COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

What Is Counseling?
1. Counseling is the artful application of scientifically derived psychological knowledge and techniques for the purpose of changing human behavior (Burke, 1989). 2. Counseling is a helping relationship that includes someone seeking help and someone willing to give help who is trained to help in a setting that permits help to be given and received (Cormier & Hackney, 1987).

What Is Counseling?

3. Counseling consists of whatever ethical activities a counselor undertakes in an effort to help the client engage in those types of behavior that will lead to a resolution of the clients problems (Krumboltz, 1965).

4. [Counseling is] an activity . . . for working with relatively normal-functioning individuals who are experiencing developmental or adjustment problems (Kottler & Brown, 1996).

What Is Psychotherapy?
1. A conversation with a therapeutic purpose (Korchin, 1976). 2. The purchase of friendship (Schofield, 1964). 3. [A] situation in which two people interact and try to come to an understanding of one another, with the specific goal of accomplishing something beneficial for the complaining person (Bruch, 1981). 4. When one person with an emotional disorder gets help from another person who has less of an emotional disorder (J. Watkins, personal communication, October 13, 1983). 5. Psychological treatment of emotional problems in which a trained person deliberately establishes a professional relationship with the patient in order to: (a) remove or modify or retard existing symptoms; (b) mediate disturbed patterns of behavior; (c) promote positive personality growth and development (Wolberg, 1995).

COMPARISON OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

COUNSELING STRUCTURE OF Addresses the conscious PERSONALITY mental state FOCUS Developmentalfosters coping skills to facilitate development and prevent problems CLIENTS PROBLEMS Problems of living GOALS Resolution of immediate concerns (short-term) PSYCHOTHERAPY Ventures into clients unconscious process Remediativeaimed at helping clients overcome existing problems such as anxiety and depression More complex Short-term and long-term goals; Long-term goals involve helping the client overcome a particular mental disorder More complex, utilizes strategies that relate to conscious and unconscious processes Offered in private practice, mental health centers, and hospitals

COUNSELING APPROACHES

Includes preventative approaches and various counseling strategies Offered in schools, churches, and mental health clinics

SETTING

Working Definition of Counseling and Psychotherapy

At the very least, there are strong similarities between the practice of counseling and psychotherapy. At the most, they may be considered virtually identical procedures. Counseling and psychotherapy is a process that involves a trained person who practices the artful application of scientifically derived principles for establishing professional helping relationships with persons who seek assistance in resolving large or small psychological or relational problems. This is accomplished through ethically defined means and involves, in the broadest sense, some form of learning or human development.

TYPES OF COUNSELING
Directive Counseling It is the process of listening to a members problem, deciding with the member what should be done, and then encouraging and motivating the person to do it. It accomplishes the function of advice; but it may also reassure; give emotional release; and, to a minor extent, clarify thinking.

TYPES OF COUNSELING
Nondirective Counseling It is also known as client-centered counseling since it is the process of skillfully listening to a counselee, encouraging the person to explain bothersome problems, and helping him or her to understand those problems and determine courses of action. This type of counseling focuses on the member, rather than on the counselor as a judge and advisor; hence, it is client-centered.

TYPES OF COUNSELING
Nondirective Counseling . Its unique advantage is its ability to cause the members reorientation. It stresses changing the person, instead of dealing only with the immediate problem in the usual manner of directive counseling. The counselor attempts to ask discerning questions, restate ideas, clarify feelings, and attempts to understand why these feelings exist.

DISCOURAGING FACTS ABOUT COUNSELING

It is time consuming. This process does not end in one sitting/session. It is emotionally tiring. It is physically exhausting. It is frequently unsuccessful because we cannot impose on them what can be perceived as the best and swift solution. It looks unrewarding.

PERSONAL QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE HELPERS

Helping Formula developed by Brammer: Personality of the helper + Helping Skills = Growth-facilitating Conditions Specific Outcomes Personality of the helperthe self as an instrument of change Helping Skillscounseling techniques Growth-facilitating condition mutual trust, respect, freedom of expressing ones self Specific outcomes facilitating behavior change, enhancing coping skills, promoting decision-making and improving relationship

THE ROLE OF THE COUNSELOR

To provide a relationship between counselor and counselee, the most prominent quality of which is that of mutual trust with each other; To provide alternatives in self-understanding and in the courses of action open to the client; To provide for some degree of intervention of the situation in which the client finds himself and with important others in the clients immediate life; To provide leadership in developing a healthy psychological environment for his clients; and To provide for improvement of the counseling process through constant individual criticism and extensive attention to improvement of process through research.

PERSONAL QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR

Encouraging Emotionally stable Has self-awareness Has positive self-esteem Has self-disclosure Patient Has tolerance for ambiguity Artistic Empathic and caring Has self-acceptance Has self-realization Courageous Nonjudgmental Has spirituality

ETHICAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

Clients welfare Counselors competency Informed consent

Confidentiality Privacy Confidentiality Privileged Communication

Personal relationship with clients Dual Relationship Sexual Relationship