Discover Your Theoretical Orientation
Your theoretical orientation is one of the most important decisions you will make as a counselor. Right along with your area of specialty and populations you serve, your theoretical orientation plays a large role in determining your professional identity. Or, as my professor would put it, Whats in your toolbox?
Your toolbox is your personal collection of interventions that you can pull out as needed when you are treating clients. But, before you determine whats in your toolbox, youll have to decide what your theoretical orientation is. This is because you have to understand why something is broken and what the problem is before you can choose a tool. You wouldnt get out your hammer before first deciding that the problem was a loose nail, right? So you must understand the problem first.
Your masters program will go over counseling theories in detail, and will help guide you in choosing a theory, so I wont go into a lot of detail here. Rather, Ill just give you some ideas to reflect on so that you can be better prepared.
You can also choose more than one theory. Yes, you can mix and match! For example, you may decide that a mixture of psychodynamic and person-centered approaches is the way to go, This is called being eclectic. But dont just mix and match randomly. The techniques of the theories must compliment each other in some way do not mix techniques that counteract each other.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Barb LoFrisco
Ease Of Conducting Research
Not all theoretical orientations have ESTs because it is easier to conduct EST research for behavioral and cognitive treatments than it is for psychodynamic, family, and existential therapies. This is said to give behavioral and cognitive therapies an unfair advantage over more difficult-to-study therapies. Proponents of the more difficult-to-study therapies claim that it is unfair to expect the same level of scientific rigor from them as is expected of proponents of easier-to-study therapies. This is a peculiar argument. It is offered as a defense for not having conducted the required outcome studies. It is also offered as an excuse for never conducting such studies. However, this argument also indicates that psychodynamic, family, and existential therapies are not yet ready for commercial application and insurance reimbursement. Are these EST critics really trying to prohibit these forms of therapy?
Linda Baker, in, 1994
Is Grounded Theory A Methodology
Grounded theory is a well-known methodology employed in many research studies. Qualitative and quantitative data generation techniques can be used in a grounded theory study. Grounded theory sets out to discover or construct theory from data, systematically obtained and analysed using comparative analysis.
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The Complicated Theoretical Setting Within Professional Psychology
The many theoretical orientations that have been formulated to explain human development, functioning, and behavior change are well known within the profession. Many of the textbooks that review these orientations take a chronological approach, starting with Freudian theory and progressing through psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, feminist, multicultural, and other approaches. These orientations vary in the thoroughness of their explanations regarding personality, psychopathology, and psychotherapy. Some theories, for example, focus primarily on the development of personality and psychopathology, with little emphasis on the process of psychotherapy , while others focus primarily on therapy processes and methods . The theory providing the most comprehensive and thorough explanations for personality, psychopathology, and psychotherapy has been Freudian psychoanalysis, which also ended up being the most controversial of the theories.
In addition to the individual unitary theories, a variety of eclectic and integrative approaches have been developed. These, too, take diverging perspectives. Norcross has categorized these into technical eclecticism , theoretical integration , common factors , and assimilative integration . These eclectic and integrative approaches have contributed a great deal to psychotherapy research and practice, but they also offer additional competing options regarding the appropriate conceptualization of personality, psychopathology, and treatment.
Finding Your Theoretical Fit
All authors are part of the University of Denver GSPP Internship Consortium.
In clinical and counseling psychology, human behavior is understood through varying lenses called theoretical orientations. Key factors that influence orientation include a practitioners unique personality and particular way of conceptualizing the human condition. These factors come into play in clinical and counseling psychology training programs, where students must select one of these orientations in order to practice psychotherapy in a coherent manner.
The programmatic demands of many training programs are such that a trainee must simultaneously develop a didactic mastery of the varying theoretical orientations while also expanding their understanding of themselves as related to a particular theoretical preference. Particularly for a first year student, this is a potentially daunting task.
