Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity

Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST

Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

1. Understand relevant theories concerning human motivation

1.1 Review relevant theories

Motivation is a term used to describe the reason or push behind behaviour and it is argued

that organisms require reasons and motives in order to sustain it towards the achievement of a goal.

Early theories look at how our physiology motivates us and the drive reduction theories of

McDougal(1932) and Hull (1943) posit that our behaviour is motivated by biological needs. A need is

one of our requirements for survival, such as food, water, or shelter and a drive is our impulse to act

in a way that satisfies this need. Drives can also be learned or social drives, for instance we learn that

resources like money can get us food and water to satisfy our primary drives. Additionally Hull

proposed the idea that a stimulus can satisfy a need by way of association where the mere presence

of a mother can become soothing to a baby.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow pointed out that not all needs are created equal describing a

hierarchy of needs that predicts which needs we will be motivated to satisfy first. Maslow predicted

that we will act to satisfy biological needs like survival and safety followed by an act to satisfy our

emotional needs like love and self-esteem. Finally, once the previous goals have been met, we will

want to attain our life goals like satisfaction and self-actualization, a need to fulfil our unique

potential as a person.

Carl Rogers viewed this need for self actualising as the most essential human need where

the organism has one basic tendency and that is to strive towards actualisation, maintenance and

enhancement of the individual.

I believe Roger’s theory of self- actualisation is very similar to Carl Jung’s Individuation theory as

they both refer to the development of personality and the process of becoming a person. When

Rogers refers to the self –acceptance a client experiences as they perceive the therapist’s lack of

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Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity
Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST
Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

judgement upon hearing the client disclose the aspects about themselves which they fear and dread

most I can’t help but build an imaginary bridge to what Jung refers to as the Shadow and how people

have a tendency to build a false persona about who they are and remove from awareness their

undesired personality traits forming thus a shadow which if one doesn’t come to terms with can

unbeknownst to them dictate and drive their behaviour .

Achievement motivation tries to explain the motivations behind more complex behaviours

and examines our desires to master complex tasks and knowledge and to reach personal goals.

People seem to be motivated to figure out the world and master skills, sometimes regardless of the

benefits of these skills or knowledge. Some people have high achievement motivation and

consistently feel motivated to challenge themselves more, always setting the bar a little higher and

seeking greater challenges whereas other people simply don’t. Obviously, this varies not only from

person to person but from activity to activity.

Motivation is considered to be energy and theoreticians have found that there are many

obstacles that can block this energy to the point of crippling the potential to take beneficial action

towards self –realisation and actualisation. These obstacles to motivational energy can be: physical,

emotional, environmental, related to relationships, personality issues, historical experience or

financial issues. In point 1.2 I will explore these obstacles more thoroughly and how to assist client

overcome them.

1.2 Apply theory to practice

One aspect that may hinder motivation is the conflicting nature between opposing aspects

of the self which can bring the individual to a distressing halt. In this situation the therapist by

empathising with all configurations of the self structure and making sure the client does not feel

judged for any aspect of themselves can assist the client to discover the meaning of those aspects of

the self which on the surface may seem to be pulling against growth .

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Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity
Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST
Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

When considering motivation as energy a therapist can make use of the therapeutic

relationship by way of emotional and verbal support with the purpose of adding motivational energy

into the client’s reserves thus enabling them to spring into action.

Furthermore as there are many obstacles that can stay in between a person and the achievement of

their goal, the empathetic therapist can assist a client to explore these obstacles individually.

Physical obstacles: A person’s physical condition is important in motivation where a healthy person

will be much more motivated to go ahead with things then a person struggling with illness.

Appearance is important as well as generally a person who is dissatisfied with the way they look will

be also influenced on an emotional and psychological level and a therapist can assist a client to

ascertain what factors are contributing to their self –esteem or the lack of it.

Stress is another physical factor that plays havoc with motivation as people dealing with chronic

stress will be using all their energetic resources to keep the body functioning and dealing with the

common daily stresses and a person who’s energy well is depleted will not be motivated to do

anything else. The therapist can assist a client to discover the triggers to stress and how to better

manage them.

Emotional obstacles: It can be difficult to help people explore the emotional aspects of their lack of

motivation as more often than not people see these issues as inherent parts of their personality and

changing these attitudes and their reactions to certain situations means changing themselves. By

creating a safe environment and adopting an empathetic, non judgemental stance the therapist can

assist the client explore emotional blocks which may be issues surrounding their self –esteem, their

belief in the possibility of success, childhood and other past experience of external and internal

factors contributing to the goal, support network and how easily they deal emotionally with other

people’s negative input to their goals and whether they take these personally or look at it purely as

being another person’s perspective.

