The 10 Commandments of Positive Thinking

Armfield Robyn COU101 Assessment 2

Assessment 2, Essay

This essay asks you to compare and contrast two models of counselling. Choose your counselling models from any two of the following groups:
·Person-Centred Therapy OR Existential Therapy OR Gestalt Therapy
·Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
·Psychodynamic Therapy
·Family Therapy
·Feminist Therapy OR Narrative Therapy OR Solution-Focused Therapy
For example, you might choose Existential Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy, or you might choose CBT and Narrative Therapy but you cannot choose Feminist Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy.
When comparing and contrasting the models, include the following:
·A summary of the goals of therapy for each model
·A description of the importance and role of the therapeutic relationship in each model and give one example for each of the significance.
·Identification of the key techniques of each model
·Discussion of any similarities between the models
·Discussion of key differences between the models
·Identification of two strengths of each model and why you consider them to be strengths.
·Identification of two limitations of each model and why you consider them to be limiting.
-Give a personal description of why you identify with one particular model and why it fits for you (Such as – why did it impact on your personally, in doing the material how did you relate to it?).This aspect of the assessment encourages use of your own voice.

WORD COUNT: 2008

Orlaith Sheill 2013 T1

DECLARATION
I declare that except where I have referenced, the work I am submitting in this attachment is my own work. I acknowledge and agree that the assessor of this assignment may, for the purpose of authenticating this assignment, reproduce it for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. I have read and am aware of the Think: Colleges Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure viewable online at www.think.edu.au/policiesandforms
Date certified: 19th of April 2013.

Turnitin receipt number-309576654.

