counseling theory

Counseling and Therapy

Introduction

Counseling is a procedure for the provision of support and advancement of a person 's character or self-image through the submission or identification of possible explanations of the emotional and psychological problems that obstructs and perplexes objectivity of the person concerned . It includes offering expert opinion as well as plans to address the identified problems . It does not necessarily give straight and correct answers but provides alternative perspectives that serve as guidance for a problematic person to solve his or her own problem . Problems that emanate

from one 's personality whether emotional or psychological can ultimately be resolved only by the person concerned because these are matters and choices that are internally processed What other people including the counselor can do and control are only the external environment or social context which can be arranged to reinforce the desired change . In the end , the solution to problems is a matter of personal choice

Psychotherapy

Starting from the pleasure principle , humans avoid pain because it is a threat to their lives . In contrast , they desire for pleasure to enjoy life . This constant pursuit for pleasure creates imbalances among humans . Sigmund Freud categorically classified pleasure as either sex or aggression , the two primitive urges that influence the development of an individual 's personality which starts from childhood (Jarvis , M and Russell , 2002 . Psychoanalytic Therapy emphasizes the dynamics of the interplay between the conscious and unconscious psyche of a person and the external world . It focuses on personality or how the person prefers to behave . A person 's psychological make-up always works in the conscious and the unconscious levels representing a person 's 'whole being . This is manifested in the source and direction of energy expression of a person , the rational functions that enable us to decide and judge , the processing of information and the ability to organize actions according to plan or making alternative course of actions (Bayne , R , 1997 ) Procedures for psychotherapy involve seeking the patterns or significant events that may have influence a client 's present troubles . These events play a critical role in the psychological make up and maladaptive behaviors of clients

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy focus on behavior which is an observable activity or tendency of a person in relation or reaction to his environment based on his preconceptions and understanding of the circumstances at hand . Thus , behavior is a manifestation of one 's personality . It follows that cognitive behaviorism and the social learning theory as the framework for the development of personality and behavior . Personality development coincides with cognitive and social development

In cognitive psychology , a person is a like a scientist who constructs his own understanding of the world around him . In which case , inherent differences in gene characteristics affects how we will understand the environment we are in . However , the environment remains as its major source of learning that shapes one 's personality . As such , society as a learning and context shapes the behavior of a person (Dale , O , 2005 , p...