Integrative Counselling

Integrative Counselling

Introduction

Integrative counselling is a psychotherapy approach combining different components of the available therapies. Therapists, they believe that a single method cannot handle all the needs of a client. A client must have their needs addressed as one, and counselling techniques be tailored in meeting their personal needs and circumstances (Jones-Smith, 2019). According to integrative counselling, the exploration of human psychology should be done in multiple ways. All theories in integrative counselling have value even though they contradict each other (Jones-Smith, 2019). The integration approach is, therefore, the combination of a person’s needs that is interacting the Cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological components within each person and also addressing the spiritual and social aspects. The therapists are more concerned with what is working and why it was working while directing the therapy to clients’ needs.

Integrative counselling targets promoting wholeness of individuals in all aspects that is the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It also aims at the promotion of helping individuals. In integrative counselling, clients have to be open and be ready to commit in self-exploration and the identification of factors that causes problems and maybe the reason for the current concerning issues (Howard, 2017). The integrative approach assists clients in facing each moment with openness and authentication without the necessity of having a formed opinion, any expectations, or attitude beforehand. It enables clients to focus on the hurts and fears that limit them from having psychological freedom, and that may trigger what causes the disruptive forms of behaviors (Howard, 2017). Through the process of self-awareness, the therapy helps in creating an integrated healthy relationship between the body and the mind hence empowering a client in setting new goals, practicing behaviors that will help them in moving beyond their limits, and attaining greater satisfaction in life. This works alongside others with the purposes that are drawn in together with different integrative approaches (Howard, 2017). These will be directed in meeting the clients’ limits and the available external distractors.

The role of the counsellor in the integrative approach is catering to the experience for each client and using the specifically analyzed techniques that are drawn from different approaches in addressing the needs of the client. With the central point of integrative counselling, it aims at exploring human functioning in different ways. Integration can apply the following modalities; humanistic, psychodynamic, cognitive, and behavioral therapies. In each approach, human behavior is explained and insight into human behavior with a clear understanding of the factors leading to behavior change and the emotional and cognitive areas of functioning (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017). If the therapist is dealing with a client having behavioral problems, hence may begin by working on adjustments of behavioral functions and reducing symptoms. They may also apply the use of cognitive-behavioral techniques before moving to the next stage of therapy that is working on the improvement, attaining insight into the client’s behaviors, thoughts, and emotions (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017). The therapist may also employees psychoanalytic techniques in recalling the childhood memories and experiences encountered.

Integrative counselling is further classified into four segments, and this includes technical eclecticism, common factors, assimilative integration, and theoretical integration. The theoretical integration is an integration of two approaches that share a common philosophy, for example, cognitive analytic therapy, which is derived from cognitive and psychodynamic therapy. The common factors include the therapist, Communication skills, time, and clarification of issues (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017). Assimilative integration entails the use of one approach system, and the therapist utilizes strategies from the other approaches. Finally, the technical eclecticism is where the therapist chooses the best suitable intervention for the client.

The relationship between the therapist and the client is also crucial during integrative counselling. The presence and attitude of the integrative counsellor are vital. In the integrative model, the therapist must be non-judgemental, intents to establish a cooperative and supportive relationship (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017). The therapist and the client must engage in an attentive and deep listening without any disruptions that may distort understanding. The contract aims to help in the identifications of behavior patterns that need to be addressed and goals to be set. The process of committing to clients wholly and ensuring self-exploration is termed as the personal integration of therapists (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017).

The benefit of this counselling is that it emphasizes the whole individual, and it is flexible. It may meet a variety of clients’ needs and is flexible, inclusive, and better than the use of one traditional single approach of psychotherapy. The Integrative counselling is also beneficial for individuals with negative behavior patterns caused by anxieties, phobias, and fears. It also assists in a mental issue such as trauma, addiction, depression, low self-esteem, and grief issues (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017). Integrative counselling has shown to be useful in autistic children and those learning difficulties that affect their aspects of wellbeing.

Finally, for integrative counselling, deep exploration of issues is essential, and hence it does not suit those who want quick and solution focussed approaches (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017).

Theoretical approaches

The psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapies explore how unconscious thought and perceptions are developed throughout childhood moments and how they affect present in the current views and behaviors (Wubbolding, 2017). Unlike the other forms of treatment, these aims at creating deep-seated change in emotional development. It helps you understand and resolve problems through the increase in inner awareness of self and how one can influence relationships.

The different psychological and psychodynamic therapies available are the dynamic interpersonal theory that looks mainly on the way of relations with others and how it affects ourselves. The other one is Jungian Therapy, which is a specific branch that works from the theory of Carl Jung, who was the forefather of psychology. The other therapy is psychoanalysis, which was developed by Freud and had its emphasis on the unconscious minds of individuals, the deep-rooted thoughts stemming from childhood (Wubbolding, 2017). Through free associations, fantasies, and dreams, and these clients will be able to interpret the experiences and memories that distress them. Additionally, psychoanalytic therapy focuses on the influence of unconscious thoughts on individuals, and this is usually less powerful than psychoanalysis (Baruth & Manning, 2016). Lastly, the other therapy is psychodynamic therapy, which had its evolution from psychoanalytic therapy and mainly seemed in the discovery of the unconscious thoughts affecting the current behavior. It also focuses on immediate problems with attempts to provide quick solutions.

Psychodynamic links to Freudian ideas of the concepts of the unconscious mind, the use of dreams, and the issues of transference and countertransference. Freud explained the hidden processes of the human mind and referred them as the ID, ego, and superego. The ID is the unconscious part that contains instincts drives and behavioral impulses and is mainly though, as the child part of the unconscious mind (Lambert, Fidalgo, & Greaves, 2016). The ego is the rational part of the mind for making decisions, and it is related to the growing side of the mind for making decisions and telling us what is okay. On the other hand, the superego is the side of mind that is concerned with societal and parental rules and taboos (Lambert, Fidalgo, & Greaves, 2016). For this, the relationship between counsellors and therapists is very crucial nowadays that is having the right counselling environment and a well-skilled therapist. In the case of transference in counselling, an old conflict is brought alive and helps to work it out with the assistance of a counsellor. It assists a client is experiencing a different response to the original conflict. On the other hand, countertransference provides the counsellor with an insight into the client’s problems.

Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy is beneficial for those seeking to solve past issues. The two therapies focus on the personalities of individuals, exploring the motivations and reasons behind specific characters and the difficulties experienced in daily life (Lambert, Fidalgo, & Greaves, 2016). Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy can be used to help in treating psychological disorders, including depression and those with troublesome personal relationships (Lambert, Fidalgo, & Greaves, 2016). Psychodynamic therapy is also helpful for those with addiction, anxiety, and eating disorders. If one has ever experienced emotional struggles, trauma, a form of self-destructive behavior patterns, relationship issues, or personality disorders, psychoanalysis therapy is useful.