Theoretical Orientation In Clinical Psychology

Graduate school for future clinical psychologists is an extensive, demanding, and multifaceted process, in which students will acquire a plethora of knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, clinical psychology students, especially those pursuing a therapeutic-based career, should develop a theoretical orientation during that time. The development of a theoretical orientation will influence how a therapist conceptualizes and treats his or her clients. Nevertheless, developing a theoretical orientation can take a significant amount of time, understanding, and self-reflection. Although I have completed about one year of graduate school, I do not have a comprehensive understanding of what my theoretical orientation is or will be. However,
Gestalt therapists take an active role in the therapeutic process and continually engage the client with a warm, excited, and direct presence (Wedding & Corsini, 2014). Specifically, this type of interaction allows the client to get immediate feedback about how he or she affects the therapist and is experienced by the therapist (Wedding & Corsini, 2014). Moreover, after watching a progression of over 70 Gestalt therapy sessions on the same client, it appeared that the therapist continuously held the client accountable for his maladaptive behaviors, cognitions, and emotions. The client therapist relationship, then, quickly evolved into one that was comparable to a player, coach or mentor, mentee relationship, and it appeared more natural than some other client therapist relationships. Again, this aspect was easy for me to relate to because I am someone who likes to set a goal and start working towards gaining results. While I understand that significant changes will not occur immediately from therapy, I believe that acting as a direct presence for your client and using confrontation to help increase awareness, is a highly effective way to see results. In addition, I believe that honest communication is very important in developing and maintaining a healthy relationship. Moreover, immediately pointing out certain issues and aspects that is holding a person back
More specifically, future psychologists will evaluate, conceptualize, and treat clients based on his or her theoretical perspective. While it takes time to develop one’s theoretical orientation, it is interesting and exciting to watch it evolve over time. After completing nearly one year of graduate school, I do not have a concrete understanding of what my orientation is. However, I have recognized that my values and experiences are correlative with Gestalt therapy, where as they do not align as well with Rogers’ Person-Centered Therapy. Interestingly, at the beginning of the quarter when we filled out the “top ten ways to find your theoretical orientation”, client-centered therapy was not one of my lowest scores, rather it was more in the middle. Again, I think it has some great aspects, but I just cannot see myself doing that type of therapy. On that same sheet, Gestalt Therapy was my second highest score, which could be an indication that it might be a significant part of my future