Tools and Techniques
In addition to Solution Focused Brief Counseling, I am influenced by Adler's Individual Psychology, Rogerian and Maslow Humanistic Theories, Glasser's Choice Theory, Ellis' Rational Emotive Techniques, Dialectical Behavioral Techniques and Beck's Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. School counselors do not practice long term psychotherapy, but occasionally do borrow tools and techniques from some of these orientations.
Theories from Counseling provide us with some insight into how helpers (teachers, counselors, therapists, etc.) can promote healthy change in the students we serve. Some highlights:
Theories from Education provide us with some insight into how we help others learn by understanding the ways people learn and also how to tap into people’s natural curiosity.
Theories from Counseling provide us with some insight into how helpers (teachers, counselors, therapists, etc.) can promote healthy change in the students we serve. Some highlights:
- Adlerian - you must first understand context and history before change can occur. Therapeutic work takes place in stages. First, engagement must be established (the creation of the relationship) followed by an assessment of personal history. The helper then provides clarification or insight to help view the situation from a new perspective. The next stage is reorientation where the helper encourages steps to be taken outside of the room to reinforce insights and build confidence in capabilities (see below for more detail).
- Rogerian - certain core conditions must be present in order for one person to help another: congruence or authenticity in the helper; incongruence and vulnerability in the “client,” contact between the two, unconditional positive regard from the therapist to the client, empathy, and the client must perceive all of these conditions.
- Existential - believes that all people have capacity for increased self-awareness, that each person’s unique identity can only be developed through relationships with others, because life constantly changes a person must be willing to recreate themselves in order to find meaning, and accept that anxiety is a normal part of life.
- Reality - believes that most distress arises when there is a lack of connection so improving a client’s relationship with others is an important goal. Client education around connecting and disconnecting habits is helpful in generating positive solutions. Also believes that you should focus primarily on the present needs that the individual is having (see Glasser's basic needs below)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - shows the connection between thinking, feeling and acting. Helps identify cognitive errors and challenge them with a variety of cognitive strategies. Additionally, uses behavioral activities to help people become more aware of their emotional states.
- Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy - how we feel is largely influenced by how we think. Helps clients identify negative core beliefs that lead to discomfort by following an ABCDE analysis. A - what is the activating event. B - what are the core beliefs associated with the event. C - what are the consequences or what negative impact have these beliefs had on life satisfaction. D - disputation of beliefs (does this fit with reality, does this support my goals, does it foster healthy relationships, does it seem reasonable and logical given the context?). E - once you’ve examined the effects of your thinking you can begin to formulate other ways of thinking about the situation.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy - builds skills for emotional regulation, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance
- Narrative Therapy - uses the power of people’s personal stories to help them facilitate greater meaning and purpose in their life
Theories from Education provide us with some insight into how we help others learn by understanding the ways people learn and also how to tap into people’s natural curiosity.
- Bloom’s Taxonomy is a way to classify cognitive strategies in order of complexity: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. The more we can engage adolescent metacognition (thinking about their thinking), the more likely we will be to move them towards the higher order thinking.
- Gardner's Multiple Intelligences is the theory that there is not a singular form of intelligence, but many including linguistic/verbal, mathematical/logical, spatial/visual, bodily/kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential
- Vygotsky contributed both the concept of the zone of proximal development (the space in which the child learns something new and reaches a competency in the concept) and social scaffolding (the idea that it takes contact and context for a child to move into a new way of thinking)
Person Centered ApproachAdlerian techniques can be especially helpful when helping a young person find motivation or think about their path towards college and career.
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Making Choices that WorkChoice Theory relies on the notion that all behavior is ultimately chosen. Yes, we are shaped by our backgrounds; but through emphasis on our current actions and thinking we can successfully influence our feelings and to a lesser extent our physiological states. Taking ownership of our thoughts and actions; taking responsibility for the way in which we perceive the world; and understanding that how we relate to others will enable us to move towards our "Quality Life" goals. With students, counselors can help them to think critically and develop positive self-generated goals.
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When We are StuckCognitive and behavioral strategies help us recognize the irrational thinking and unhealthy habits that prevent us from living our best life. While thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all interrelated; it is easiest to change our actions and our thinking through re-conceptualizing irrational or unhelpful thinking and through skills training (mindfulness practices, Zones of Regulation, relaxation techniques, etc.). Sometimes exploration of why we make the decisions we make is warranted; sometimes it is best to focus on the present and future.
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