One way of bridging this gap is to develop an informal tool which is lighthearted yet informative, and could potentially orient the student toward a clinical perspective without pigeonholing them. The authors of this study will present such a tool in the form of a PlayBuzz quiz, developed with the specific intent of elucidating preference for a specific theoretical orientation by assessing aspects of the individuals personality and worldview.
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History Of Psychoanalytic Therapy
Freud initially suggested that mental health problems arise from efforts to push inappropriate sexual urges out of conscious awareness . Later, Freud suggested more generally that psychiatric problems are the result of tension between different parts of the mind: the id, the superego, and the ego. In Freuds structural model, the id represents pleasure-driven unconscious urges , while the superego is the semi-conscious part of the mind where morals and societal judgment are internalized . The egoalso partly consciousmediates between the id and superego. Freud believed that bringing unconscious struggles like these into conscious awareness would relieve the stress of the conflict which became the goal of psychoanalytic therapy.
Although psychoanalysis is still practiced today, it has largely been replaced by the more broadly defined psychodynamic therapy. This latter approach has the same basic tenets as psychoanalysis, but is briefer, makes more of an effort to put clients in their social and interpersonal context, and focuses more on relieving psychological distress than on changing the person.
Personal Theoretical Approach To Counseling
As a professional counselor, my basic theoretical approach to counseling is that psychotherapists should offer clients assistance, which helps them develop effective coping strategies necessary to withstand the day-to-day life stressors. In essence, the capacity to discourse on each persons needs is the key to my profession. Adapting to various personal traits and behaviors during counseling is vital due to the multicultural diversity of clients. However, it is equally important to recognize that each individual is at liberty to make life choices that best fit their culture and the environment in which they exist.
Precisely, during counseling, I am often conscious of the unique life situations, thus helping me in advising my clients in ways that resonate with their viewpoints. For instance, many people do find themselves in negative life stressors or undesirable thoughts and are not cognizant of how to break such patterns, which often lead them to unconstructive emotional behaviors. Therefore, because of my heterogeneous character, I believe integrating both existential and cognitive-behavioral theory resonates well with my way of thinking. As such, the combination of the styles allows me to incorporate applicable psychotherapies and techniques that best fit my behavior and general psychoanalysis. Besides, I function as a person ties back to the two theories since I can recognize that people are different in unique ways.
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What Is Theoretical Orientation In Research Articles
JON ZAMBONI
A theoretical orientation, or theoretical framework, refers to the system of ideas and assumptions that an academic begins with when writing a paper. Theoretical orientation provides a professor with a starting point to structure her ideas during research and writing.
Explore this article
Ibincorporating Theory In Practice: Animal
A clinician’s theoretical orientation will have a strong bearing on the incorporation of animals within his or her therapeutic approach. An explanation that seems to naturally align itself is Erikson’s theoretical orientation. Erikson views development as a passage through a series of psychosocial stages, each with its particular goals, concerns, and needs. Although the themes may repeat during a life cycle, Erikson noted that certain life concerns were more relevant during specific eras. For example, as people age and experience new situations, they confront a series of psychosocial challenges. Aubrey Fine, in an article written on AAT in psychotherapy in the Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy, recommended that clinicians should consider the various eight stages of psychosocial development and reflect on how the application of animals may be appropriate. Table 1 briefly highlights the major tenets presented.
Table 1. Animal-Assisted Therapy from a Life-Stage Perspective
Clinicians applying AAT in their practices may also find the utilization of metaphors and stories incorporating animals as an appropriate extension. Clients in most cases should feel comfortable with these topics . Stories portraying the challenges, obstacles, and successes that animals experience and overcome may be applied therapeutically to help clients see the world or the struggles they face from a different perspective.
Mary Nord Cook, in, 2015
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What Two Types Of Psychologists Generally Study Learning
What two types of psychologists generally study learning? Behavioral psychologists study learning by examining: -which personality characteristics predict an individuals preferred method of learning. -how individuals learn associations between events, and associations between our behavior and its consequences.
