Theories of Counseling: Person-Centered Care and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Running head: THEORIES OF COUNSELING
THEORIES OF COUNSELLING
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THEORIES OF COUNSELING
Counselling is recognised as a proficient and principled utilisation of relationships to
successfully facilitate self-awareness, emotional acceptance, development as well as the optimal
enhancement of individual resources. The generalized purpose of counselling is to efficiently
provide an opportunity to put efforts towards attaining a contented and resourceful life. Mental
health conditions theories aim to provide methods to comprehend clients and guide them with the
challenges (Feltham, Hanley & Winter, 2017). Counselling comprises of four vital theories such
as behaviourism, cognitive, psychodynamic and humanistic theoretical aspects (Abramowitz,
2013). The following paper highlights the way two of the most important modalities Person-
centred care and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) serve contributory role in facilitating
clients to surpass stressful situations and develop immense potentiality to circumvent any types
of mental health challenges in life.
Person-centred therapy is also famously called the person-centred counselling or the
client centred counselling. This can be described as the humanistic procedure. This mainly deals
with the different types of ways by which individuals perceive themselves consciously rather
than how a therapist or the counsellor can interpret the unconscious thoughts and ideas of the
clients (Chan & Thomas, 2015). This had been developed by American psychologist namely
Carl Rogers in the year 1950. It follows an interesting principle. Researchers are of the opinion
that that every individual has their innate tendency of developing towards their full potential.
However, in many of the cases, it is seen that such ability might get blocked as well as distorted
by different types of the life experiences that such individuals face like those experiences that
affect their values (Capuzzi & Stuaffer, 2016). In such a situation, the counsellor is mainly seen
to proceed by first trying to understand the experiences of the individuals from their point of the
view. While doing so, it is extremely important for the professionals to aim to be open and

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THEORIES OF COUNSELING
genuine in their approach and thereby value the individual in all aspects of humanity without
being judgmental. Studies have shown that such approaches help the individual feel accepted
thereby helping them to understand themselves in a better way. This modality of counselling is
mainly seen to help the service users to connect with their inner values and thereby help them to
develop a sense of self worth. This approach ensures that this reconnection with their inner
resources enable the clients in finding their own way for moving forward in lives.
There are six important conditions which are extremely important for enabling real
changes within the individuals. The first one is the development of a psychological contact
between the therapist and the service user. Researchers have supported this principle as present
day studies suggest that until any healthcare professional is able to develop an emotional connect
with their clients, positive outcomes of a therapy session cannot be ensured (Zoffman et al.,
2016). The second condition states that the client would be emotionally upset and would be in a
state of incongruence. The third condition states that the counsellor need to be in a state of
congruence and needs to be genuine and aware of their feelings. Studies suggest that counsellors
who have low level of self-awareness would never be able to handle this form of therapy as they
might be blown away by the condition of the patient that would affect the counselling session.
The fourth point states that the counsellor should have unconditional positive regards for the
service users. The fifth point is that the counsellor should be having an empathetic understanding
of not only about the client but as well as their internal frame of reference (Bosworth et al.,
2017). Thereby the counsellor would be communicating the experience with the client. The last
point would be that the client need to recognize that the counsellor has unconditional positive
regards for them. They need to feel that their difficulties are understood.

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THEORIES OF COUNSELING
I believe to possess a number of traits that makes me eligible to conduct person-centred
care with service users. One of the most important skills that I have which is very important for
such therapy is congruence. By being congruent, I can stay connected not only with my own self
but also with the space, time and client. Being congruent, it means to share a persistent thought
or feeling. It is very important for the client cantered therapist to be comfortable in sharing
different of his or her own feelings with the service users (von-Schilppe, 2018). I am also quite
comfortable and I also contribute to the healthy and open relationship development between the
therapist and the service users. Therefore, this trait of mine will help in providing the client with
a model of good communication and this show the client that it is entirely alright to be
vulnerable. Another of the very important trait that I possess is unconditional positive regard for
the client. I have the capability of accepting people as they are and behave politely and gently
with all people irrespective of their actions, behaviours, backgrounds and any actions. This will
also help me to provide support to the patient and care for him or her no matter whatever
situation he or she is going through (Scmid, 2015). One of the most important traits that makes
me suitable for applying their therapy is my empathetic understanding skills. I believe that I have
this skill which will help me in being empathetic towards my patient but will also help me to
form positive therapeutic relationship and also to act as mirror. This mirror would be reflecting
the thoughts and feelings of the patient back to him or her and this will also allow the client for
better understanding of him or her.
Some of the strengths of this approach is that it offer every individuals the scope for
counteracting past experiences which were responsible for affected condition of worth. It also
ensures closer agreement between the actual as well as idealized selves of individual. It also
ensures that individual is developing better awareness and self-understanding. It also helps in