Week 9 - Humanistic Theories of Counselling

What is a theory? 

  • A conceptual system used to guide the formulation of a change process

    • Helps describe, explain, and predict phenomena in a given situation

A Lack of Theoretical Background 

  • Ineffective

  • High risk of harming the person we’re working with 

Functions of theory 

  1. Helps find unity and relatedness in diversity

  2. Compels counselors to examine relationships

  3. Gives counselors operational guidelines, helps evaluate professional development

  4. Helps with effective modification of behavior

  5. Provides a foundation for new theories

Some qualities of a good theory 

  • Coherent

  • Comprehensive

  • Parsimony

  • Testable

  •  _______________

  • “The ultimate criterion for all counseling theories is how well they provide explanations of what occurs in counseling”

Arguments against theory 

  • Can contribute to rigidity/false sense of certainty

  • The large number and range of theories (~400) can confuse counsellors

  • Reliance on interpretation can deflect counsellors from being individuals

  • Reliance on theory can cause counsellor to lose focus on the here and now in sessions

  • Adhering to one specific theory does not guarantee success in counselling

Why apply theories in counselling 

  • Provides a framework that directs attention and hypotheses

  • Allow counsellors to organize information

  • Guides choice of interventions (road map)

  • Increases effectiveness and reduces risk of harm

We all have personal theories 

  • Human nature: good, bad, both? 

  • What makes people happy and fulfilled? 

  • Is our behaviour more related to our thoughts or emotions 

The Dodo bird effect/verdict 

Critical mass of data on comparative studies reveals no significant differences in effectiveness among approaches.

  • Theory is important, but what we see showing up again is the therapeutic relationship for client effectiveness and change. 

Theory in practice 

  • Most counsellors (60-70%) identify as eclectic

  • Eclecticism: Using various theories and techniques to match the clients’ needs

  • Theories must start with where the clients are.

  •  Effective eclectic counselling involves mastery of multiple theories and an acute sensitivity to the application of what approach to use when, where and how (Harman, 1977)

Im noticing, im recognizing, picking up on, im curious