Counseling Theories Flashcards
Gestalt Therapy Founders
Erving and Mariam Polster
Existential definition
Affirming or implying the existence of a thing. Grounded in the notion that people are always in the process of becoming, remaking, and rediscovering themselves.
Phenomenological
Relating to a persons direct experience or their reality
Who was the main originator and developer of Gestalt Therapy?
Fritz Perl’s
Gestalt focuses on…
The here and now, the what and how of experiencing, the authenticity of the therapist, active dialogic inquiry and exploration, and the I/Thou of relating.
Field
A dynamic system of interrelationships
Contextual factors
The relationship, the personal/interpersonal skills of the therapist, client agency, and extra-therapeutic factors ARE THE PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF THR THERAPEUTIC OUTCOME
Value imposition
Refers to counselors directly attempting to define a clients values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. It’s unethical
Countertransference
Any of our own (the professional) projections that influence the way we perceive or react to a client. Occurs when the professional is triggered into emotional reactivity and they respond defensively or when they lose their ability to be present in the session.
Mandatory ethics.
A level of ethical functioning at the minimum level of professional practice.
Aspirational ethics
Focus is on what is the best interest of the client. The ethics relating to conducting yourself at the highest standards of thinking and conduct. Entails spirit of the code and the principals on which the code is based.
Fear-based ethics
Unethical practices
Concern-based ethics
A personal ethics code dictating you being the best professional you can be.
Positive ethics.
An approach taken by practitioners who want to do their best for clients rather than simply staying out of trouble.
Informed consent.
Mandatory involvement of clients in their own care creating an ability to make autonomous decisions regarding their care. Including clients promotes participation.
Confidentiality
An ethical concept and in most states a legal duty of therapists not to disclose information about a client.
Privileged communication
The legal concept that protects clients from having their confidential communications revealed in court without their permission. Does not apply to conversations where more than 2 people are in the room.
Assessment
Consists of evaluating the relevant factors in a clients life to identify themes for further exploration in the counseling process.
Diagnosis
Consists of identifying a specific mental disorder based a pattern of symptoms. Sometimes part of the assessment process.
May include an explanation of the causes of the clients difficulties, an account of how these problems developed over time, a classification of any disorders a specification of preferred treatment procedure, and an estimated of the chances for a successful resolution.
Evidence based practice {EBP}
The integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences. Empirically supported treatment
Empirically based
Researched based answers and evidence to support the claim.
Dual relationships
When a counselor has a professional and non-professional relationship. Usually unethical
Boundary crossing
A departure from a commonly accepted practice that could potentially benefit a client. Ex, attending a wedding or graduation could be beneficial for the client.
Boundary violation
A serious breach that harms the clue that and is therefore unethical. It’s a boundary crossing that takes the practitioner out of the professional and into an exploitative and harmful role.
Founder of Psychoanalytic Therapy
Sigmund Freud
Freud says out behavior is determined by…
Irrational forces, unconscious motivations, and biological and instinctual drives as we evolve through the key psychosexual stages in the first six years of life.
Libido
Should be understood as a source of motivation that encompasses sexual energy but goes beyond it.The initial name for sexual energy, later referred to as energy of all life instincts.
Life instincts
Instincts that serve the purpose of survival of the individual for the human race. Oriented towards growth, development, and creativity.
Death instincts
Aggressive drive, the desire to cause pain to oneself
The personality consists of 3 systems…
ID, Ego, Super Ego, they separately operate the person.
ID
All the untamed drives or impulses that the person might enjoy. The original system of personality. At birth, a person is all ID. The primary source of instincts. Ruled by the pleasure principal.
Ego
Attempts to play mediator between the ID and SuperEgo and show the reality of dangers from the ID’s impulses. It is the “executive” that governs, controls and regulates the personality. Ruled by the reality principal.
Super Ego
The internalized super component, largely rooted in what the person imagines to be the expectations of parental figures. {Acts as the lparent} Judicial Branch of personality. Represents ideal vs real, strives for perfection.
Pleasure principal
Aimed at reducing tension, avoiding pain, and gaining pleasure.
Reality principal
Ego does realistic and logical thinking and formulates plans of action for satisfying needs
Unconscious
Stores experiences, memories, and repressed material. Where needs and motivations that are inaccessible from the conscious are stored. Where most psychological functioning occurs.
