that would be needed in order to achieve the desired outcome and to alleviate their current concerns would be six to eight sessions with 80% of clients concluding treatment by the 20th session and most of their positive changes occurring by the 8th session. Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc. 11093) Before meeting with the client and then continuing the practice before any sequential sessions, I would use a decision tree to determine what interventions to use next with my client. Part of REBT is starting each session off by checking in with them to see what was happening in their life and what they wished to see happen more often to move towards major life changes. One of the major concepts of REBT is that Clinicians teach clients about rational and irrational thinking; help people identify, dispute, and modify their irrational beliefs; and facilitate their efforts to develop a more rational philosophy of life. Although problem solving is part of treatment, REBT clinicians go beyond problem solving and enable people to establish more balanced, logical, and rewarding lives. (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, Loc. 8079-82) This would be done using the six-step ABCDEF structured format that would meet the requirements described above. In brief – we would look to identify the external source of discomfort, take a look at the belief about that stimulus and its effect, look at the consequences the belief was having on their life, devise ways to dispute this belief, what the effect would be once the belief had been realigned, and an exploration of the new feelings and behaviors that would be a result of this process. (ensuring motivation) (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc. 8084-8138) Other tools I described earlier would be the use of behavioral tracking and awareness enhancing practices such as a log or journal. When it comes to SFBT, some of the most important interventions would be the use of the miracle question which would implement the use of scaling to measure change and the use of suggested solutions, but would also focus on identifying exceptions, looking for places in a person life where things worked. For instance, if a person was having a difficult time and was feeling burned out because of the work requirements, exploration of times when they had a good day and what they did differently should provide their own solution to the kind of plan that should be developed further in order to have that exception become the norm. If the person had a difficult time identifying such a situation, there is where SFBT would tend to suggest activities to help the person identify such solutions or suggest ways they could try to alter the situation. Simple questions like â€Å"What is different about the times when the difficulty does not happen? †, When is the problem less severe? , and How is that different from the way you handled this the last time it occurred? † (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010, Loc 11155) would all be ways to explore this further and find the individuals strengths or effective ways in which they have dealth with similar situation before. Once identified, those traits and skills would be exemplified and then practiced so that they become a new behavior. Tony Schwartz, the author of The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal has broadened this approach laying out the four main areas that an individual should look when trying to create new rituals, ones that will over-ride and replace older dysfunctional approaches. He focuses on the following: At the same time, we must build the four underlying capacities that make excellence possible: strength and endurance (physical), high positive energy (emotional), control of attention (mental), and a compelling sense of purpose (spiritual). (Schwartz, 2005, Loc. 143) What is so great about this book is that it addresses many of the main issues around performance, whether it is at work or in dealing with the family and aligns well with both REBT and SFBT. The main underlying message in the book could be summed up best by â€Å"It’s not the number of hours we work that determines how much value we create. Rather it’s the quantity and quality of energy we bring to whatever hours we work. † (Schwartz, 2005, Loc 161) This enderlying theme echos the beliefs of both systems. From a REBT perspective – it addresses the â€Å"performance equals worth† irrational belief and from a SFBT it focuses on the positive aspects and strengths an individual uses to maintain their energy levels, including understanding what values are of the upmost importance to them. 5. How this approach might apply to diverse groups Given that every individual – regardless of race, culture, gender, or orientation would need to proceed through the same stages of development and face similar transitional challenges at each stage, I believe that my approach would be useful in most therapy situations that were targeted at mid to high functioning individuals. I do not see this approach as being as effective with those who have a compromised perception of reality such as those who are currently in a psychopathic state, but even there this approach may be useful once those individuals have been stabilized. SFBT and REBT are both mental approaches to dealing with current issues which are both cross-cultural both in their acceptance and application. Since some cultures