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Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity
Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST
Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

Environmental obstacles refer to a person’s external surroundings related to the goal such as their

work conditions or home and family life. Aspects such as travel to work, necessary equipment,

whether a work or familial environment is physically comfortable for the client or supportive of

progress are important factors in motivation. A counsellor can help the client assess their situation

and the apparent obstacles to motivation by looking at their ultimate goal and ways of overcoming

these obstacles or alternative ways of achieving their goals. It is noteworthy to mention that

sometimes people may have a subconscious block based on fear of change and a learned victim

mentality which will keep them doing what they have always done using these apparent obstacles as

excuses and a way to not deal with the necessary change and the fear that goes hand in hand with it.

Relationships can become obstacles whenever a person allows their relationships with other people

to take too much of their available energy or whenever there is an imbalance in the relationship.

Oppressive, abusive or unsupportive relationships can destroy a person’s motivational account;

relationships based on guilt, jealousy or sustained due to a fear of rejection or fear of change or any

type of insecurity will create an unhealthy balance and drain a person’s energy stores and encourage

resentment. Assisting the client to look closely at their relationships and ascertain whether they are

an obstacle in their motivation can be incredibly helpful.

Personality is another important factor when talking about motivation and some people will

inherently be more motivated then others and with the help of a skilled therapist people can search

within and find those traits and resources which will enable them to increase their motivational

energy.

Historical experience will have an influence on client’s motivation as the support and belief their

primary carers had in them will reflect on present actions and determination to achieve a goal.

Exploring these early relationships and how it affects them currently is a good starting point in

therapy. In terms of motivation in the work place from a historical view point it can be related

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Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity
Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST
Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

previous failures, lack of support from those higher up in hierarchy, being in a job that is not suitable

for them or is simply tedious and unchallenging.

Concerning the financial aspect of motivation it can be said that in our current society money and

the pursuit of money represent a determining factor in motivation where many people are

determined to improve their lifestyle and status by increasing their bank account figure. However

fear of losing money or not having enough money can hinder motivation and here the therapist can

challenge the client’s fears by helping them explore things like worst case scenario and whether they

have what it takes to deal with the situation; if the client is going about the venture in a sensible and

productive way; if they could live without any of the material possessions they currently own.

3. Understand how to help clients with motivation and goal achievement

3.1. Develop a treatment plan for a client presenting motivational issues

For the purpose of this exercise I will illustrate the case of A, a film director who is lacking

motivation in approaching potential investors to finance the film he is working on for the purpose of

filming the film.

For the endeavour of helping the client improve his motivation on moving forward with the project I

have devised the following treatment plan:

- Dividing the main goal into sub –goals: finding the potential investors, message the potential

investors, arrange a meeting with them, presenting them with the benefits of embarking on the

project, get investors on board, shoot the film, market the film.

- Framing a time –scale map- Client has outlined a map where the investors are to be brought on

board by the end of this year, pre –production of the film for the months of January and February,

shooting the film in March and April, post production May& June, release film in July and market film

August& September.

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Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity
Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST
Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

- Looking at the goal in terms of benefits which we subdivide in big, medium and small benefits and

doubts subdivided in big, medium and small doubts:

Big Benefits: Big doubts:

 Shooting the film  My inability to hard sell

 Make more films afterwards  I don’t know any wealthy people

 Launch directing career  I don’t enjoy selling

 Financial gains

Medium benefits: Medium doubts:

 I could stop looking for investors  I have to go to work

 I will have novelty in my life  My business partner and I are too

similar

Small benefits: Small doubts:

 I will own nicer things  Fear of losing the opportunity

 Tiredness

 Brexit

3.2 Provide a rationale for the treatment

By dividing the main larger goal into smaller more achievable tasks, the client can better

spring themselves into action as more often than not it gives them a better perspective of what

specifically they must do in order to achieve the ultimate goal which looked at on its own may seem

so big, far away and unobtainable that motivational energy is damped into inertia.

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Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory: Unit 6 Module 9 Development, Motivation and Creativity
Course Code: LONDO2S 18EAST
Student: Mihaela Grecu
Words:

The doubts and benefits exercise can help the client uncover any fears that bubble underneath and

battle all the doubts and explore the benefits in a motivational way by energising them into action as

they are thinking of all the enjoyment brought about by the achievement of the goal.

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