Chapter 6:

How Do Counselors Use Theories?

Major theoretical approaches and

their application to counseling
Counseling Today
Foundations of Professional Identity

2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

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 What Do You Think?
Start by asking yourself
What do I believe about human nature and
how people change?
Do I need to have a counseling theory to
guide my practice?
How will I know what theory is the best fit for
me?

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 Major Theoretical Positions
Psychodynamic
Psychoanalytic, Interpersonal
Behavioral/Cognitive
Rogerian/Person-Centered
Gestalt/Experiential, Existential/Humanistic
Eclectic/Integrative
Other:
Systems
Constructivist
Multicultural

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 Counselors & Theory
Most counselors adhere to one of 12 theories*
Cognitive 29% Psychodynamic 5%
Eclectic 23% Interpersonal 3%
Rogerian 10% Gestalt 2%
Behavioral 8% Psychoanalytic 2%
Systems 7% Multicultural 1%
Humanistic 5% Other 3%
* Prochaska & Norcross, 2010

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 Stop & Think
What have you heard about these
theories?
Are there any theoretical approaches that
are initially appealling to you?

Counseling Today: Foundations of Professional Identity 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

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 Personality Theories
These are the cornerstone of counseling
theories

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 Dimensions of Personality
Personality theories: hypotheses about human
nature
Counseling theories: rooted in fundamental
beliefs about people
Understanding personality theory and what you
believe can help you find a counseling theory
that works for you
Five dimensions of personality can help organize
your thinking

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 Freedom vs. Determinism
Freedom: humans are free to choose and
are responsible for their own choices
Determinism: external forces and
unconscious drives control behavior
Determinism Freedom

Where are the major theories on this line?

Where do you fall along this continuum?
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 Rationality vs. Irrationality
Rationality: People make decisions
logically & try to understand the world
Irrationality: People are driven by their
emotions & other irrational influences
Rational Irrational

Where are the major theories on this line?

Where do you fall along this continuum?
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 Proactivity vs. Reactivity
Proactivity: Change occurs from within
Reactivity: External forces, including
rewards & punishment, change behavior

Reactive Proactive

Where are the major theories on this line?

Where do you fall along this continuum?
Counseling Today: Foundations of Professional Identity 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
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 Homeostasis vs. Heterostasis
Homeostasis: People seek balance, the
status quo
Heterostasis: People are motivated to
change & grow
Homeostasis Heterostasis

Where are the major theories on this line?

Where do you fall along this continuum?
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 Changeability vs. Unchangeability
Changeability: People are constantly
changing & growing
Unchangeability: People do not have the
capacity for fundamental change
Unchangeability Changeability

Where are the major theories on this line?

Where do you fall along this continuum?
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 Major Counseling Theories
Behavioral
Cognitive
Rogerian/Person-Centered
Eclectic/Integrative

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 Behavior Therapy
Look for triggers for behaviors & patterns that
reward/reinforce behavior
Basic tenets:
Begins with assessment (functional analysis)
Behaviors are reinforced through learning
Behavior change is the gold standard
Used with:
Children, MR/DD, people with phobias, anxieties,
disturbing habits

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 Behavior Therapy Terms
Functional analysis
Antecedents, consequences
Classical conditioning
Vicarious learning
Respondent conditioning
Contingency management
Baseline
Target
Exposure

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 Personality Dimensions of
Behavior Therapy
Behaviorists are:
More toward determinism
More toward reactivity
More toward changeable
Two continua do not apply/are irrelevant:
Rational vs. irrational
Homeostasis vs. heterostasis

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 Stop & Think
What are your reactions are you read
about and hear the discussion regarding
Behavior Therapy?
Can you envision yourself using this
therapy or parts of it in your
counseling?

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 Cognitive Therapy
Thoughts precede emotions & behaviors
Basic tenets:
Persons interpretation of events lead to emotions &
behaviors
Healthy people have realistic & rational beliefs
Goal is to uncover irrational & dysfunctional beliefs
and change them
Used with:
Depression, anxiety, addiction, marriage & family

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 Cognitive Therapy Terms
Cognitions
Irrational beliefs
Cognitive distortions
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Thought-stopping

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 Personality Dimensions of
Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapists are:
More toward freedom
Would be happier if they were more toward
rational
More toward reactive (not all agree)
More toward homeostasis
More toward changeable

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 Stop & Think
What are your reactions are you read
about and hear the discussion regarding
Cognitive Therapy?
Can you envision yourself using this
therapy or parts of it in your
counseling?

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 Person/Centered Therapy
The counseling relationship is necessary &
sufficient for change
Basic tenets:
Counseling should be non-directive
Counselor accepts people where they are and helps
them get where they want to go
Used with:
Almost all counseling settings, as a core (necessary)
but not sufficient mechanism for therapeutic change

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 Person-Centered Therapy Terms
Warmth
Empathy
Congruence
Unconditional Positive Regard
Play Therapy
Motivational Interviewing

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 Personality Dimensions of
Person-Centered Therapy
Rogerian therapists:
Strongly believe in freedom
Not convinced that decisions must be rational
Strongly believe in proactivity
Strongly believe in heterostasis
Strongly believe in changeability

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 Stop & Think
What are your reactions are you read
about and hear the discussion regarding
Person-Centered Therapy?
Can you envision yourself using this
therapy or parts of it in your
counseling?

Counseling Today: Foundations of Professional Identity 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

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 Eclectic/Integrative Therapy
Blending of two or more theories
Common (curative) factors approach
The dimensions of personality do not apply
Basic tenets:
No one theory has been shown to be superior
Systematic (technical) eclecticism is best
Counseling is tailored to needs of client
Because it is not a specific theory or set of
techniques, hard to measure effectiveness

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 Rationale for Eclectic Approaches
No single theory works for all
clients/problems
No one theory has emerged as superior
Common factors are better predictors of
therapeutic success
There is emerging research to support its use

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 Stop & Think
What are your reactions are you read
about and hear the discussion regarding
Eclectic/Integrative Therapy?
Can you envision yourself using this
approach in your counseling?

Counseling Today: Foundations of Professional Identity 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

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 How Counselors Choose Theories
Exposure to many theories can help
Read & learn with an open mind
Talk with counselors, professors, and peers
Consider the research & evidence
Engage in self-examination
Which theories match your beliefs?
Be open to changing your mind!

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 Reflection
Now that you have:
Learned about some of the major counseling &
personality theories
Engaged in discussion with classmates
Read a first person account by a counselor who
works from a specific theory
What have you learned about how you can start
to move forward in the development of your
own theoretical approach to counseling?

Counseling Today: Foundations of Professional Identity 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

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