or \ ryhotey, Core Unit 2: APPROACHES (12 HOURS) Overview of Approaches to Counselling, Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Person.Centered Cognitive-Behavioral approach, E-Counselling, There are a number of different approaches used by professional counsellors. Perhaps the three main approaches are psychodynamic, humanistic and behavioural. Each of these has a different theory and ideas underpinning it, and the therapists and counsellors using each will approach problems and issues in different ways These three main approaches each support a number of individual therapies. Some therapies may also use ideas from more than one approach. Some professional counsellors use only one approach, but others are more flexible and might use techniques from more than one method. Psychodynamic approach: Psychodynamic counselling evolved from the work of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) During his career as a medical doctor, Freud came across many patients who sutfered from medical conditions which appeared to have no ‘physical cause’. This led him to believe that the origin of such illnesses lay in the unconscious mind of the Patient, Freud therefore started to investigate the unconscious mind, so that he could understand his patients and help them recover. Over time, many of Freud's original ideas have been adapted, developed, disregarded or even discredited. They have therefore been used in 3 number of different schools of thought and practice. Psychodynamic counselling is based on Freud's idea that true knowledge of people and their problems is possible through an understanding of three particular areas of the human mind. These areas are: ‘The Conscious — things that we are aware of, including feelings or emotions, such as ‘anger, sadness, grief, delight, surprise, and happiness, ‘The Subconscious — these are things that are below our conscious awareness but fairly asily accessible. They may include, for example, events that we have forgotten, but will easily remember when asked an appropriate question. ‘The Unconscious ~ this is the area of the mind where memories have been suppressed and is usually very difficult to access. Such memories ‘may include extremely traumatic events that have been blocked off and require a highly skilled practitioner to help recover.Freud's main interest and aim was to bring things from the unconscious into the conscious. This practice is known as psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is used to encourage the client to examine childhood or early memory trauma to gain a deeper understanding of events. This in turn may help the client to release negativities associated with these earlier events. Psychoanalysis is based upon the assumption that we can only progress psychologically by becoming aware of earlier dilemmas that have been repressed into our unconscious because of painful associations. Freud maintained that the personality consists of three related elements: The Id — is the part of our personality concerned with satisfying instinctual basic needs of food, comfort and pleasure. It is therefore present from (or possibly before) birth. The Ego- is defined as “the realistic awareness of self’. It is the logical and common sense side to our personality. Freud believed that the Ego develops as the infant becomes aware that it is a separate being from its parents. The Superego— develops later in a child's life, from about the age of three. The Superego curbs and controls the basic instincts of the Id, which may be socially unacceptable. It therefore acts as our conscience. Freud believed that everybody experiences tension and conflict between the three elements of their personalities. For example, desire for pleasure (from the Id) is restrained by the moral sense of right and wrong (from the Superego). The Ego balances the tension between the Id wanting to be satisfied and the Superego being over strict. The main goal of psychodynamic counselling, therefore, is to help people to balance the three elements of their personality so that neither the Id nor the Superego is dominant. It is rooted in exploring and understanding past experience to identify repressed issues that are affecting current behaviour. Psychodynamic counselling Is therefore a long and ongoing process, and is mainly used when people are experiencing severe problems that are not resolved using other method.Limitations of psychodynamic approach ‘.Ignores modiational processes (0.g,, thinking) 2.The psychodynamic approach places too much emphasis on the psychological factors, without considering the blologicaligonotie factors that influence and contribute to monts] health problems. 3.Too deterministic (little free-will) 4.Unfalsifiable (difficult to prove wrong) Case Studies - Subjective / Cannot generalize results ‘Simplifying the human mind into the id, ego, and superego and the five psychosexual ‘stages make the approach reductionist. Behavioural approach: The behavioural approach to counselling focuses on the assumption that the environment determines an individual's behaviour. How an individual responds to a given situation is the result of past learning, and usually behaviour that has been reinforced in the past. Behaviourists believe that that behaviour is leamed’ and can therefore be unlearned. Sehaviour therapy focuses on individual behaviour and aims to help people to modify unwanted behaviours. Unwanted behaviour is defined as an undesired response to something or someone in the environment. Using this approach, a counsellor would identify the unwanted behaviour with @ client and together they would work to change or adapt the behaviour. Problems which respond well to this type of therapy include phobias, anxiety attacks and eating disorders. Clients might be taught skils to help them manage their lives more effectively: For example, they may be taught how to relax in situations that produce an anxiety response. Another method involves learning desirable behaviour by watching and copying others. in general, the behavioural approach is concemed with the outcome rather than the process of change. Person centered approach, Humanistic therapies evolved in the USA during the 1950s. Carl Rogers proposed that therapy could be simpler, warmer and more optimistic than that carried out by behavioral or psychodynamic psychologists.His view differs sharply from the psychodynamic and behavioral approaches in that he Suggested that clients would be better helped if they were encouraged to focus on their current Subjective understanding rather than on some unconscious motive or someone else's interpretation of the situation Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th-century. He believed that people are the best expert on their own lives and experiences. Rogers also suggested that people have a self-actualizing tendency, or a desire to fulfill their Potential and become the best that they can be. His form of therapy was intended to allow Glents to fulfil that potential by relying on their own strength to change.1 (nitially, Rogers called his technique "non-directive therapy." Much like psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, Rogers believed that the therapeutic relationship could lead to insights and lasting changes in clients. ‘While his goal was to be as non-directive guide clients even in subtle ways. He als some type of guidance or direction: as possible, he eventually realized that therapists =». }0 found that clients often do look to their therapists for Techniques Mental health professionals who utilize this their clients to change. This involves a the non-judgmental, and empathetic. They u: 'S approach strive to create the conditions needed for 'erapeutic environment that is conformable, 'se three techniques to achieve this: 1.Genuineness and Congruence: share openly and honestly, 2.Unconditional Positive Regard: Your therapist will show unconditional positive and displaying support and care no matter wh express positive feelings to you or offer reassi regard by always accepting you for who you are at you are facing or experiencing. They may turance, or they may practice active listening, language to let you know that they're engaged in the session 3.Empathetic Understanding: Your therapist will also practice empathy durin, thoughts. They will seek to understand you an experience and your point of view. 1g Sessions, acting as a mirror of your feelings and 'd maintain an awareness and sensitivity to your Cognitive behavioral approach(CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps people ‘Se the destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have » Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing the aut Contribute to and worsen our tomatic negative thoughts that can emotional difficulties, dey ‘Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 1.Cognitive therapy: centers on i identifying and changing inaccurate or distorted thought Patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors. 2.Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): addresses destructive or disturbing thoughts and behaviors while incomorating treatment strategies such as emotional regulation’ and mindfulness. S.Multimodal therapy: suggests that psychological issues must be treated by addressing seven different but interconnected modalities: behavior, affect, sensation, imagery, cognition, interpersonal factors, and drug/biological considerations, apy (REBT): involves identifyin, Challenging these beliefs, and finally learning to recognize and chat itional beliefs, actively Inge these thought patterns: