Week 1 - Professional, Ethical, Multicultural, and Social Justice Considersations

Question 1

What’s the difference between counseling and psychotherapy?

Answer 1

Counseling is short-term, surface issues, massaging personality, here and now, conscious, moderate client revelations, uncomfortable, focused issues.

Psychotherapy is long-term, deep-seated trauma, personality reconstruction, there and then, unconscious, deep client revelations, painful, life stories

Question 2

How does one decide to end up practicing counseling or psychotherapy?

Answer 2

The expectation of the client, comfort level of the helper, degree of support within a practice setting, number of sessions available for clients, whether the helper has worked through their issues that will allow the in-depth work that is necessary in psychotherapy, the belief of the helper in the efficacy of either

Question 3

What did Hans Eysenck do?

Answer 3

Examine 24 uncontrolled studies that looked at the effectiveness of psychotherapy on treatment outcomes and that whether they are treated by means of psychotherapy or not doesn’t matter.

Led to a lot of debate, even though it was found to have serious methodological flaws.

Question 4

What did Wampold and Seligman find?

Answer 4

Benefits of psychotherapy

Question 5

What makes counseling effective?

Answer 5

Client factors, such as readiness for change, psychological resources, and social supports.

Question 6

What are evidence-based practices?

Answer 6

Counseling and psychotherapy work best when they a) know the best available research-supported treatments b) use their clinical expertise to understand the client’s situation and choose the most effective treatments for it c)when the client’s personal preferences, values, and cultural background for such treatment are considered.

Question 7

What are “common factors”?

Answer 7

Ability to show empathy, the capacity to build a therapeutic alliance, knowing your approach well enough to build client expectations that it will work for the client’s presenting problem, and being facile at implementing specific techniques of your approach to facilitate client change are all crucial factors to positive client outcomes.

Question 8

What are “client factors”?

Answer 8

Readiness for change, psychological resources, and social supports.

Question 9

What do theories help us do?

Answer 9

Conceptualize client concerns, determine what techniques to apply, and predict client change.

Question 10

What is a reductionist approach?

Answer 10

Theory helps us analyze and describe a phenomenon (a person’s mental health experience) so the counselor can provide a consistent and generalizable response to the person’s situation.

Question 11

What does it mean that theories are heuristic?

Answer 11

They are researchable and testable and allow us to discard those aspects shown to be ineffective and build on those aspects that seem to work best.

Question 12

Who put forth the first comprehensive theory of psychotherapy and created a shift in the thinking of the western world?

Answer 12

Freud

Question 13

How are major counseling theories typically characterized today?

Answer 13

By forces, which are paradigms to shared understandings of thought and practice that guide counseling theory and practice.

Question 14

What are the five major forces of counseling and psychotherapy?

Answer 14

1. Psychodynamic
2. Existential-humanistic
3. Cognitive-Behaviorism
4. Multiculturalism-postmodernism
5. Social Advocacy

Question 15

What is “psychodynamic”?

Answer 15

-Originated from Freud.
-Instead of a medical approach to disease, thought they were psychological in nature.
-Focus on constructs, such as instinctual drives, differentiation of self, transference, defense mechanisms, ego, and superego.
-Freud posited that human behavior was shaped by biological drives, psychosexual development, and memories repressed within the unconscious mind.

Question 16

What is “existential-humanistic”?

Answer 16

-Grew from the critiques of the psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches to counseling
-Major focus on cultivating personal meaning
-Mental health is achieved through seeking personal responsibility and insight, identifying human potential and purpose, and possessing an innate view of human nature as good.

Question 17

What is “cognitive-behaviorism”?

Answer 17

-Reaction to psychoanalysis
-Focus on addressing cognitive processes (learning, memory, self-talk) to enact cognitive or behavioral change.
-Changing thoughts and behaviors leads to mental wellbeing.

Question 18

What is “multicuralism-postmodernism?”

Answer 18

-Born from emerging thought about contextual and cultural influences on mental wellbeing and the imperative for culturally responsive practice.
-Client is viewed as a cultural being whose identity is developed from contexts in which they live.
-Focus on the therapist building their awareness, knowledge, skills, and actions to serve a culturally diverse clientele.

Question 19

What is “social advocacy”?

Answer 19

-Emphasize on how the clients’ presenting issues are largely in response to oppression and systemic barriers within bigger sociopolitical contexts
-Individual and collective trauma are viewed as antecedents to mental illness
-Therapists guide clients and communities through raising critical consciousness, community building, fostering resilience, and engaging in social action.

