UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION,

WINNEBA
MPHIL COUNSELLING
PSYCHOLOGY 1
CPSY 815: TECHNIQUES IN THE
HELPING PROFESSION

HUGHES COLUMBAN KWESI

QUESTION: TAKE AT LEAST 5
COUNSELLING THEORIES AND
GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF EACH OF
THE THEORIES AND PRESENT THE
TECHNIQUE THAT ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH EACH THEORY
AND BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE
TECHNIQUE.
INTRODUCTION

Counseling is defined as a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to a client
who is in an overwhelming life situation either physically, mentally or emotionally with the aim
of finding ways to deal with that situation.

Theory is a supposition or a system of ideas intertied to explain something especially based on

general principles independent of the thing to be explained.

Many theorists have propounded very theorists that has gained acceptance by both academia and
practitioners. The following discusses five (5) counseling theories and techniques associated with
them with brief explanations.

A. Systemic Counseling Theory: This theory asserts that thinking, feeling and behavior are
largely shaped by pressures exerted on people by the social systems within which they
live. The systemic counseling theory was propounded by Dr. Murray.
Bowen, in the late 1960’s when he applied systems thinking to the family unit and
developed family systems theory. The theory views the family as an emotional unit and
assumes individual members of the family cannot be fully understood in isolation.
To administer systemic counseling theory successfully, the counselor must use the
following techniques tactically.

 Circular Questioning: This approach technique helps the counselor to explore the
problem from different perspective in order to identify its core issues.

 Conceptualization: This technique helps a therapist put the client’s symptoms into
a context that spans time and space, or applies to one or more members of a
family. It further looks at how individual experience is part of larger patterns
within the person, family, community or culture.

 Reframing: This technique involves identifying the way a client views him/
herself and offers an alternative perspective that can help deepen or broaden
understanding of the self. This technique is often administered together with
circular questioning to help clients identify their own patterns of behaviour within
social context.
Addiction and substance abuse, anger, mood disorder relationship difficulty,
conduct disorders, anxiety, eating disorder; schizophrenia can all be managed well
with systemic theory.
B. Cognitive – Behavioural Theory; these theory states that “emotional disorders are
maintained by cognitive factors, and that psychological treatment leads to changes in
these factors through cognitive and behavioral techniques (Hofmann and Smits, 2008, P.
621). Stated differently, this theory focuses on how thoughts and behaviours dictate a
person’s feeling in a given situation. More specifically, the theory suggests that our
thoughts, emotions, body sensations and behaviour are all connected and that what we
think and do affects the way we feel.
Techniques for the theory are as follows;
a. Identifying negative thoughts, where the problematize thinking breeding the
maladaptive behaviour is identified.
b. Practicing new skills to be used in real world situations, in order to give up on
the old skill that was problematic.
c. Goal setting, this is where new goals are set so that it can be a guide for the
behaviour alteration.
d. Problem Solving
e. Self-monitoring where clients monitor themselves to be able to give accurate
information to the therapist on the progress of behavior change or otherwise.

C. Constructionist Theory: This theory has it that, knowledge is merely and invented or
“constructed” understanding of actual events in the world. This theory was propounded
by Jean Piaget in 1972, also known as constructivism theory, the basis of the theory;
therapist must use the following techniques, journaling, guided imagery, and sensory
awareness exercise.

 Journaling: This is where thoughts and feelings are written down to understand
them more clearly in order for the counselor to prescribe specific and long lasting
solutions to the counselees’ problems.

 Guided imagery: Guided imagery is a method for managing your stress. It’s a
relaxation technique that involves visualizing positive images and scenarios in
their mind. It is also called visualization or guided meditation. The technique can
help with the following disorders;
i. Sleep disorders
ii. Depression
iii. Smoking (Quitting)
iv. Anxiety
v. Stress
vi. Pain
  Sensory Awareness Exercise: This is the focused, thematic experience of a
particular sensory aspect of the internal environment without particular regards
for the instrumental aim or perceptually complete objectless of that environment.
Activities involved in this includes:
1. Covering the eyes to see things from new angle.
2. Going for sightseeing walk.
3. Listening attentively.
4. Giving yourself a mini massage, etc.

