SAN PABLO COLLEGES

San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines

Graduate School

Rose Marnie R. Manding

MAGC – GUID 601

COUNSELING THEORIES REFLECTION

Counseling theories helps inexperienced advisors act as a “road map”. Novice advisors
can draw on theory to provide direction and help ensure that they will work for clients. Theory
also helps more experienced advisors by enabling them to integrate their personal and external
knowledge. Counseling theories allow practitioners to use them in ways that best suit the client's
needs. The application is put in place when a counselor or therapist evaluates the theory to best
use in their current circumstances. For example, a client has an anxiety disorder. One should not
use a theory just because it has been used in similar circumstances. Counselors may deviate from
using one theory to use parts of several theories for the best outcome of the client. It helps
counselors find unity and relationship in the diversity of existence. This forces counselors to
check for relationships that they might otherwise overlook. It provides counselors with
operational guidance to work with and helps them assess their growth as professionals. Help
advisors focus on relevant information and tell them what to look for. It helps counselors help
clients effectively change behavior, cognition, emotional functioning, and interpersonal
relationships. Helps counselors evaluate both old and new approaches to the counseling process..
Counseling theories give an extensive basis of data from research which has relevant correlation
to active psychotherapists and counseling practitioners. heories help counselors understand the
dynamics of human behavior and choose therapeutic approaches appropriate to specific clients
and situations. Psychological theories come alive in the counselor's mind if they are seen as
extensions of life experiences of various theorists. To document this reality, the article presents
several examples of well-known psycholoical theorists. Counseling practitioners are then
encouraged to form, on the basis of existing theories, an operational framework consistent with
their own experiences and values.