Theory and Practice of Counselling

Theory and Practice of Counselling

Vignette one

1

Jack is a victim of two types of parents with different parenting styles. His father was harsh, cruel, and authoritative. His father could not stand any form of rebellion from Jack.

On the other hand, his mother was a welcoming mother who could do anything to protect him. His mother also provided him with unlimited love. The result of the different parenting styles was that Jack developed resistance to his father’s command and orders. When his parents divorced when he was 18, he now had the freedom to do anything he pleased without listening to orders or advice from his father.

Jack grew, knowing that the only person capable of loving him unconditionally was his mother. The thought became imbedded in him such that even when he grew up, he could not trust anyone. That is the reason in his relationships; he could not think of anyone else apart from himself. Such feelings were as a result of the love his mother offered him. Jack may find it hard to forge a relationship with any other woman since it will require him to be intimate. According to Jack, being intimate will leave him vulnerable, and that may lead to him being trapped in their love.

2

The controlling aspect of Jack’s father resulted in resistance. Jack started viewing his father’s commands as not the right thing to do. He began forging his way that did not require directions from his father. The psychological aspects that arise as a result of Jack’s resistance are relationship issues, self-destructive behavior, and emotional struggle.

In life, it is reasonable to have a healthy normal relationship with both parents. That was no the case with Jack, whose relationship with his father was broken. The result of such a link is broken trust, and that is why it is hard for Jack to enter into any relationship to avoid being vulnerable as he was with his father.

Self-destructive behavior comes as a result of all the commands Jack received from his father. All the time, Jack could not do his will due to the threats and controls from his father. That is why when he was in a position to make his own decisions, he indulged in destructive behaviors such as drug and alcohol taking and having self-will in his relationships.

Emotional struggle is another psychological aspect that jack is going through (Cherry, 2019). From his talk, it is clear that he wants to forge relationships so that people can see the other positive side of him, but he is struggling emotionally to make that happen. The reason being that those emotions may make him weak and vulnerable to the extent of being dependent on another person or being trapped in their love.

Psychoanalysis counseling is a process that aims at provoking an emotional response and conquering protection mechanisms (Cherry, 2019). To effectively show Jack that he became what his father did not want is by helping him gain insight into his actions, experiences, and feelings. The idea will help Jack understand the forces that impact his efforts, sense of self, and relationships. With realization, he will know he did not take the path his father intended for him. Despite that, the insight will break the unhealthy defenses he has, and in the future, he can recognize and accept relations without fear, and other problems that may arise in the future.

Vignette two

1

For Adlerian counseling to take place, then the parties to the arrangement must be on the same page on the goals they intended to achieve at the end of the counseling session. Therefore the counselor will try to create a mutual relationship based on the faulty assumptions the parties have about their lifestyle. To arrive at a shared understanding, then problem identification will be vital to ascertain why the two parties are not in agreement. The next step will be to explore the problems in detail to disclose the mistaken goals within the couple’s style of living (Jerry, 2010). Disclosure of faulty goals will lead to the realignment of the counselor and both Javier and Alice’s goals so that providing counsel to them becomes easy.

In some instances, the couple may have different goals that are difficult to align. Therefore it is the role of the counselor to ensure that they reach an understanding, especially when it involves a couple. The couple may differ in some aspects of life, like in the case of Javier and Alice. Alice is comfortable working, but Javier wants her to be satisfied with what he has provided. Javier is protective of his reputation since Alice working will reflect poorly on him. Therefore the counselor, in this case, will reeducate the clients so that they are on the useful side of life. The counselor’s mandate is to assist the couple in adopting behaviors and processes that are acceptable in the community. That can happen through increasing the couple’s self-awareness, which is knowing themselves properly. The next thing is challenging their beliefs and modifying their goals and views to the basic concepts of life (Jerry, 2010).

The fact that they are from different cultural backgrounds is crucial in goal setting since the goals do not have to rely on their background cultural beliefs. The goals they set will be based on the fundamental concepts of life and accepted principles of the urban community. Therefore no party will feel left out since their beliefs were not taken into consideration.

2

The mistakes associated with Alice are criticizing the parenting traits of Javier and sacrificing what she likes to do to take care of the family, as requested by the husband. On the other hand, Javier’s mistakes are not allowing his wife to get a job so that his reputation may be protected. He is also too strict and calls for respect without questioning despite the decisions he makes.

The appropriate technique to use is assessment or exploring individual dynamics. The therapist seeks to learn more about family dynamics and background (Jerry, 2010). The counselor seeks to understand how the client developed specific traits. The counselor equipped with such knowledge can help the clients. The same problem applies to Javier and Alice. The counselor having sufficient information about their background will help solve their problems.

Vignette three

1

The only way I would help him gain acceptance is by giving him insight about the uniqueness of each individual despite their condition and sensitizing him on the existence of humans being free and only controlled by time in the context of born, death. Therefore him having AIDS does not limit him from pursuing his career and profession. Consequently, the disease should not be a limiting factor. The fact that he knows it is a lifetime disease should offer him the opportunity to embrace it and pursue success.

The helpful thing that he deserves is to know that he has the freedom to do anything. The privilege should be directed towards the future that is achieving the goals he intended or planned to meet (Koyuncu, 2016). The next thing is to encourage him to face his anxiety and confusion that arise from the disease. He should then have the courage and self confidence to meet the challenge so that he can accomplish his objectives.

2

Paul is a determined man who had his eyes a great professional career. Therefore despite the rage and anger, he has it is easy to help him accept his condition. The only thing that Paul lacks is information, and once he is equipped with the know-how, he will find meaning to his life at the same time pursue his success.

Paul is angry and insecure about his condition. He is mad towards God and his healthy friends. The result of such anger may cause stigma. Paul may feel left out or discriminated by his friend, which in most cases, is not valid. The next issue will be the privacy and confidentiality of the information he has provided. Paul will feel insecure that information shared may be leaked out to other people, and this is a problem in the counseling or therapy sessions.

References

Cherry, K. (2019, August 13). How Does Psychoanalytic Therapy Work? Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-psychoanalytic-therapy-2795467

Jerry. (2010, January 11). Adlerian Therapy. Retrieved March 11, 2020, from http://counsellingtheories.blogspot.com/2011/01/adlerian-therapy.html

Koyoncu, B. (2016). Exıstentıalısm Vs. Person-Centred Therapy. Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://www.tavsiyeediyorum.com/makale_17631.htm