Sunday, August 3, 2014
Chapter 17 Conclusion
To conclude Counseling Theories I have learned a variety of theories and techniques that will undoubtedly help me in the future as a school counselor. When a student comes in to my office I will have a series of thoughts to determine how I want to approach helping that particular student. It is important to remember that my personal style and preferences are different than others. It is important to choose a technique that is empirically valid, stimulating, and practical. Knowing yourself is the first step in becoming an effective counselor. Without acknowledging our personal biases and beliefs, we could influence clients or students. Although I will clearly not be providing therapy to students, it was very interesting to learn the different perspectives and to gain knowledge related to counseling.
Chapter 16 Mindfulness Approaches
Mindfulness Approaches, more specifically, ACT Therapy was originated by Steven Hayes. ACT focuses on healthy thinking. It is important for individuals to remember that thoughts are just thoughts. ACT focuses on not letting clients give in to short term needs that are unhealthy. ACT focuses on the long term goals, and don't let short term wants get in the way of the future. ACT therapists very much hold clients accountable for their actions.
This approach insinuates that everyone should just "go with the flow." However, this is very hard for some people to accept. Students with a serious dilemma would perhaps benefit from reminding them that their issue is only temporary. Also, I think letting students know that "life happens" is a great way to prep them for future issues. Sometimes, things are out of our control. However, if a student does make a bad choice, as a ACT counselor it would be beneficial to talk with the student about the fact that they made that choice. Also, it would be important to discuss long term and short term goals.
This approach insinuates that everyone should just "go with the flow." However, this is very hard for some people to accept. Students with a serious dilemma would perhaps benefit from reminding them that their issue is only temporary. Also, I think letting students know that "life happens" is a great way to prep them for future issues. Sometimes, things are out of our control. However, if a student does make a bad choice, as a ACT counselor it would be beneficial to talk with the student about the fact that they made that choice. Also, it would be important to discuss long term and short term goals.
Chapter 15 Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy is most closely associated with Michael White and David Epston. Narrative Therapists are not focused on what motivates people. Rather, they are focused on an individual's story. The therapists work with clients to create meaning from the clients stories. The stories are comprised of experiences and interactions with others. Clients have multiple selves, and expressions change from situation to situation. The goal of Narrative Therapy is to take the story that the client has told and make what they can out of it. The goal is to deconstruct the problem stories and then make new, more desirable, stories.
In a K-12 setting this approach is pretty idealistic. However, with a mature student it could work well. A student who has great self control and ethics would benefit from this approach. If a student had a "story" of doing drugs and making bad choices, the student is probably labeled the "bad student." That is obviously a dominant story. According to this approach it would be the student's responsibility to make new choices and in turn make new dominant stories, to be labeled a "good kid."
Video: Narrative Session with Dr. Madigan and David about Frustration
In this video the client is trying to do well and it seems like there is not any room for a mistake. He often gets frustrated and mad. The counselor points out the things that he does to not be frustrated, such as soccer. And the boy agreed but said that he can't understand something he finds completely boring, like history. He cant understand and focus on this subject in particular because it is of no interest to him. The boredom then leads to frustration.The counselor points out that the characters themselves aren't boring but perhaps the way the story is told is what makes the subject boring. The counselor used Narrative Therapy in a very literal sense and asked the boy to literally write a new story. He can take the information and write a new story, to make homework more exciting.
In a K-12 setting this approach is pretty idealistic. However, with a mature student it could work well. A student who has great self control and ethics would benefit from this approach. If a student had a "story" of doing drugs and making bad choices, the student is probably labeled the "bad student." That is obviously a dominant story. According to this approach it would be the student's responsibility to make new choices and in turn make new dominant stories, to be labeled a "good kid."
