Theories play an important role in how a counselor serves their clients. Theories provide counselors with a foundation on which to build their counseling style. “Theories ground us as professional counselors. They provide a means to understand what we are doing, how we are serving clients, and how to explain counseling to clients” (Erford, 2010). Counselors are responsible for being aware of different theories in order to apply them appropriately within their practice. Established and new theories play an important and constant role in mental health counseling. Established theories in mental health counseling are based on “empirical or scientific foundations” (American Counseling Association, 2005). The best way to gain the most beneficial application of a theory is to establish its validity and purpose.
If we look at any professional field, it will be obvious that each professional has their own method of practice. The theories in mental health counseling allow counselors to have a good foundation while allowing them to incorporate their own unique styles into the practice. “Theories represent clients’ realities and what we know to be important and effective elements of the counseling relationship (Hansen, 2006a)” (Erford, 2010). Mental Health counseling understands that all clients are unique and require different types of treatment. “In their extensive review of the subject, Gelso and Carter (1985) stated that "most clients will profit about equally (but in different ways) from the different therapies" (p. 234)” (Hackney, 1992). As our world continues to grow and evolve so do our lives. New theories are important because they provide insight into new and emerging changes in our society.
Students at Walden ar...
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...rrio Minton, C. A., & Myers, J. E. (2008). Cognitive style and theoretical orientation: Factors
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Erford, B. (2010). Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling. In Orientation to the counseling
profession: Advocacy, ethics, and essential professional foundations (pp. 95-123). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hackney, H. (1992). Differentiating between counseling theory and process. ERIC Digest , 1-6.
Hansen, J. (2006). Counseling Theories Within a Postmodernist Epistemology: New Roles for
Theories in Counseling Practice. Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(3) , 291-297.
Petrocelli, J. V. (2002). Processes and stages of change: Counseling with the transtheoretical
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As a marriage, couple, and family counselor, theories are used to help guide individuals, couples, and families. Theories help with the development of relationships, strengthen connections, and improves negative behavior. Counseling clients will not only help them, but it will also improve the development of the counselor’s practice.
Sharf, R. S. (2016). Theories of psychotherapy and counseling: Concepts and cases (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage
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Case conceptualization explains the nature of a client’s problem and how they develop such problem ( Hersen, & Porzelius, p.3, 2002) In counseling, assessment is viewed as a systematic gathering of information to address a client’s presenting concerns effectively. The assessment practice provides diagnostic formulation and counseling plans, and aids to identify assets that could help the client cope better with concern that they are current. Assessment is present as a guide for treatment and support in the “evaluation process. Although many methods can be employed to promote a thorough assessment, no one method should be used by itself” (Erford, 2010, p.269-270). Eventually, it is the counselor's job to gain adequate information concerning the client and the client's presenting concerns to establish an effective treatment strategy. Using a combination of assessment techniques increases the likelihood of positive interventions and promotes successful treatment (Erford, 2010, p.271). A case conceptualization reflects how the professional counselor understands the nature of the presenting problems and includes a diagnostic formulation. Case conceptualization organizes assessment data into meaningful outline, applying research, and theory to make sense of client’s current problem.
Kottler, J. A., & Montgomery, M. J. (2011). Theories of counseling and therapy: An experiential approach. (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE publications, INC.
Sharf, R. S. (2008). Theories of Psychotherapy and Counseling: Counseling and Cases (5thed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole
9). Based on the afore initiatives, the mental health professional must decide which therapy would be beneficial in treatment for the clients’ problems. Evaluations and reevaluations may be needed to be successful in treatment (Nurcombe, 2014,
‘Counseling’ is a recognized psychological therapy that is often provided to such patients. Counselors have often been employed to deliver psychological therapy to patients in primary care settings. Providing counseling alongside other treatments such as cognitive behavior therapy means that patients have greater choice, and that alternatives can be found for patients who either do not benefit from standard treatments or who do not find them acceptable.
Corey, C. (1991). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, California, USA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. (Original work published 1977)
Seligman, L., & Reichenberg, L. W. (2014). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Systems, Strategies, and Skills (4th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
There are multiple structures of that can be applied to the counselling process, ranging from the basic idea of a beginning, middle and end to a more structured approach as that proposed by Egan (1994). Although his initial structure offered three main components; Stage 1, exploring the situation, stage 2, identifying a new or desired scenario to strive for and stage 3, the action stage, in which methods of coping are devised of and implemented. Egan later devised a ten stage structure that still takes into account initial stages from the speakers perspective of identifying a problem and seeking help, within this structure stage 4 is the initial meeting of the counsellor and client and can be considered the beginning stage of the helping re...
Corey, G. (2011). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (ninth ed., pp. 291-301). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
This essay will attempt to highlight and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the three main theories of counselling within the module covered this term. The three approaches in discussion are psychodynamics, cognitive behavioural and humanistic.
Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th Edition). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.
To understand or create a theory, one must first have scientific support. The best way to comprise such support is research. Counseling theories give an extensive basis of data from research which has relevant correlation to active psychotherapists and counseling practitioners.