Goal of psychoanalytic therapy
Is to make the unconscious motive the conscious for only then an individual can make a choice.
Anxiety
A feeling of dread that results from repressed feelings, memories, desires, and experiences that emerge to the surface of awareness.
3 types of anxiety
Reality, neurotic and moral
Reality anxiety
Fear of danger from the external world, and level of anxiety iAd proportionate to the degree of real threat.
Neurotic anxiety
Fear that the instincts will get out of hand and cause the person to do something for which she or he will be punished.
Moral anxiety
The fear of ones own conscience. People with a well developed conscience tend to feel guilty when they do something to the contrary to their moral code.
Ego defense mechanism
Helps the individual cope with anxiety and prevent the ego from being overwhelmed.
Ego defense mechanisms 2 characteristics:
- They either deny or distort reality
2. They operate on an unconscious level
11 Ego defense mechanisms
- Repression
- denial
- reaction formation
- Projection
- Displacement
- Rationalization
- Sublimation
- Regression
- Introjection
- Identification
- Compensation
Repression
Threatening or painful thoughts, and feelings are excluded from awareness.
Denial
“Closing ones eyes” when a problem is presented, pretends the problem isn’t there.
Reaction formation
Actively expressing the OPPOSITE impulses when confronted with a threatening impulse.
Projection
Self deception. Assigning to others or the environment our own unacceptable desires and impulses.
Displacement
Directing energy towards another object or person when the original object or person is inaccessible. Lashing out onto someone else from the stresses caused by another source.
Rationalization
Manufacturing “good” reasons to explain away a bruised ego
Subliminstion
Diverting sexual or aggressive energy into other channels. Examples are taking it out in the gym, or in a sport.
Regression
Going back to an earlier stage of development when there were fewer demands.
Introjection
Tendency to uncritically accept others beliefs and standards without assimilating them to make them congruent with who we are. Taking in and “swallowing” the values and standards of others.
Identification
Identifying with successful causes, organizations, or people in the hope that you will be perceived as worthwhile.
Compensation
Masking perceived weakness or developing certain positive traits to make up for limitations
Psychosexual stages
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Oral stage
Trust v mistrust
0-12months
Deals with the inability to trust oneself and others, resulting in the fear of loving and forming close relationships, and low self esteem.
Anal stage
Autonomy v Shame/Doubt
Ages 1-3
A major significance in forming personality.
Deals with the inability to recognize and express anger, leading to the denial of ones own power as a person and the lack of a sense of autonomy.
Phallic stage
Initiative v Guilt
Ages 3-6
Deals with the inability to fully accept ones sexuality and sexual feelings, and also a difficulty to accept ones self as a man or woman.
Latency stage
School age: Industry v Inferiority
Ages 6-12
When a child’s socializing turns outwards and forms relationships with others. Basic task is to achieved a sense of industry by setting and attaining personal goals.
Genital stage
Adolescence: identity v role confusion
Ages 12-18
Sexual urges return with the onset of puberty.
Transitioning from childhood to adulthood
Young adulthood stage {Freud}
Ages 18-35
Intimacy v isolation
Forming intimate relationships
Middle adulthood stage {Freud}
Generativity v stagnation
Ages 35-60
Helping the next generation
Later in life stage {Freud}
Age 60+
Integrity v despair
Ego integrity with a fulfilled life
What is a Freudian therapist called?
Psychoanalyst
Blank screen approach
When a Freudian psychoanalyst assumes an anonymous and non-judgmental stance towards the client.
Psychoanalyst corner stone
Transference relationship
Transference relationship
Refers to the transfer of feelings originally experienced in an early relationship to other important people in a persons present environment.
The assumption is that whatever the client feels towards them will largely be the product of feelings associated with other significant figures of the past.
Grist for the mill
Freud, psychoanalytic therapy, when the transference projections have their origins in unfinished and repressed situations.
The analysis is the very essence of this therapeutic work.
What does a client gain from psychoanalytic therapy?
Dealing with anxiety in a realistic way
Client acquires freedom to work, play, and love
Client achieved self-awareness, honesty and better personal relationships
Free association
Fundamental rule
Clients lie on the couch and respond with the first thing that comes to mind regardless of how horrible or off the wall it is.