D. Behavioural Theory: This theory is based on the belief that behavior is learned. The
profounder of this theory, Ivan Pavlov, in 1902, established that people engage in
problematic thinking and behavior when their environment supports it. When an
environment reinforces or encourages these problems they will continue to occur. He
further executed a famous study to buttress this theory where he used dogs to train them
to salivate for food each time they heard the sound of a bell, because he tied their feeding
with bell.
B.F Skinner further developed another behavioral therapy, approach called operant
conditioning, where he believes in the power of rewards to encourage or increase a
behavour, and the use of punishment to discourage or decrease certain behaviour. All
these two (2) theories point out to the fact that behaviour is learned.
The following are techniques used to administer behavioral theory. Reinforcement,
punishment, shaping, modeling, mentoring, coaching.

1. Reinforcement: To ensure additional resources or materials to strengthen or

support a behavior so others can emulate.

2. Punishment: This is where infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for

an offence or unacceptable behaviour.

3. Shaping: This is where we decide or influence the form of something, especially

a belief or idea or character.

4. Modeling: The use of systems and procedures etc. as an example to follow or

imitate to shape behaviours.

5. Mentoring: This is where people with the acceptable behaviours usually the
elderly, guides the younger ones with behaviour deficit to exhibit acceptable
behaviours.
E. Cognitive Theory: This theory holds that people experience psychological and emotional
difficulties when their thinking is out of sync or misaligned with reality. It further
explains that when this faulty thinking is applied to problem- solving, the result obviously
leads to faulty solution. This theory was propounded by Aaron Beck, in the 1960s. The
following techniques can be employed to administer the cognitive theory.
The therapist must work in close collaboration with the client to develop skills for
identifying and replacing distorted thoughts and beliefs which will ultimately change the
associated misaligned habitual behaviour towards them. This can be done by
a. Identifying negative thoughts.
b. Practicing new thinking pattern.
c. Goal Setting.
d. Self-Monitoring.

F. Humanistic Theory: This counseling theory holds that people have within themselves all
the resources they need to live healthy and functional lives and those problems occur as a
result of restricted or unavailable problem- solving resources. The theory is about free
will, self- discovering and achieving your full potential as a human being, rather than
concentrating on individual problems or symptoms. It focuses on everything that makes
you who you are and focuses on you as a unique individual and your relationship with the
world around you. The following are techniques used in administering the theory.

a. Listening ( Active): This is where the therapist listens actively to ensure they
fully understand the individual.

b. Assuming You Are Good: This is where the individual is made to assume he/she
is inherently good. The individual here is made aware he is only dealing with a
difficult situation.

c. Acknowledging Your Power To Decide: This is where the individual is helped to

realize his/her power over any situation. The individual is empowered to master
how to respond to every situation and challenges they are confronted with.

d. Treating The Client As A Whole Person: This is where the therapy helps by
treating the individual as a whole person who perceives, thinks, behaves,
believes and has specific human needs. It takes into accounts a combination of
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual factors.
 e. Recognizing the client as an individual: This is where it is recognized that
individuals are distinctive and that no two persons are alike.

f. Dealing with the issues in the here and now: This is where the therapy
methods examine problems as they are currently being experienced.

g. Accepting Responsibility: This is where the individual is encouraged to

accept responsibilities in a given situation rather than blaming others.

h. Finding Solutions : This is where the individual is empowered to find or

discover the power to find their own solutions through questions that help
him/ her recognize his/her creative problem- sowing abilities.

References

1. Carbett, L, and Milton M. (2011). Existential therapy: A useful approach to trauma?

Counseling psychology review, 26 (1), 62-74.

2. Deacon B. J. and Abramountz J. S. (2004). Cognitive and behavioral treatments for

anxiety disorders: A renew of Meta-analytic findings, journal of Clinical Psychology,
60,429-441.

3. Dryden, W (2007). Dryden’s handbook of individual therapy (5th ed.) Sage.

4. Hazlett-Stevens H, and Craske, M. (2004) chapter 1 brief Cognitive behavioral therapy.

5. Robbins, B. D. (2008) what is the good life? Positive Psychology and the renaissance of
humanistic Psychology. The Humanistic psychologist 36, 96-112.