Personal Model of Counseling

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The theory that serves as the foundation to my counseling values at this time is Carl Roger’s Person-Centered therapy. Person-Centered counseling has always fascinated me, and I am glad that I expanded my knowledge on it this semester. The video of Rogers and Gloria really captivated me and brought to life the characteristics of a Person-Centered counselor. Roger’s unconditional positive regard and true genuine disposition showed throughout the therapy session. Person-Centered counseling envelops the characteristics that every good counselor should possess. Carl Rogers’s conditions of therapy serve as my foundation for my counseling values. Having an unconditional positive regard where I practice acceptance and a positive, warm attitude towards clients will help foster the therapeutic environment (Smith, 2012). Unconditional positive regard will leave no room for judging my clients and instead cultivate an atmosphere of openness. Additionally, another condition of therapy that serves as a foundational value is therapist empathy. Rogers’s takes empathy a step further compared to other theorists, he defines it as the ability immerse into and “sense the clients private world as if it were his or her own” (Smith, 2012, p.239). This condition goes beyond just reflecting a client’s feelings; it goes further by the therapist gaining a sense of what the client’s world is like and how they process their feelings. The theories influenced my beliefs by widening my view of how individuals process the world around them. For example, Person-Centered therapy influences my belief of how individuals view their world and process events in their life. The concept of the phenomental field states that individual’s perceptions of reality... ... middle of paper ... ...owerful predictor of client success involves the use of empathy (Smith, 2012). Clients need the opportunity to tell their story without judgment in order to work through the problems in their lives. Additionally, Person-centered counseling allows the client to be self-directive in therapy; therefore, allowing the client to “tap-into” their own strengths and coping skills (Smith, 2012). Furthermore, Gestalt therapy aides the client in integrating parts of themselves and resolving unfinished business that could be contributing to current problems (Smith, 2012). To achieve these positive changes, as a therapist I will need to frustrate the client in order to generate motivation to self-actualize (Smith, 2012). Additionally, helping the client learn how to create healthy contact boundaries with others and their environment will decrease maladaptive behaviors.

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