Lastly, I will create a hypothetical situation of a child, adolescent, adult, couple, or family and address how counselors' knowledge of consultation and advocacy could interact with the progression of their counseling experience based on my area of specialization. This author believes that as a mental health counselor his role
4.) We will also define Mental Health counseling as “the provision of professional counseling services involving the application of principles of psychotherapy, human development, learning theory, group dynamics, and the etiology of mental illness and dysfunctional behavior to individuals, couples, families and groups, for the purpose of promoting optimal mental health, dealing with normal problems of living and treating psychopathology.” (American Mental Health Counselors Association [AMHCA], 2011, pg. 2.) While on the surface these two definitions can be seen as identical with only the word choice separating them, it would seem that the underlying goal differs slightly with that of the Mental Health counselor seeking to treat the mental illness itself, and the MFT striving to treat the effects of the mental illness on not only the individual, but on those surrounding the individual. A fine distinction, but one with broad impact on the development of a counselor in training’s professional career, necessitating a focus on treating an illness or on managing the illness across several
Running head: The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor Mental health counselors provide counseling services for clients that suffer from personal issues (e.g. depression, substance abuse). Mental health counselors are trained to provide psychotherapy, psychological assessments, and diagnosis disorders of a specified population of clients in an individual or group setting, by helping them cope with mental and emotional problems (Erford, 2010). Counselors in the mental health profession are expected to maintain the confidentiality of records relating to the client’s treatment. Mental health professionals practice active listening and encourage the client to express their feelings.
By establishing differences between psychiatry and psychology,how counselling and psychotherapy emerged from these disciplines becomes clearer.Psychiatry relates to the process of healing the mind through medical intervention.Psychology has its roots within academic study and research of human and animal perception.Psychoanalysis is ‘interested in exploration of the unconscious mind in order to cure’. [psychoanalysis-techniques]From Freud,,the seeds of contemporary counselling and psychotherapy practice were sown.The journey to it’s current position is neither rigid or fixed within it’s application of ideas.Perhaps becoming more apparent by viewing current practice as originating from the same tree root but realizing itself as different branches inevitably intertwining and overlapping.The position of many of the originators of psychotherapeutic theories were within psychology Nelson-Jones[2006]and their ideas permeated through to counselling and psychotherapy and discussed as follows: From my research I established the view that there are three main schools of thought.The psychodynamic;the humanistic-existential and the cognitive-behavioural schools.For the
Research on Counselor and Client Safety COUN5252- Crisis Assessment and Intervention Abstract Within a therapeutic relationship, both counselor and client safety are crucial to success. Although not a priority in the past, mental health counselors should receive safety training within their counselor education program. Counselors can be targets to both verbal and physical threats. Counselors must do their best to evaluate client safety in crisis situations. Self-harm, suicide and intimate partner violence are examples in which a counselor should be actively assessing levels of safety and risk of a client.
Abstract This research paper recognizes Cogitative Behavioral Therapy as one of the major schools of psychological therapy. According to Dr Greg Mulhauser (2011), CBT assist clients experiencing psychological distress to uncover and modify perceptions leading to various distress disorders. CBT brings awareness to surface allowing clients to link various events causing their life’s downward spiral. While treatment surfaces awareness aids in the process of preventing relapses clients not interested in receiving court-ordered treatment, CBT and Reality Therapy provides them with tools to make valid decisions. Treatments utilized by counseling professionals such as CBT allows clients to be aware of various events causing their life’s spiral; uninterested clients with court-ordered treatment must make a valid decision for their success while rationalizing personal biases of treatment.
In the person centered approach, the therapy focuses on an important human characteristic - the client’s natural ability for growth and development, through the use of self actualization. (Capuzzi & Gross, 2005). Therapeutic Process in Individual Counseling The belief is that in individual counseling, an ideal form of the therapeutic process or therapy is comprised of various techniques stemming from the Psychodynamic Approach, Cognitive-Behavioral Approach and the Person-Centered Approach, but also includes methods of behavior modification as is found in Operant Conditioning. The therapeutic process varies between therapists and as is done here, can be comprised of various approaches and/or techniques that enable the therapist to effectively tailor the therapy to that client. The psychodynamic approach searches to explain “how an individual’s personality expresses itself through the behavior” displayed in various situations.
In group counseling, a therapist works with a group of individuals who have been pre-selected through a screening process. Generally these individuals have little to no connection to one another other than the similarities regarding the reason for which they are seeking treatment (Tomasulo, 2010). Barlow (2008) quotes Soukhanov stating that “group therapy is ‘a form of psychotherapy that involves sessions guided by a therapist and attended by several clients or patients who confront their personal problems together. The interaction among clients is considered to be an integral part of the therapeutic process” (pp. 240).
I found that using certain skills such as paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, summarising, challenging and asking open questions to explore options were required to form a therapeutic alliance between my client and me. Despite using these skills effectively, certain situations evoked anxiety during the session. Hovarth and Symonds (1994) believe teamwork between therapists and client is the key element of a therapeutic alliance. It provides a safe environment for clients to explore themselves, a relationship where the client’s key issues are explored,
The development of the field has been spurred on through the use of research and statistics. Throughout its evolution clinical psychology has met with resistance and challenges that have helped to define the practice. The challenges of the past lead to the resolutions of the present and the further expansion of a field dedicated to the improvement, prevention and strength of the human spirit. Clinical psychology shares a number of important components with other related fields allowing for a more adaptable approach to client care and diagnosis. As time passes the practice and research associated with clinical psychology will continue the natural evolution and understanding of the science allowing for a more defined approach to client care.