Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Various counseling approaches based on different theories and emphasizing different
methods have been found to be effective for a wide range of people and their problems.
We know counseling is working because the client changes. Effective counseling
promotes feelings of mastery, self-efficacy, realistic hope and optimism. The following
are common ingredients of successful treatments:
A helping relationship that is based on collaboration, trust, a mutual commitment to the
counseling process, respect, genuineness, positive emotions, and a holistic understanding of the
client
A safe, supportive, therapeutic setting
Goals and direction
A shared understanding of the concerns that will be addressed and the process to be used in
working on them
Learning
Encouragement
Clients improved ability to name, express appropriately, and change their emotions
Clients improvement in identifying, assessing the validity of, and changing their thoughts
Clients increased ability to gauge and change their actions, as well as acquire new, more
effective behaviors to promote coping, impulse control, positive relationships, and sensible
emotional and physical health (Seligman, 2006, p.11).
Theories can be classified in different ways. The authors proposed a model showing the
integrative relationship that exists between thoughts, feelings, behaviors and systems.
They also classified the theories and interventions presented in the book according to
whether the point of intervention is primarily affective, behavior, cognitive or systemic.
Many behaviors and attitudes of effective counselors are discussed. For instance, they
prepare for an interview by arranging a relaxed environment. They build rapport with the
children and devote their full attention to the child. They respond to the fears, concerns,
and questions children might have about visiting a counselor's office. They recognize that
a child may be resistant to counseling and build a therapeutic alliance as a first step in
overcoming that resistance. Counselors who maintain structure help reduce children's
anxiety also. Finally counselors provide clear explanations of confidentiality and the
counseling process. They investigate the child's expectations. Counselors who are
effective provide accurate reflection of content, feelings, expectations, and behavior to
help focus children's attention on their actions and to stimulate the self-observation
needed to gain insight about their lifestyle and motivation.
The authors provide answers to general questions about counseling. Record keeping, selfdisclosure, using questions, silence, giving advice, setting limits, and issues of
confidentiality are discussed as well as some counseling problems.
The evaluation of counseling outcomes is discussed and includes the measurement of the
degree to which clients feel that services were convenient and useful; outcome measures
evaluated by client and counselor; and a detailed description the goal attainment method.
Negative and positive effects of managed health care on the counseling profession are
discussed. Disadvantages to counselors have included limitations placed on treatment,
time, and cost. Advantages to counselors have included efficiency, more accountability,
professional recognition, and for some counselors, the challenge to succeed outside the
traditional medical model and managed health care. Daviss summary of six steps for
developing effective treatment plans that meet managed care organization (MCO)
specifications are presented.
KEY CONCEPTS
1.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Match the following with the seven categories of problems in Lazarus BASIC ID model:
a. stealing
A. Behavior
b. phobias
B. Affect
c. irrational thinking
C. Sensation/School
d. low self-concept
D. Imagery
e. withdrawal from others
E. Cognition
f. overeating
F. Interpersonal relationships
g. difficulty in setting goals
G. Drugs/Diet
h. headaches
i. nightmares
3. According to a study cited in the text, most people prefer which type of intervention to
alleviate mild depression?
A.
behavioral
B.
cognitive
C.
affective
D. a mix of all of the above
4. Although as many as 350 counseling approaches exist, they can be classified in what four
intervention categories?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. According to a study by Thompson and Campbell, effective counselors should be able to:
A. force the client to adapt to the counselors preferred counseling style.
B. counsel any client without any particular counseling style.
C. adapt to the clients preferred learning style.
D. teach the client a new learning style.
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10. What is the first step in the successful application of any counseling theory?
A.
Developing a good relationship
B.
Assessing the clients problems
C.
Gathering basic demographic information about the client
D. Asking open-ended questions
11. Which of the following is the one of the advantages of managed care organizations?
A. limitation on treatment
B. limitation on cost
C. more accountability
D. time constraints
12. The characteristics of effective treatment include all of the following except
A. A safe setting
B. Goals and direction
C. Learning
D. Imagery
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ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Do you see the role of the counselor as being an advice-giver, a teacher, a facilitator, or
something else? How do you think that vision will affect the way you counsel or the theory
you choose to use?
2. Many children may initially be resistant to counseling for a number of reasons. They may not
know why they are there, they may feel forced to be there by parents or a teacher, and they
may feel as if they are being punished. What are some methods to use when working with
resistant clients?
3. Counselors today have to work in a world of managed care. Do you feel that counselors can
engage in ethical practice within the managed care system? Why or why not?
ACTIVITIES
1. Imagine you are the counselor at a brand-new school. Create a document or a series of
documents that will inform parents, teachers, and students about the counseling services at
the school. Include the purpose of the counseling office, how to access services, issues of
consent and confidentiality, etc.
2. Terminating a counseling relationship with a child can be a difficult thing for both the
counselor and the child. In dyads, practice discussing termination of the counseling
relationship with a child. How do you approach the subject? What do you say?
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