week 2: framework for practice

Question 1

what is a framework

Answer 1

a coherent statement of the ideas principles and beliefs that guid our action in practice

Question 2

what are values

Answer 2

idea that every decision we make is underpinned by what we value in life: every action and inaction

Question 3

what do values do

Answer 3

shape everything we do

underpin human agency, choice and autonomy

Question 4

what do values help us choose

Answer 4

what theory works best with our practice

Question 5

what is epistemology

Answer 5

the theory of knowledge

“knowing what we know or thinking about what we think”

Question 6

what is a modernist approach

Answer 6

counselling theories seen as accurate reflection of human experience
- problems that people face result from deficits or pathologies within themselves or their environment

Question 7

what underpins all theories

Answer 7

structuralism or post structuralism

Question 8

what is structuralism

Answer 8

the aim of enquiry is to search for ‘deep structures’ or ‘essential truths’ about people
can be objective
it is our deep structure/ inner self that shapes life
our ideas, problems, qualities are link to some internal self
our identities are fixed and essential and consistent

Question 9

what is post structuralism

Answer 9

an effect of enquiry into structures is the development of certain norms about what peoples lives should look like in order to be healthy

Question 10

our ideas, problems, qualities are all products of what under post structuralism

Answer 10

culture and history

Question 11

what does post structuralism believe in our identities

Answer 11

our identities are made up, continually being made up of many (sometimes contradictory) stories

Question 12

what does post structuralism believe regarding language

Answer 12

that it plays a vital role in shaping life
what people say and do and how we relate to each other shapes life.
the meaning that we give to events in our lives and how we organise these into stories about ourselves, shape life

Question 13

what are frameworks good for

Answer 13

they help us as counsellors know what to do and why we are doing it
- intentional and ethical practice

Question 14

what do counselling theories serve as

Answer 14

a frame of reference for thinking about ourselves

- what we do and why we do it

Question 15

what is a theory

Answer 15

A theory is a system of inferences, assumptions, and interpretations drawn from one’s observations and experiences

Question 16

characteristics of a good theory

Answer 16

precision and testability
 empirical validity
 parsimony 
 stimulation
 practicality/utility

Question 17

what is meant by Precision and Testability for good theory

Answer 17

provides clear operational definitions of its constructs that will allow others to “test” the theory, which in turn predicts future observations and stimulates new discoveries

• well-defined
• specific
• measurable constructs

Question 18

what is meant by Empirical Validity and Stimulation in good theory

Answer 18

can be tested for confirmation or falsification using scientific experiments eg. validity

Question 19

what is meant by Parsimony in good theory

Answer 19

researchers should strive for simple measurement models that use the minimum number of parameters needed to explain a given phenomenon

Question 20

what is meant by Practicality/Utility in good theory

Answer 20

counselling theories help us articulate the assumptions, interpretations, and hypotheses we employ to understand what is happening with our clients and to make predictions about what may happen in the future

Question 21

effective counsellor employs a theory to

Answer 21

describe, explain, predict, and change behavior

Question 22

what is Explanatory theory

Answer 22

Explanatory theory helps one understand complex situations

Question 23

ways to support ethical practice

Answer 23

focus on the welfare of clients 
developmental and cultural sensitivity 
informed consent 
monitor effectiveness 
boundaries of competance

Question 24

what do effective counsellors do with theory

Answer 24

Effective counselors call on theories to assist them in organizing clinical data, making
complex processes coherent, and providing conceptual guidance for interventions

Question 25

what are theories good for

Answer 25

• connect seemingly disparate areas of knowledge, allowing him or her to make more discriminating judgments about the information being presented and how best to respond
• counselling theory allows him or her to approach
  work with a client with a greater sense of what to do if “this or that” occurs.
  -Counselors’ theories help them know what they are doing, why they are doing it, and the anticipated result or impact