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.