are more sensitive to talking about their emotions, my approach, using these methodologies should help to alleviate and overcome this cultural reluctance. When it comes to cross-cultural or diverse populations, I also include gender communication differences, religious orientation, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and even political. Both methodologies have been shown to be effective in dealing with such diversity. With that being said, given that I am a white male, coming from German-Slavic culture, with a hetero-sexual orientation, a higher level of education, and more of an urban ideology, I would expect that this perception may also be seen as a weakness in dealing with some individuals, especially depending upon why they were seeking my services in the first place. For instance, a woman suffering from mental issues surrounding a traumatic experience, such as rape, would most likely not do well with me – at least initially. Those coming from a Hispanic or other cultural orientation, or even a strong specific religious or philosophical background may also be turned off since I do not fall into their perceived notion of being able to relate. Of course, utilizing the therapeutic alliance and even addressing these concerns right from the start should help to alleviate these concerns. Also – the language barrier would certainly have a negative impact in that if communication was weak, it would reinforce the cultural divide not to mention have a profound effect on how well the individual and I could relate. In those cases, I would simply refer the individual to someone within the counseling network to whom I would believe this person would do best with. 6. Limitations and strengths of your approach The strengths, weakness, and limitations of my approach would be the same as those apparent in the tools that I would employ in most cases. SFBT can be too quick to identify with the presenting problem and therefore missing the greater importance or that a solution would need to be reached in a relatively short period of time could have a negative impact on outcomes. REBT may not be as useful with individuals who have a difficult time separating their emotional responses from their thoughts or the belief or expectation that therapy should be unstructured, focus on insights, and the need to explore the causes of their current state of mind could also undermine the entire process. While common complaints for Erikson’s approach being that it focuses too much upon the social implications, ignoring the biological influences of personality and physical dimension and for having been derived with more of a male gender bias. However, by utilizing the integral framework devised by Ken Wilber and using the four quadrant approach to cover all the bases of the internal individual self (locus of control), the biological effect on personality and displayed behaviors, the cultural effect on the individuals belief system, and the social structures and laws which tend to reinforce these effects should help to alleviate or negate these effects leaving only the strengths or the best of each approach to having the greatest influence upon the sessions, the individual, and the possible outcomes being pursued. The strengths of all these approaches would be that they are all cognitive or rational approaches to dealing with current issues which have empirical data to back up their claims as solid approaches to working with individuals in the alleviation of their problems. Also, as backed by our class text, â€Å"SFBT has also been easily integrated with other theories, including cognitive behavioral, REBT, Adlerian, and reality therapy† (Seligman Reichenberg, 2010. Loc. 8094) leaving me to believe that this approach would indeed have the outcomes and positive interations I would hope to see. Finally, many of the strengths, weakness, and limitations would be my own internal belief systems and my level of comfort in working with certain populations as well as any life events that I might be expereincing when working with any population plus my own specific preferences. Continued therapuetic work, I believe, would be essential in both expereincing the approaches first hand as well as addressing any irrational beliefs that I may have. Works Cited Arlene F Harder, M. M. (2011). Support4change. com. Retrieved 2012, from Supportforchange. om: http://www. support4change. com/index. php? option=com_contentview=articleid=47Itemid=108 Beck, E. B. , Cowen, C. (1996). Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Black, S. (2004). A Way of Life: Core Energetics. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. Kindle version Cowen, C. , Todorovic, N. , Lee, W. R. (2001). Clarewgraves. com/Theory. Retrieved from Clarewgraves. com: http://www. clarewgraves. com/home. html Graves, D. C. (1959). An Emergent Theory of Ethical Behavior Based Upon an Epigentic Model. Historical Collection of the work of Dr. Clare W. Graves of William R. Lee,, 12. Schwartz, T. (2005). The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. NY, NY: The Free Press. Kindle version Seligman, L. , Reichenberg, L. (2010). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy; systems, stra tegies, and skills (Kindle Version). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Kindle version Wilber, K. (2000). Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy. Boston: Shambhala Publications. Kindle version