Assignment 2
The focus on this essay is to compare and contrast two different models of counselling. I have chosen Person Centred Therapy and Psychodynamic therapy as the two comparative models of counselling for this purpose. This paper will compare and explore both models of counselling’s goals of therapy. A description of the importance and role of the therapeutic relationship in each model will be explored and examples given to support these. Key techniques of each model will be identified and analysed. Similarities and differences between both models will be explored. The identification of the strengths and limitations of each model will be discussed and compared. Finally I will reflect upon the model of counselling that I find myself gravitating towards and why this is so. When walking into a therapy session with a Person Centred Therapist one would expect to be asked-“How are you?” With a Psychodynamic therapist it could be asked “How were you?”
Looking at the goals of therapy for each model of counselling it is easy to see the beginning of a theme of similarities between them both and yet some very distinct differences as well. Put simply person centred therapy aims to release the client from any blocks of growth that may have been previously denied or distorted, to enable growth and movement towards openness and choice, greater trust in themselves while developing harmonious relationships with oneself and others (Owen,1999,p.167). The client is encouraged to focus on the here and now and the “I am” concept (McLead, 2008), rather than delving into the clients past.
The goals of therapy in relation to psychodynamic therapy focus on making the unconscious conscious, so behaviour is based more on reality and less on instinctual cravings or irrational guilt (Sharf, 2008). Working to bring awareness to the client’s inner emotional world in order to improve their ability to relate to themselves and others while working to resolve repressed conflicts in order to improve the client’s capacity to relate to others and value themselves as they really are. By deciphering the past, the present can be reshaped to enable the client to work on immediate problems. By helping you understand what led you into therapy in the first place, psychodynamic practitioners give you the tools to keep improving your life--even after you leave the couch. (Gordon, 2010)By looking at a client’s past and analysing their repressed memories it is possible to improve their present and future.
In person centred therapy the relationship between the therapist and client is of primary importance. The qualities of the therapist must be empathic and respectful, showing no signs of judgement or bias towards the client, striving to continually display unconditional positive regard throughout the therapy session. The client must always be responsible for and capable of reaching their own solution for their problems (McLead, 1993; Nelson-Jones, 1982). When a therapist creates an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding with their client, the client is then able to move forward and be able to make full use of his potential to use the qualities within themselves that were not fully developed, “in other words by means of this accepting climate, the person will become a full functioning organisme, always in the process of becoming (Rogers, 1961).the therapist and client focus on the here-and-now, focusing on the moment.
In psychodynamic therapy the therapist remains anonymous by adopting a “blank screen approach “remaining neutral throughout the session. There is little or no disclosure from the therapist, allowing the client to develop projections and transferences towards the therapist without being influenced by the therapist’s responses or body language. Psychodynamic therapy also embraces the idea that the therapist displays empathy, acceptance and understanding of the client but does not include the idea of free will. This model of therapy is based on the premise that the client will undergo long term analysis, gaining insight by the application of several techniques that will be more fully explored in the following paragraphs. The importance of transference in this model of counselling is integral. I found the example of transference clearly demonstrated in this small excerpt from Michael Jacobs counselling notes – the client announced during a session “My grandfather pays no attention to me while I am talking” interpreted by the therapist as “you are paying no attention to me”(Jacobs,2004, p.169).
The key techniques in person centred therapy are designed to create an environment that facilitates the process of self-awareness in the clients, techniques used to achieve this rely heavily on the therapists ability to build a genuine relationship with the client this is known as congruence, an authenticity and openness, unconditional positive regard and genuine empathic understanding(Squier, 1990). The use of these techniques help the client to reach a point in which they can start to accept themselves and live in the moment without feeling judged or lacking in anyway, able to be in touch with their own feelings and manage their own lives and bring about self-driven changes.
Psychodynamic techniques are designed to allow clients to gain access to their unconscious, treatment focuses on bringing the repressed conflict to consciousness, where the client can deal with it. Using techniques such as dream analysis, interpretation, free association, analysis of resistance, transference and countertransference (Corey, 2013, chap.2). The application of these techniques are designed to lead the client to insight and the eventual assimilation of new material by the ego.
There are a number of similarities that can be found between psychodynamic therapy and person centred therapy. Both models of counselling are exploratory and take as their goal the aim of helping the person to develop understanding and find and clarify meaning. Both methods operate primarily through dialogue and conversation, emphasise the importance of the counsellor-client relationship (rather than with the system or merely with individual behaviour), there is an interest in the rational world which the client resides in. Both methods depend on the skill and interpersonal responsiveness of the therapist (Hardy, Stiles, Barkham, & Startup, 1998; Stiles, Honos-Webb, & Surko, 1998). There is a requirement that the counsellor will have undertaken a significant amount of work on self, through personal therapy (Owen, 1999). The term therapeutic alliance can be applied equally to both models of counselling.
The differences between the models of counselling focus on the two models of counselling’s differing views on human nature. Person centred therapy believes that basically people are good and trustworthy. They are able to move forward in a constructive manner and help themselves become fully functioning individuals able to live in the here and now. The person centred therapist fosters an egalitarian relationship with the client and is looking to develop a partnership based on sharing and trust. Whereas psychodynamic therapy believes that people are instinct driven, in constant battle with their drives and desires. The therapist is neutral and favours fixed roles and a “specialisation of labour” (Owen, 1999).
Looking at the strengths of person centred therapy, two that stand out to me are-The ability for the client to be able to express themselves in a warm, genuine environment without fear of judgement or bias on the part of the therapist, the client is listened to with an empathic understanding from the therapist and thus feels able to be completely honest and open about what is worrying them and causing problems in their lives. Person centred therapy has formed the basis for other models of therapy due to the success of its emphasis on the client therapist alliance and allowing the client the space to find themselves (Thorne).
Psychodynamic therapy offers a valuable insight as to how early relationships and childhood experiences can have a detrimental effect on a person’s development, by the use of key techniques such as transference, dream analysis, free association and interpretation by the therapist these can be assimilated and new insight and acceptance of themselves will be gained by the client. If there was a problem in the oral stage of the psychosexual development of the child for example this may be displayed in adulthood by possibly being a smoker or an over eater. Psychodynamic therapy was also fundamental in the development of techniques to tap into the unconscious of a person and shed light onto their resistances.
There are also limitations to both models of therapy. Person centred therapy is not suited to all clients, if a person does not have the motivation to change and comes to therapy because they have to rather than because they want to (possibly due to a court order or school councillor) there will be no changes made in their lives and their problems will remain as the client will not willingly involve themselves in the counselling process, issues will not be addressed and no positive progress will be made. Another major limitation of person centred therapy is that it fails to prepare clients for the real world due to the unconditional positive regard of the therapist (Seligman, 2006). The optimistic and empathic environment created by the therapist to bring about growth and positive change in the client is often not present in a client’s everyday life, if the client doesn’t have a strong support system and ability to assimilate to society no progress will be ongoing.
Psychodynamic therapy also has its limitations. The amount of time required to facilitate transference and other key techniques is lengthy and it can be very costly for clients, both time wise and financially, even with the advent of time limited therapy there are significant investments of a client’s dedication required for the therapy to have its optimal outcome (Corey, 2009).There are also limitations in the use of psychodynamic therapy in certain cultural backgrounds and it can be quite polarising to certain groups in society. I would not recommend it to certain women or racial groups due to its focus on psychosexual, aggressive foundations and assertions. Psychodynamic therapy has its conception in white, middle to upper socio economic society, other models may be more appropriate for immediate problems faced by other facets of society.
After researching this essay I find myself more drawn to person centred therapy than to psychodynamic therapy. I find the idea of helping a client in an environment of unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding a sound tenet to a therapeutic relationship, to be able to really listen to a person who may feel that they have never truly listened to in their lives would be rewarding and fulfilling to me as well as the client, that we would both benefit from the therapeutic relationship appeals to me. The ideal that the main goal of therapy is to guide the client towards self-actualization and acceptance of themselves, gaining the ability to grow and ultimately be their own therapist and living their lives with the ability to treat others in a positive accepting manner “The ability of the therapist to move between the worlds of physical, the emotional the cognitive, and the mystical without strain and by a willingness to accept the client with a genuine warmth and congruence” (Thorne). This resonates with me deeply and would like to be able to find the level of empathic understanding necessary to be a successful therapist in this model of therapy.
In conclusion I have found that both models of counselling have similarities, they are both dialogue driven and need the client and therapist to be able to communicate honestly and openly with each other, Both models are intuitive rather than empirical in their outcomes. The psychodynamic model of counselling is more distant to person centred in relationship to the neutrality of the counsellor towards the client, the use of ‘blank screen’ process allows them to distance themselves from the client and interpret the client’s disclosures more analytically. The person centred therapy relies on understanding, empathy and genuine warmth as its core condition. While both models of counselling do share the same goal of encouraging the client to experience a greater ability to reach a level of understanding of themselves that promotes growth and acceptance of themselves and those around them.

