Bachelor of Applied Social Science - COU102A: Counseling Theory Essay

This essay critically evaluates two prominent counseling modalities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Gestalt therapy. The essay begins by defining CBT, explaining its focus on modifying dysfunctional thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and highlighting its key beliefs, including the role of unhelpful thinking patterns in psychological issues. It outlines the steps involved in CBT, such as identifying troubling situations, recognizing negative thinking patterns, and reshaping inaccurate thoughts. The essay also discusses essential skills for CBT therapists, including compassion, listening skills, organizational abilities, and communication skills. The essay also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of CBT. The essay then shifts to Gestalt therapy, describing it as an experiential and humanistic approach emphasizing present-moment awareness and personal responsibility. It explores core concepts like the importance of the present, experiences, contact, respect for the client, and personal responsibility. The essay also mentions various therapeutic techniques used in Gestalt therapy, such as dialogues, dream work, and the empty chair technique. Finally, the author reflects on their skills and abilities that align with both therapeutic approaches, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of counseling theories.

Running head: THEORIES OF COUNSELING
THEORIES OF COUNSELING
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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THEORIES OF COUNSELING
Cognitive behavioral therapy:
Cognitive behavioral therapy can be described as the form of psychotherapy that helps in
treating problems and boosting happiness by the modification of the dysfunctional emotions,
thoughts as well as behaviors. One of the studies have stated that this approach is quite different
from that of the traditional Freudian psychoanalysis which believes on the fact that childhood
incidences mainly remain at the root cause of the conflict (Richards et al., 2016). However, CBT
focuses on mainly the solutions at the same time encouraging the patients in challenging their
distorted cognitions and thereby helps in changing the destructive patterns of the behaviors. The
professionals undertaking the theory are of the opinion that problems arise from the meanings
that people provide to events as the events themselves. It is based on the fact that unhelpful
thinking procedures can make it difficult for persons in functioning confidently in different types
of solutions (Olthius et al., 2016).
The CBT therapy is based on a number of beliefs and foundations that pave the way for
the development of the therapy approaches. The beliefs are that unhelpful procedures of thinking
can make people develop psychological functioning. It also believes that if individuals learn
unhelpful behaviors, it can also result in psychological issues (Dobson & Dozois, 2019). The
others beliefs are that individual can learn of more beneficial ways of thinking and behaving and
that new habits can help in relieving symptoms of physical and mental conditions allowing
people to act in much better ways.
The CBT procedures are seen to include a number of steps. Firstly, the expert would be
helping the clients in identifying the troubling situations or conditions in the life. This step
mainly includes identifying the medical condition, grief, divorce, anger as well as other

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symptoms of the mental disorder. The therapist and the client would be spending time deciding n
the problems and the goals that need to be worked upon. Secondly, the clients would be made to
become aware of their thoughts, beliefs a well as emotions about their problems. Once the
individuals identify the problems to work upon, the therapist in the second stage should be
encouraging individuals in sharing thoughts about them (Jones et al., 2015). The therapists will
mainly observe the client telling her own experiences, their interpretation of the situation, and
their beliefs about themselves and the other events helping individuals to identify the situations.
The third step would include identification of the negative as well as the inaccurate thinking. In
this step, the therapists would be recognizing the patterns of the thinking as well as the behaviors
that actually contributes to the occurrence of the problem and should ask the individuals in
paying attention to the physical, emotional and behavioral responses to the different situations.
The last stage would be reshaping the negative or inaccurate thinking of the patients where the
therapist would be encouraging individuals whether their viewing of the situations is based on
facts or inaccurate perception of what is happening in the lives (Vigerland et al., 2016). This step
is difficult but it has been proved in researches that affected individuals might go through long-
standing ways of thinking about life and themselves. However, with practice, the individuals
would develop helpful thinking as well as behaviors patterns until it becomes a habit and would
not take much effort.
Through effective researches, it has been found that cognitive behavioral therapy requires
the therapists to possess a number of skills and knowledge that is also possessed by me as well.
Hence, I believe I would be able to perfectly carry out the therapy sessions with the clients with
positive health outcomes for the patients. Firstly, this therapy requires experts to practice and
compassion which is another of my strong point. Therapists need to work with clients who might