Video: Narrative Session with Dr. Madigan and David about Frustration
In this video the client is trying to do well and it seems like there is not any room for a mistake. He often gets frustrated and mad. The counselor points out the things that he does to not be frustrated, such as soccer. And the boy agreed but said that he can't understand something he finds completely boring, like history. He cant understand and focus on this subject in particular because it is of no interest to him. The boredom then leads to frustration.The counselor points out that the characters themselves aren't boring but perhaps the way the story is told is what makes the subject boring. The counselor used Narrative Therapy in a very literal sense and asked the boy to literally write a new story. He can take the information and write a new story, to make homework more exciting.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Chapter 14 Solution Focused Therapy
Solution focused therapy is most closely associated with Steve de Shazer and colleagues. SF therapists are optimists.Counselors always believe that clients have strengths and resources. SF Therapists believe that clients are often too consumed by their difficulties to remember their strengths. According to SF therapy, it is the counselors role to help the client remember their strengths and help them realize their resources as well. SF counselors strive to maximize client potential, and they remind their clients that change is constantly occurring. SF therapists help clients to set small attainable goals. However it is important to note that it is the clients role to define the goal.
There are various ways to apply this theory to a PK-12 setting. One way is with students who are struggling with bullying. Students may feel like they are small or insignificant. This approach will help the students to focus on his/her strengths and use them to solve their own issue. The student can set small goals, such as ignoring the bully for one day.
Video: Dr. Berg With Robyn: Winning the Battle
Client is picking battles with husband and sister, and with everything in life. Counselor focuses on what she is doing well. Because the client is picking her battles, she has control. Suggestions for the client to try: pay attention to signals that tell the client that she can win that battle. Pretend that what her husband and sister do doesn't bother her anymore. In accordance with the theory, the counselor is suggesting that the clients language will create and define a new reality.
There are various ways to apply this theory to a PK-12 setting. One way is with students who are struggling with bullying. Students may feel like they are small or insignificant. This approach will help the students to focus on his/her strengths and use them to solve their own issue. The student can set small goals, such as ignoring the bully for one day.
Video: Dr. Berg With Robyn: Winning the Battle
Client is picking battles with husband and sister, and with everything in life. Counselor focuses on what she is doing well. Because the client is picking her battles, she has control. Suggestions for the client to try: pay attention to signals that tell the client that she can win that battle. Pretend that what her husband and sister do doesn't bother her anymore. In accordance with the theory, the counselor is suggesting that the clients language will create and define a new reality.
Chapter 13 Family Systems
Family Systems theory is most closely associated with Virginia Satir. According to this theory, a family is seen as a system. A family is a system of interrelated people and how they function together. What affects one part of the system affects another. Therefore, to understand an individual it is important to understand the entire system. It is impossible to fully understand one individual without the others. Despite resistance to change each family system constantly adapts to maintain itself in response to its members and environment.
Systems change through the family life cycle. Changes in family systems are caused by both nominative (predictable life cycle changes) and non-normative (crisis) stresses.
Video: Family Session: Pam, Judy, and Adrian
In this video session the daughter client talks about how it is hard fir her to be with her mom. She wants to do things on her own, but she feels like her mother tries to control her. The father often asks daughter to be nice to the mother. The father tries to push the mother and the daughter together. Then the mother gets angry because he tells her to change her tone of voice. The counselors suggests that the father and daughter work together to avoid having the mother tell them what to do. According to family systems all three clients are affecting each other. Perhaps the tension between the father and mother is related to the tension between the mother and daughter. However, it would be silly (according to the chapter) to infer causation.
Chapter 12 Feminist Therapy
No single individual is coined as the founder of FT. Instead, it emerged from feminist political philosophies. However, two early therapists who demonstred feminism in counseling early on include Alfred Adler and Karen Horney. Seemingly the main focus of Feminist Therapy is gender equity. Femist Therapy aims to eliminate patriarchy and end inequites based on gender. Feminists believe that gender is socially constructed and sex is biological. One saying that helps me with this concept is: "Gender is what it between your ears, sex is what is between your legs." Feminist counselors emphasize that clients have the power to define themselves. The oppression of women is a huge focus.