Question 20

What is one’s theoretical orientation?

Answer 20

Generally an outgrowth of one’s worldview or view of human nature, which include a large array of attributes that individuals may embrace in their understanding of personality development.

Question 21

What are 2 intersecting dimensions that may impact one’s worldview and view of human nature?

Answer 21

1. Locus of responsibility
2. Locus of control

Question 22

What is an internal locus of responsibility?

Answer 22

Suggests that issues are a result of one’s own doing

Question 23

What is an external locus of responsibility?

Answer 23

Proposes that the environment is responsible for issues.

Question 24

What is an internal locus of control?

Answer 24

Suggests that the individual has greater personal control over their environment

Question 25

What is an external locus of control?

Answer 25

Consequences that are outside of one’s control

Question 26

Which theories typically view individuals are responsible for their symptomology and in control of their outcomes?

Answer 26

Psychodynamic, existentialism-humanism, cognitive-behaviorism

Question 27

Which theories might consider the environment primarily responsible for client’s presenting outcomes?

Answer 27

Multiculturalism-postmodernism and social advocacy

Question 28

Does a helper’s theoretical orientation typically change over time?

Answer 28

-Yes and most combine many of them.
-25% of all counselors said they use an integrative approach.Y

Question 29

What is an “integrative approach?”

Answer 29

Formerly called eclecticism, when the helper develops a core theory by integrating elements from different theories into their practice.

Question 30

What is “atheoretical eclecticism?”

Answer 30

-Counterintuitive and considered by many to be “shoot-from-the-hip” counseling.
-Ppl say they are using an integrative approach but actually practicing a mishmash of techniques that have little to no underlying theoretical basis.

Question 31

What are the 4 stages to developing an integrative approach?

Answer 31

1. Stage 1 - Chaos
2. Stage 2 - Coalescence
3. Multiplicity
4. Metatheory

Question 32

What is “Stage 1- Chaos”?

Answer 32

-Limited knowledge of theory and moment-to-moment subjective judgements
-Often practiced while students are still in training programs
-Attempt to use the various skills
-Limited success with clients, haphazardness and lack of focus

Question 33

What is “Stage 2 - Coalescence”?

Answer 33

-Adherence to one approach as theory is learned.
-Beginning to use some techniques from other approaches when they believe it would be helpful.

Question 34

What is “Stage 3 - Multiplicity”?

Answer 34

-Increasingly learned one theory and are beginning to gain a solid knowledge of one or more other theories.
-Realizing multiple theories may be equally effective for many clients.
-Presents a dilemma: “What theoretical perspective should I adhere to, and how might I combine or use at various times for the most effective treatment?”

Question 35

What is “Stage 4 - Metatheory”?

Answer 35

-Expert therapist
-Settled into a theoretical orientation based on their work with clients and the gathering of knowledge about theories over the years.
-Thought-through approach that defines their work and usually incorporates multiple elements from many theories

Question 36

What are professional ethics?

Answer 36

A series of guidelines established within a professional discipline to guide thinking and behavior.

Question 37

Who published the first ethical codes?

Answer 37

The APA in 1953

Question 38

What purpose do ethical codes serve?

Answer 38

-Protection consumers and further the professional standing of the org
-Statement about the maturity and professional identity of a profession
-Guide professionals toward certain types of behaviors that reflect the underlying values considered to be desirable in the profession.
-Offer a framework in the sometimes difficult ethical decision making process
-Offered as a measure of defense if the professional is sued for malpractice.

Question 39

What are some of the limitations to ethical codes?

Answer 39

-Do not address some issues and offer no clear way of responding to other issues
-Sometimes conflicts within the same code, between related codes, between the code and the law, and between the code and a helper’s value system
-Sometimes difficult to enforce ethical violations in the codes
-Public is often not involved in the code construction process and the public interests are not always considered
-Codes do not always address cutting edge issues

Question 40

What are the counseling “hot spots”?

Answer 40

-Counseling relationships/boundaries
-Values and culture
-Confidentiality and legal issues
-Legal and professional issues
-Professional Responsibility
-Technology

Question 41

What are problem-solving models?

Answer 41

Provide therapists with pragmatic, step-by-step approaches to making ethical decisions.

Question 42

What are the 8 steps of a problem-solving model (Corey)?