REFERENCES
Berzoff,J. Melano Flanagan,L. Hertz P. 2011. Inside Out and Outside In: Psychodynamic Clinical Theory and Psychopathology in Contemporary multicultural contexts.. 3rd ed. London: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
Brown & Pedder, D & J, 1991. Introduction to Psychotherapy: An outline of Psychodynamic principles and practice. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
Corey, G. (2009) Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole
Fromm, E, 1974. The Revolution of Hope: Toward a humanized technology. 1st ed. Harper & Row: New York.
Gordon, Avigail. "Total treatment: the benefits of psychoanalysis endure." Psychology Today May-June 2010: 18.Psychology Collection. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. Hadjiosif, M, 2012. To what extent can the core conditions of therapeutic change championed by Carl Rogers(1957)be present in an individual psychodynamic therapy encounter.. Counselling Psychology review, Volume 27. Issue 3, 79-90
Jacobs, M, 2004. Psychodynamic counselling in action.. 3rd ed. Boston: Sage Publications.
McLeod, J , 2008. Introduction to counselling. 1st ed. Maidenhead/Milton Keynes: Open University Press/ The Open University. Nelson-Jones, R, 1982. The theory and practice of counselling psychology. 1st ed. London: Cassell.
Owen, J, R, 1999. Exploring the similarities and differences between person centred and psychodynamic therapy. British journal of guidance & counselling, Volume 27, No 2. Rogers, C,R, 1961. A therapists view of psychotherapy: On becoming a person.. 1st ed. London: Constable.
Seligman, L , 2006. Theories of counseling and psychotherapy:Systems, stratergies,and skills.. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: New Jersey.
Sharf, R,S, 2008. theories of psychotherapy and councelling. 4th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Stiles, W, B. Barkham, M; Twigg, E. Mellor-Clark, J. Cooper, M. 2006. Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural, person-centred and psychodynamic therapies as practiced in UK National Health Service settings. Psychological Medicine36. 4, 36. 4, 555-566. Thorne, B, 1996. Person Centred Therapy: historical Context and Developments in Britain. elementsuk.com, [Online]. 1, 1-13. Available at:http://www.elementsuka.com/librryofarticles/personcentred.pdf [Accessed 19 April 2013

References: Berzoff,J. Melano Flanagan,L. Hertz P. 2011. Inside Out and Outside In: Psychodynamic Clinical Theory and Psychopathology in Contemporary multicultural contexts.. 3rd ed. London: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc. Brown & Pedder, D & J, 1991. Introduction to Psychotherapy: An outline of Psychodynamic principles and practice. 2nd ed. London: Routledge. Corey, G Fromm, E, 1974. The Revolution of Hope: Toward a humanized technology. 1st ed. Harper & Row: New York. Gordon, Avigail. "Total treatment: the benefits of psychoanalysis endure." Psychology Today May-June 2010: 18.Psychology Collection. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. McLeod, J , 2008. Introduction to counselling. 1st ed. Maidenhead/Milton Keynes: Open University Press/ The Open University. Nelson-Jones, R, 1982. The theory and practice of counselling psychology. 1st ed. London: Cassell. Owen, J, R, 1999. Exploring the similarities and differences between person centred and psychodynamic therapy. British journal of guidance & counselling, Volume 27, No 2. Rogers, C,R, 1961. A therapists view of psychotherapy: On becoming a person.. 1st ed. London: Constable. Seligman, L , 2006. Theories of counseling and psychotherapy:Systems, stratergies,and skills. Sharf, R,S, 2008. theories of psychotherapy and councelling. 4th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Stiles, W, B. Barkham, M; Twigg, E. Mellor-Clark, J. Cooper, M. 2006. Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural, person-centred and psychodynamic therapies as practiced in UK National Health Service settings. Psychological Medicine36. 4, 36. 4, 555-566. Thorne, B, 1996. Person Centred Therapy: historical Context and Developments in Britain. elementsuk.com, [Online]. 1, 1-13. Available at:http://www.elementsuka.com/librryofarticles/personcentred.pdf [Accessed 19 April 2013