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have complex emotional problems which can be stressful and even difficult. Studies do state that
possessing empathy and compassion for the clients is indeed an important part for the building of
successful therapeutic relationships. Second, a criterion that I also possess and is important for
conducting effective sessions of CBT is excellent listening skills. Studies opine that counselors
need most of their time in listening to the clients and thereby helping them in understanding their
values and goals to solve different problems (Crane, 2017). Hence, active listening is essential.
The third skill is called the strong organizational skills which I also possess. Studies are of the
opinion that good organizational skills are necessary mainly if the therapists try to initiate own
thrapy practices. Counselors need to practice such skills as they often need to schedule treatment
routines, arrange for follow-ups, keep data and records and similar others. The Fourth skill that i
also possess is the communication skill. Often therapists need to work with clients with different
backgrounds, beliefs and cultures systems and hence they would need to be able to effectively
develop rapport with the diverse groups of clients and also ne sensitive to their various needs and
styles of communication (Handley et al., 2015). The fifth skill is the goof relationship
development skill. It is very important for the healthcare professionals to develop a trusting
relationship with the patients and they would also need to be helping them to repair broken
relationships of their own. It is very important for them to successfully navigate the complexities
of successful relationships to make patients feel comfortable, reveal details about vets and their
feelings and perceptions so that the therapists can help in developing positive thinking patterns in
them.
A number of positive and negative aspects are associated with CBT. One of the
advantages that remains associated with CBT is that it is similarly effective as medication as well
as in the treatment of some mental health disorders and this might help in situations where

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medication is not working effectively alone. It can be finished in a brief period when compared
to different types of talking therapies. The third advantage is that it helps in focusing on re-
training your thoughts as well as altering the behaviors for making changes about how one feels.
Moreover, the highly structured nature of the CBT can be provided in different formats that
might include groups, self-help books and computer programs. It is also true that the skills which
are learnt in the CBT are useful, practical as well as helpful strategies that can be incorporated in
the everyday lives for helping people to better cope with the future stresses as well as difficulties
even after the treatment procedures get finished (Wright et al., 2017). However, a number of
disadvantages are also associated with CBT. Studies opine that in order to benefit from the CBT,
individuals need to commit themselves in the process. Here, the therapists can help and advise
the clients but they cannot make the problems go away if the clients do not feel motivated or feel
not co-operate and collaborate in the process. Many of the studies also note that as CBT involved
confronting emotions as well as anxieties, patients might experience initial periods where they
are more anxious or emotionally uncomfortable. Many of the critics are also seen to argue as
CBT only addresses current problems and it mainly focus on the specific issues, it does not
necessarily address the possible underlying causes of the mental health conditions like unhappy
childhood for example (Brownell, 2019). CBT is also seen to focus on the individual’s capacity
for changing themselves but it does not address the wider problems in the systems of the families
like often having significant impact on the health and well-being of the individual.
Gestalt therapy:
Gestalt therapy can be explained as the experiential, phenomenological, as well as
humanistic type of psychotherapy that remains based on the concept that a human being,
individuals possess a form of inherent desire for finding solutions of our own issues while at the

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same time, constantly growing throughout life. This therapy mainly stresses on the significance
of living in the present and taking the duty for the life as well as referring the “unfinished
business” that are contributing to problems in the life today (Rhyne, 2016). The primary
objective of the therapy is to make individuals become more self-aware solely in areas of the
recognition and understanding the relationship between the responses and the present situation.
Studies are of the opinion that this awareness includes thoughts, feelings as well as perceptions
in ways which impact life. Even it has been found that the domain of self-awareness is regarded
as the key for making positive changes as well as helping individuals in reaching the goals. Here,
experiences are considered about how they are making contributing to current distresses well as
struggles. Studies have found that feelings of sadness and disappointment with the life mainly
come from old patterns of negative thoughts as well as that of the behaviors that act as barriers
self-awareness (Staemmler et al., 2016).
A number of important concepts are found to be associated with that of the Gestalt
therapy. One of them is the primary focus. Many of affected individuals find it difficult in
staying at the present where they avoid the present by resuiding on the past and even thereby
thinking about the events coming from future and worries which might never take place. Here,
the therapists mainly depend on the development of awareness of what they are experiencing in
the present which is indeed one of the most important elements of Gestalt therapy. Another
important focus is the importance of experiences. Along with that of the emphasis of the living
of the present, this therapy also puts significance to experiences (Delisle, 2018). This is seen to
include experiences of one;s thoughts, physical sensations, emotions, perceptions as well as
behaviors. The different techniques used by the professionals help clients in becoming more
aware of what they are expecting. Another important principle is the contact. In the therapy, the