What Theoretical Orientation Is Dbt
Theoretical orientations affect how we think and how we relate to the outside world.DBT is a type of mental health intervention that uses theoretical orientations to help people change their thinking and behavior.DBT is based on the belief that mental health and behavior can be improved by changing how we think about and relate to the outside world.
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Additionally, online therapy is rated as more convenient, more accessible, and more affordable than traditional face-to-face therapy. BetterHelp can be used anytime, anywhere youll just need an internet connection to get started. Sessions are fully customizable, and can be conducted via phone call, instant messaging or texting, video chat, live voice recording, or any combination thereof. And since online therapists dont need to pay to rent out office space and you dont have to pay to commute to sessions, online therapy is often more affordable!
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Choose Your Orientation By Practice
It is easy to be enamored by an influential author or awestruck by a theorys concepts but that does not automatically translate into successful treatment. I will pass on advice that was given to me and served me well.
Choose a theoretical orientation based on how comfortable and effective it is for you in practice. Explore the boundaries of what you understand and enjoy about using a theoretical framework beyond the textbook.
In therapy, words on a page are much easier read than realized. Abstract existentialist ideas may be the root of someones problems, but if you cannot connect that to their daily struggles, that conversation may do more harm than good. If you want to conceptualize systematically but do not naturally think broadly, try out a more symptom-focused approach. Use your training or transitioning as a time of exploration.
You are expected to, and hopefully encouraged to make some mistakes while youre learning. You are not expected to be perfect, so embrace that freedom. Trying out different techniques and philosophies make the intangible elements of theories tangible. Its very different reading about how to swim than actually jumping in the deep end. Additionally, keep in mind that you are not starting from absolute zero. You already have pre-professional years of conversation and self understanding to draw from, so use experience as your guide but implementation as your filter.
Which Theory Is Correct
The great thing about psychology is that there are so many different ways to look at human behavior, and each of the theories above is valid in its way. Human beings are innately complex and that means there are certain psychological theories which will be appropriate for one situation, but not another.
Understanding which theory works in a particular situation is the responsibility of a licensed psychologist or mental health provider. That’s why certain psychologists specialize in behaviorism while other ones have expertise in humanism, cognitive behavior, or psychodynamic theory. No one school of thought is better than the other.
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Five Key Theories In Psychology
Psychology is a broad field that covers the study of human behavior. There are many aspects to the field, including abnormal psychology, psychological theories, and research. In this article, we will cover five of the common, key methodologies used in therapy. Different clinicians use different methods to treat their clients. It’s important to take the time to understand these key psychological theories, especially if you’re looking to get mental health treatment.
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What Are Theoretical Models In Psychology
Theoretical and computer models are used by cognitive psychologists to study mental processes. Theoretical models are diagrammatic representations of the steps involved in internal mental processes, e.g. the information-processing model.
What are theoretical models?
A theoretical model describes a type of object or s. attributing to it what might be called an inner structure, or mechanism, reference to which will explain various. exhibited by that object or system.
What are the 7 main theories of psychology?
The major perspectives in psychology that emerged are cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, biological, socio-cultural, and evolutionary.
Why are theoretical models important in psychology?
The Importance of Theory. Having a theory helps you identify the limits to those generalizations. A theoretical framework specifies which key variables influence a phenomenon of interest and highlights the need to examine how those key variables might differ and under what circumstances.
What are the 5 theories in psychology?
The five major perspectives in psychology are biological, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive and humanistic.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cbt
CBT interventions tend to be relatively brief, making them cost-effective for the average consumer. In addition, CBT is an intuitive treatment that makes logical sense to patients. It can also be adapted to suit the needs of many different populations. One disadvantage, however, is that CBT does involve significant effort on the patients part, because the patient is an active participant in treatment. Therapists often assign homework between sessions to maintain the cognitive and behavioral habits the patient is working on. The greatest strength of CBT is the abundance of empirical support for its effectiveness. Studies have consistently found CBT to be equally or more effective than other forms of treatment, including medication and other therapies . For this reason, CBT is considered a first-line treatment for many mental disorders.
Focus: Topic: Pioneers of CBT
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