Answer 42

-Identifying the problem or dilemma
-Identifying the potential issues involved
-Reviewing the relevant ethical guidelines
-Knowing the applicable laws and regulations
-Obtaining consultation
-Considering possible and probable courses of action
-Mentioning one-by-one the consequences of various decisions
-Deciding on the best course of action

*Emphasizes pragmatism

Question 43

What are moral models?

Answer 43

Stress inherent principles or virtues to which the counselor should subscribe when making ethical decisions.

Question 44

What is Karen Kitchener’s principle ethical model?

Answer 44

-Often described as the foundation or core of ethical codes
-Role of five moral principles that individuals should consider in the process of ethical decision making

Question 45

What are Karen Kitchener’s 5 moral principles for ethical decision making?

Answer 45

-Autonomy has to do with protecting the independence, self-determination, and freedom of choice of clients
-Nonmaleficence is the concept of “do no harm” when working with clients
-Beneficence is related to promoting the good of society which can be in part accomplished by promoting the well-being of the client
-Justice refers to providing equal and fair treatment to all clients
-Fidelity is related to maintaining trust in the counseling relationship (i.e. keeping convos confidential) and being committed to the client within that relationship.

Question 46

What is the 6th moral principle?

Answer 46

-Veracity
-Attributed to Meara et al
-Has to do with being truthful and genuine with the client within the context of counseling relationships

Question 47

What is the social constructionist perspective?

Answer 47

-Sees knowledge as intersubjective (information in codes about how to make wise ethical decisions), changeable, and open to interpretation.
-Suggests that realities are socially constructed, constituted through language, organized and maintained through narrative, and there are no essential truths
-Approaches clients with humility, as equals, with wonder, and as collaborators with whom solutions to ethical problems can be jointly worked out with them and with others

Question 48

What is taking a postmodern perspective to ethical codes (this is the approach that social constructionists take)?

Answer 48

The belief that traditional ways of viewing ethical dilemmas could, at times, be problematic and are often the result of the language used and embedded in one’s culture and in society.

Question 49

What are developmental models?

Answer 49

-Influenced by Kohlberg, Perry, and Kegan
-Suggest that individuals at “lower” levels of development have less of some qualities that are considered positive for counselors than those who are at “higher” levels

Question 50

What do counselors at lower levels of development want?

Answer 50

Counselors at lower levels of development would want “the answer” to complex ethical dilemmas, adhere to rigid view of truth and expect or hope that such formal docs as ethical codes hold the answer to complex ethical dilemmas.
They look for those in positions of authority and power as being able to quickly tell them the correct answer.

Question 51

What do counselors at higher levels of development want?

Answer 51

Sometimes called individuals committed to relativism, would be complex thinkers, open to differing opinions, flexible, empathic, sensitive to the context of the ethical dilemma, and non-dogmatic.

Question 52

What is a dualistic perspective?

Answer 52

What Perry calls viewing the world in terms of black-and-white thinking, concreteness, rigidity, oversimplification, stereotyping, self-protectiveness, and authoritarianism.

Question 53

What is multicultural counseling?

Answer 53

Counseling that actively considers the influence of the counselor and client’s cultural identities on the counseling relationship, process, and outcome.

Question 54

What is culture?

Answer 54

The shared practices, values, social norms, and worldviews associated with a particular culture group (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and spirituality)

Question 55

What is cultural identity?

Answer 55

The degree to which individuals identify themselves as belonging to a subgroups of various cultural groups or categories which is influenced by their historical and contemporary experiences with others within and outside of a particular cultural category.

Question 56

What is social advocacy?

Answer 56

-Grounded in community-level change and calls attention to inequities across societal institutions, such as educational, legal, and healthcare.
-Through social advocacy, counselors recognize the impact of privilege, oppression, and discrimination on the social, educational, mental health, and other outcomes of individuals and communities.

Question 57

What is the decontextualized self?

Answer 57

The value of hyperindividuality, which primarily serves the interests of dominant groups in the US society.
Individual growth and success is prioritized and psychological growth is limited as social and cultural inequities are perpetuated.
a focus on hyper individuality and independence and can perpetuate a cycle of marginalization by negating the impact of systemic oppression and marginalization for culturally diverse clients.

Question 58

What are Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies?

Answer 58

-Provides counselors a framework for adapting, deconstructing, and reconstructing traditional counseling theories or implementing culturally responsive and decolonized counseling practices.
-Comprise a set of guidelines that calls attention to the awareness, knowledge, skills, and counseling and advocacy interventions required to counsel in a multiculturally competent manner.
-Image: privileged counselor, marginalized client, marginalized counselor, privileged client