One scenario that I could imagine using this approach is with domestic abuse. Many teens experience violence from their partner. In American culture we are very patriarchal. We believe that males dominate and females should be pleasing to males. As a school counselor I would work with students who are experience violence and help them gain a sense of power and educate them on these very serious and real issues. Women can be strong and powerful. A glass ceiling may make it more difficult, but not impossible to succeed.
Video: Feminist Session: Dr. Moore and Helen
In this video the client discusses instances when she feels mad and takes it out on her kids, even though she knows it is inappropriate. She talks about how her whole life is about getting things done for everyone else, and at first she was not aware that it was like that. However, when became aware, she resented it. The counselor talks with the client about her role as a mother and how that role is valuable. But, it isn't seen as valuable in our culture. The counselor helps the client to feel like she isn't alone in her struggle. She talks about how many mothers feel powerlessness, and they too feel that what they're doing isn't valued. The two of them then discuss the lack of support in American culture for women, which is a feminist belief.
One scenario that I could imagine using this approach is with domestic abuse. Many teens experience violence from their partner. In American culture we are very patriarchal. We believe that males dominate and females should be pleasing to males. As a school counselor I would work with students who are experience violence and help them gain a sense of power and educate them on these very serious and real issues. Women can be strong and powerful. A glass ceiling may make it more difficult, but not impossible to succeed.
Video: Feminist Session: Dr. Moore and Helen
In this video the client discusses instances when she feels mad and takes it out on her kids, even though she knows it is inappropriate. She talks about how her whole life is about getting things done for everyone else, and at first she was not aware that it was like that. However, when became aware, she resented it. The counselor talks with the client about her role as a mother and how that role is valuable. But, it isn't seen as valuable in our culture. The counselor helps the client to feel like she isn't alone in her struggle. She talks about how many mothers feel powerlessness, and they too feel that what they're doing isn't valued. The two of them then discuss the lack of support in American culture for women, which is a feminist belief.
Chapter 11 Reality Therapy
William Glasser developed Reality Therapy. Although Reality Therapists believed that humans are essentially positive, they acknowledge that humans can also demonstrate negativity. This approach allows people to be in complete control of their own lives. People choose their own behaviors, behaviors are motivated to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. The gap between what we want and what we have is what motivates our behavior. Humans have five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun.
As a school counselor I will definitely be incorporating Reality Therapy. One situation that I could apply this approach is with students who are making destructive decisions, such as students who are caught drinking and using drugs. Through this approach I would work the student to help him/her make better choices in the future. I would work with students to change what they want, change what they are doing, or change both. Perhaps a student is acting out for a specific reason, through RT I could help them change. Empowering students is very important. Instead of focusing on the past and focusing on bad memories, a school counselor could help a student look to the future and think of ways to make better choices.
Video: Individual: Re-framing Perceptions
This video is a perfect example of Reality Therapy. The therapist took a story that the client was trying to portray as negative, and turned it around to focus on the positives. The client crashed the reunion, he wasn't invited, so the counselor pointed out his determination to attend the party. The counselor then suggested that the client spread that determination to other aspects of his life such as his career. Instead of focusing on the negative and the past the counselor asked the client what would he like to be doing in the future.
As a school counselor I will definitely be incorporating Reality Therapy. One situation that I could apply this approach is with students who are making destructive decisions, such as students who are caught drinking and using drugs. Through this approach I would work the student to help him/her make better choices in the future. I would work with students to change what they want, change what they are doing, or change both. Perhaps a student is acting out for a specific reason, through RT I could help them change. Empowering students is very important. Instead of focusing on the past and focusing on bad memories, a school counselor could help a student look to the future and think of ways to make better choices.
Video: Individual: Re-framing Perceptions
This video is a perfect example of Reality Therapy. The therapist took a story that the client was trying to portray as negative, and turned it around to focus on the positives. The client crashed the reunion, he wasn't invited, so the counselor pointed out his determination to attend the party. The counselor then suggested that the client spread that determination to other aspects of his life such as his career. Instead of focusing on the negative and the past the counselor asked the client what would he like to be doing in the future.
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