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relationship between the client and the therapist is one of the most important parts of the process.
Studies opine that contact as opposed to resistances in the change is extremely important for the
clients in growing and changing. They are of the opinion that healthy relationships with others as
well as with oneself are considered to be extremely crucial for living life fully. Another
important focus is the respect for the client where therapists need to treat all clients with that of
the deepest respect. This therapy can be found to be uncomfortable procedures at times as it not
only requires openness and honesty on the part of the client (Phillipson, 2018). It has been found
that when clients feel genuinely respected by the therapists, they are more willing to open up
about themselves and making the most out of the procedures. Another important focus is the
personal and social responsibility where individuals are considered to be responsible for not
only their choices that they make regarding their lives but also by the ways they treat others and
interact with societies. This therapy helps in encouraging the idea that all the people are equal
and that they should be treated accordingly (Staemmler, 2016). Different types of therapeutic
techniques that are also maintained are the dialogues, dream work, confrontation or making
the rounds, reversal, rehearsal, exaggeration, staying with feeling as well as the empty chairs.
A number of important attributes that need to be harbored by the therapists that are also
harbored be would be mentioned in the paragraph. I have highly efficient communication skills
which would help me to develop good rapport with the patients and this would help them to
reveal important information about their experiences, present conditions and others. I also have
strong skills for empathy and compassion that is required for patients to develop trust one me
and would enable them to make me an integral part of their life and helping me to provide care
services for them. I also have active listening skills that would enable me to patiently listen to
them without interrupting their flow and exhibiting judgmental behaviors, impatient listening

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and judgmental behaviors would affect the flow of sharing the experiences of the patient and that
might affect the therapeutic process (Holzinger et al., 2015)). I have persuading skills that would
enable me to motivate the clients to participate in the therapy sessions completely and make
them motivated to take active initiatives to change their life.
The benefits of the therapy is that it helps in increasing the self-awareness as well as self-
acceptance in the clients and also improving the ability in living fully in the present moments
along with improvement of communication skills. The therapy helps patients in developing skills
which help them in handling stress much more successfully along with the development of
ability of the ability of the patients in identifying emotions and understand their connection with
the physical self. The other benefit is that it allows therapies to work with the past of the patients
in ways that make them relevant for the present. Kolmannskeg (2018) states this therapy is
unique as well as flexible in its approach. Studies opine that it has many techniques that may be
applied to various types of therapeutic uses. This therapy makes individuals develop a greater
sense of personal freedom and of a better grasp of their authentic needs. However, it has many
weaknesses like in order to gestalt therapy to make it more effective, the therapists should be
possessing high level of personal development which might always not be possible. Moreover,
evidences of the effectiveness of the confrontative and theatrical techniques associated with that
of the therapy is limited and had not been well researched upon. Potential danger for the
therapists for abusing the power of the clients is also noted. Many state it to ne a self-centered
approach that is concerned with just individual development. It lacks a strong theoretical base
and even many researchers have found that it does not deal with diagnosis and testing.

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References:
Brownell, P. (Ed.). (2019). Handbook for theory, research, and practice in Gestalt therapy.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Crane, R. (2017). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: Distinctive features. Routledge.
Delisle, G. (2018). Fifty years of Gestalt therapy. In Object Relations in Gestalt Therapy (pp. 3-
9). Routledge.
Dobson, K. S., & Dozois, D. J. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies.
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Handley, A. K., Egan, S. J., Kane, R. T., & Rees, C. S. (2015). A randomised controlled trial of
group cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism. Behaviour Research and
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Holzinger, B., Klösch, G., & Saletu, B. (2015). Studies with lucid dreaming as add‐on therapy to
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66.
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