Lying on the couch encourages deep, uncensored feelings because they reduce the stimulation the client receives by watching the analysts face.
Psychodynamic therapy
A shortened classical psychoanalysis. Transference manifestations Explore the meaning of clients dreams Explore the past and present Offer interpretations for defenses and resistance Concerned with unconscious material
“Working through” process
Consists of repetitive and elaborate explorations of unconscious material and defenses, mostly organized in childhood
Countertransference
When the therapist responds in irrational ways or when they lose their objectivity in the relationship because they are triggered.
Dream analysis
A procedure for uncovering unconscious material and giving client the insight into some unresolved areas
2 levels of dream analysis content
Latent content and manifest content
Latent content in dream analysis
Consists of hidden, symbolic, and unconscious motives, wishes, and fears.
Manifest content in dream analysis
The dream as it appears to the dreamer.
The unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses that make up latent content are transformed into this content.
Resistance in psychoanalytic therapy
A concept fundamental to the practice of psychoanalytics, anything that works against the progress of therapy and prevents the client from producing previously unconscious material.
Analytical psychology
An elaborate explanation of human nature that combines ideas from history, mythology, anthropology, and religion.
Achieving individualism means…
An innate and primary goal. The harmonious integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of personality.
What is the shadow Jung talks about
The destructive side of ourselves with primitive impulses selfishness and greed.
Collective unconscious
The deepest and least accessible level of the psyche
Archetypes, definition and the 3 types
The images of universal experiences contained in the collective unconscious
Persona
Animus
Shadow
What is the persona archetype
The public face, a mask, that we wear to protect ourselves
What is the animus archetype
Represents both hr biological and psychological aspects of masculinity and femininity, which are thought to exist in both sexes
What is the shadow archetype
Has the deepest roots and is the most dangerous and powerful of the archetypes
Ego psychology
A part of classical psychoanalysis with the emphasis placed on the vocabulary of ID, Ego, and super ego
Object relations theory
Encompasses the work of a number of rather different psychoanalyticaltheoristd who are concerned with investigating attachment and separation.
Self psychology
Emphasizes how we use interpersonal relationships to develop our own self.
Relational model
Based on the assumptions of that therapy is an interactive process between client and therapist.
Narcissistic personality
Characterized by a grandiose and exaggerated sense of self-importance and an exploitive attitude towards others
Brief psychodynamic therapy
Treating with a preestablished time limit of 10-25 sessions.
Founder and contributors to Adlerian Therapy
Alfred Adler
Jon Carlson
James Bitter
Inferiority feelings
Feelings that motivate us for mastery, success, and completion
Adlerian therapy
Believed humans can change in their current position in life through social learning.
Humans have the capacity to interpret, create, and influence events.
Individual psychology
Indivisible psychology
Holistic concept
Implies that we cannot be understood in parts, but must rather all aspects of ourselves must be understood in relationship to the socially imbedded content of family, culture, school and work.
Fictional finalism
Refers to an imagined life goal that guides a persons behavior
“Guiding self-ideal” or “goal of perfectionism”
Adlers 3 universal life tasks
Building friendships (social task) Establishing intimacy (love-marriage task) Contributing to society (occupational tasks)
Family constellation
A includes parents, siblings, and others in the home, life tasks and early recollection.
Early recollections (ERs)
An assessment defined as stories or events a persons says occurred
Lifestyle assessment
Involves learning to understand the goals and motivations of the client. What gives the client and therapist goals and targets for therapy
Private logic
The concepts about self, others, and life that philosophy on which an individuals lifestyle is based.
Involves our convictions and beliefs that get in the way of social interest and do not facilitate useful, constructive belonging.
Adlerian brief therapy, the 4 steps
Establish proper therapeutic relationships
Explore the psychological dynamics operating in the client (assessment)
Encourage the development of self-understanding (insight into purpose)
Help the client make new choices (re-orientation and re-education)
Existential therapy founder and contributors
Victor Frankl
Rollo May
Irvin Yalom
Existential analysis
Emphasizes the subjective and spiritual dimensions of human existence
What is life changing psychotherapy
The effort to help clients examine how they have answered life’s existential questions and to invite them to revise their answers so they can live more authentically.
