Theories of Counseling

Running head: PSY20001: THEORIES OF COUNSELLING
PSY20001: Theories of Counseling
Name
Institution

PSY20001: THEORIES OF COUNSELLING 2
General introduction
Theoretical counseling approaches
There is a frame work provided, by psychotherapists, for therapists and counselors to help
with the interpretation of the client’s thoughts, behavior and feelings and helps them through
with the client to post-treatment. Theoretical counseling approaches are integral parts of this
therapeutic process. There are different types of theoretical counseling processes and they
include:
Reflective Journal Entry – Part 1
Psychoanalysis or Psychodynamic Theory
This theory was first proposed by Sigmund Freud; according to my understanding there exist
some unconscious forces that drive our behaviors. Good examples are the wishes and fears
within us which we are not even aware of and childhood experiences are very crucial in shaping
our adulthood personality. There exists a free association technique where and individual talks to
his or her therapist about anything that comes up with no censoring. This can include dream
analysis; this will help derive important information about the unconscious.
This theory, famously known as the Freudian concept, contains three modules namely the Id,
Ego and Super-ego. I came to understand d that Id as the most primitive and is the part of
personality that is less accessible. It operates on pleasure principle and seeks immediate
gratification. Ego is in between the Id and the conditions of the outer world to enable their
communication. It acts as a mediator. It acts as a suppressor to the Id demand holding them into
place until the appropriate object that is needed to satisfy it is found and the tension reduced.

PSY20001: THEORIES OF COUNSELLING 3
Super-ego operates on morality principle. It provides the moral standards by which the ego
operates and it is the ethical component of the personality.
This theory is very much applicable in the training of counselors and it is embraced
throughout the counselor training process. Analysis of past relationships and paying more
attention to childhood experiences in relation to the current life of an individual is what most
counselors and therapists use this method for. If every procedure is keenly followed treatment
can occur by bringing these things up and talking about them. This theory can cause positive
results in a client’s life especially in his or her brain.
Behavioral Theory
This theory is based on believe that behavior can be learnt. It is categorized as Ivan Pavlov’s
work. He came up with classical conditioning which is a type of behavioral therapy. Through
dogs we could see the effect of a response that is learnt. That is dogs salivate when it hears a bell
ring and especially the pairing of the sound of the bell with food is what causes this salivation.
This is normally done through a stimulus and the stimuli being the food.
Reflective Journal Entry - Part 2 Theory
Another behavioral therapy approach was developed by B.F Skinner, called operant
conditioning. It believes a lot on the power of reward and that through reward our likelihood of a
behavior is increased and through punishment the occurrence of the behavior will decrease. It is
through positive or negative reinforcement that a behavioral therapist can work on changing
those behaviors that are unwanted and destructive.