What is existential tradition
Seeks a balance between recognizing the limits and tragic dimensions of human existence on one hand, and the possibilities and opportunities of human life on the other hand.
6 basic dimensions of human condition according to the existential approach:
1 Capacity for self awareness
2 Freedom and responsibility
3 Creating ones identity and establishing meaningful relationships with others
4 the search for meaning, purpose, values, and goals
5 Anxiety as a condition of living
6 Awareness of death and nonbeing
Existential guilt
Being aware of having evaded a commitment, or having chosen not to choose. The guilt is a condition that ground out of a sense of incompleteness or a realization that we are not what we might have become.
What is authenticity
Implies that we are living by being true to our own evaluation of what is a valuable existence of ourselves
Existential neurosis
An experience of meaninglessness
Existential vacuum
Meaninglessness in life can lead to emptiness and hollowness, or condition
Existential anxiety
The unavoidable result of being confronted with the “givens of existence”
Arises as the realities of mortality sink in.
Neurotic anxiety
When a person fails to move through anxiety about concrete things that is out of proportion to the situation
4goals of existential therapy
1 To help clients become more present to both themselves and others
2 To assist clients in identifying ways they block themselves from fuller presence
3 To challenge clients to assume responsibility for designing their present lives
4 To encourage clients to choose more expanded ways of being in their daily lives
Restricted existence in existential therapy
These clients have a limited awareness of themselves and are often vague about the nature of their problems. They don’t tend to see a way out.
Person centered therapy founders
Carl and Natalie Rogers
EFT Emotion focused therapy
A person centered approach informed by understanding the role of emotion in human functioning and psychotherapeutic change.
Emotion focused therapy focuses on 2 major tasks
1 helps clients with too little emotion access to their emotions
2 helps clients who experience too much emotion to control their emotions
Actualizing tendency
A directional process of striving toward realization, fulfillment, autonomy, and self determination.
What is motivational interviewing
A humanistic, client centered, psychosocial, and modestly directive counseling approach.
What are the stages of change
Precontemplation: No intention to change the behavior in the near future.
Contemplation: People are aware of the problem and are considering overcoming it.
Preparation: Individuals intend to take action immediately and report some small behavioral changes
Action: Individuals are taking steps to modify their behavior to problems.
Maintenance: People work to consolidate their gains and prevent relapse.
What is gestalt therapy?
An existential, phenomenological and processed based approach created in the ongoing relationship in the environment. Awareness, choice and responsibility are the cornerstones.
Founders and contributors to gestalt therapy
Erving and Mariam Polster
Fritz Perl’s
Gestalt personal agenda is…
Moving the client from environmental support to self-support
Reintegrating the disowned parts of ones personality
Paradoxical theory of change
When authentic change occurs more from being who we are than from trying to be who we are not.
Holistic
Gestalt therapy sees the person as a whole, and any piece missing would lose its essence.
Field theory, field and ground definitions
Gestalt therapy asserts that the organism must be seen in its environment as part of the constantly changing field.
Field, aspects of the individuals experiences that are most salient at any moment
Ground, those aspects of the clients presentation that are often out of his awareness
Figure formation process
Tracks how the individual organizes experience from moment to moment as some aspect of environmental field emerges from the background and becomes the focal point of the individuals attention and interest.
Retrospection
Consists of turning back onto ourselves what we would like to do to someone or doing to ourselves what we would like someone else to do for us.
Impacts the action phase in gestalt therapy.
Confluence
Involves blurring the differentiation between the self and the environment. Blending in to get along with everyone. Involves the absence of conflicts, slowness to anger, and belief that all parties believe what we do.
Impasse
A stuck point that occurs when external support isn’t available or the customary way of being does not work.
Unfinished business
When figures emerge from the background but are not completely resolved, individuals are left with unfinished business.
Blocked energy can result in unfinished business.
Effective contact (Gestalt)
Is made by seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and moving. Means interacting with nature and with other people without losing ones sense of individuality.
Good contact is clear awareness, full energy, and the ability to express oneself.
Key for Gestalt Therapy.
Gestalt functions of boundaries
To connect and separate. Both are necessary for healthy functioning.
