Therapeutic approaches in counseling

 

Therapeutic approaches in counseling

Person-centered, cognitive-behavioral, and solution-focused counseling are some of the many therapeutic approaches used in counseling: 

Research suggests that the therapeutic relationship itself is more important for a good outcome than the particular theories your therapist favours. This means that if your therapist succeeds in helping you to feel safe, accepted and treated with respect and perhaps also challenges you in a positive constructive way, you are likely to be able to make good use of your sessions.

Person-centered therapy

Core Concept:
Person-centred counselling is one of the humanistic modalities or approaches. It was founded in the 1940s by the American psychologist Carl Rogers who believed that, given the right conditions, a person can reach their full potential and become their true self, which he termed ‘self-actualisation’. This actualisation process is innate and accessible to everyone.

Person or client-centred therapy is based on the view that everyone has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change, given the right conditions. Rather than being seen as the expert and directing the therapy, the counsellor offers unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence to help you come to terms with any negative feelings and to change and develop in your own way.

Key Features:

• Client Autonomy: The client is seen as the expert on their own life, and the therapist acts as a facilitator rather than a director.
• Unconditional Positive Regard: The therapist accepts the client without judgment or conditions, fostering trust and safety.
• Empathy: The therapist strives to deeply understand the client's feelings and experiences.
• Congruence: The therapist is genuine and transparent, which promotes an authentic and trusting therapeutic relationship.

A person-centred counsellor will help you to explore your own issues, feelings, beliefs, behaviour, and worldview, so you can become more self-aware and achieve greater independence.

Applications:
Person-centred counseling is useful in a variety of contexts, including personal development, self-esteem issues, and mild to moderate emotional difficulties. It is especially effective for clients who seek a supportive environment to explore their thoughts and emotions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Dr. Aaron T. Beck is considered the founder of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Beck developed CBT in the 1960s as a treatment for depression, but it has since been adapted to treat a wide range of mental health conditions.

This short-term approach focuses on changing the way you think and behave to feel better. It's based on the idea that your thoughts and feelings affect your behavior. CBT can help with anxiety, depression, phobias, and more. 

CBT aims to help you change the way you think (cognitive) and what you do (behaviour). Rather than looking at past causes, it focuses on current problems and practical solutions to help you feel better now.

The way we think about situations affects the way we feel and behave. If we view a situation negatively, we may experience negative emotions and feelings which lead us to behave in an unhelpful way. Your therapist will help you identify and challenge any negative thinking so you can deal with situations better and behave in a more positive way

CBT can be helpful for depression, anxiety, stress, phobias, obsessions, eating disorders and managing long term conditions.

Techniques used in CBT:

There are a variety of techniques used in CBT – including keeping thought records, relaxation and breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, identifying and challenging your style of thinking and behavioural experiments.

One technique is behavioural activation which looks at how you engage in certain activities, such as hobbies and socialising, and how you can increase your chances of enjoying them and getting a sense of achievement from life.

Key Features:

• Cognitive Restructuring: The therapist helps the client identify distorted or negative thinking and replace it with more rational, positive thoughts.
• Behavioural Activation: Encourages clients to engage in activities that boost mood and improve well-being.
• Skills Training: Teaching clients coping strategies, such as problem-solving, stress management, and relaxation techniques.
• Homework Assignments: Clients are often given tasks or exercises to complete between sessions, reinforcing learning and progress.

Applications:
CBT is highly effective for a range of psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is also used in treating substance abuse, eating disorders, and trauma-related conditions.

 

Solution-focused counseling

Core Concept:
SFBT is a goal-oriented, short-term therapy that focuses on solutions rather than problems. It encourages clients to focus on what is working in their lives and how to build on their strengths to solve current difficulties. The therapist helps the client envision a future without the problem and identify the steps needed to achieve that outcome.

Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg developed Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in the late 1970s while working at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

This approach focuses on the client's solutions rather than their problems. It emphasizes collaborative work and the assumption that change is inevitable. 

 

This therapy promotes positive change rather than dwelling on past problems. Practitioners will encourage you to focus positively on what you do well, set goals and work out how to achieve them. Just three or four sessions may be beneficial.

When choosing a therapeutic approach, you can consider things like:

·         Whether the problem is new or recurring

·         Whether you need immediate relief

·         How much time you can commit to counseling

·         Whether you want to understand the underlying cause of your problems 

Key Features:

• Future-Focused: Instead of dwelling on the past or analyzing problems in-depth, the therapy focuses on future solutions and desired outcomes.
• Strength-Based: SFBT emphasizes the client's strengths, resources, and previous successes in resolving challenges.
• Goal Setting: Clear, measurable, and realistic goals are established early in the therapy process.
• Scaling Questions: The therapist may ask clients to rate their current progress or feelings on a scale, helping to track improvements.

Applications:
SFBT is especially useful for clients who need rapid, practical solutions, such as those dealing with life transitions, relationship problems, or work-related stress. It is also effective in organizational settings, coaching, and crisis intervention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparison of Approaches:

Aspect	Person-Centred	Cognitive-Behavioural (CBT)	Solution-Focused (SFBT)
Focus	Self-exploration and personal growth	Challenging and changing negative thoughts	Future goals and solutions
Role of Therapist	Facilitator, empathetic listener	Instructor, coach	Guide, collaborator
Duration	Can be long-term	Structured, time-limited	Short-term, often brief
Client Role	Active, autonomous	Active, follows structured tasks	Active, solution-focused
Applications	Self-esteem, personal issues	Anxiety,  depression	Life transitions, crisis, relationship issues

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CONCLUSION :

• Person-Centred therapy provides a supportive space for clients to explore their inner world, often leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.
• CBT offers practical techniques for clients to manage specific psychological issues by changing the way they think and behave.
• SFBT emphasizes efficiency and solutions, making it a great option for clients seeking quick, actionable steps for specific challenges.

Factors Affecting Counseling Practices: Age, Culture, and Other Diversity Elements

 

Factors Affecting Counseling Practices: Age, Culture, and Other Diversity Elements

Counseling practices are significantly shaped by various contextual and diversity factors such as age, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, socio-economic status, and other demographic elements. These factors influence how clients experience and respond to counseling interventions, making it essential for counselors to adopt a culturally sensitive and adaptable approach.

Age

Age affects counseling in terms of client needs, communication style, and developmental stage.

•  Child andAdolescent group : Require age-appropriate interventions (e.g., play therapy, behavioral techniques). They may struggle with emotional regulation and often benefit from visual or creative tools.
• Adults group : Focus on career development, relationships, and mental health challenges, requiring more cognitive-behavioral or talk-based therapies.

Culture

Cultural beliefs and values shape how individuals view mental health, emotional expression, and the therapeutic process. Cultural competence ensures counselors respect clients' worldviews.

• Individualistic Cultures : Clients may emphasize independence, self-expression, and personal growth.
• Collectivist Cultures : Clients might focus on family dynamics, group harmony, and community well-being.
• Language Barriers: Can hinder communication, making it essential for counselors to use interpreters or culturally adapted resources.
• Cultural Stigma: Some cultures view mental health issues as shameful, affecting clients' willingness to seek counseling.

 

 

 

 

Other Diversity Factors

Gender and Sexual Orientation

• Clients from marginalized gender identities community may need affirmative counseling to address discrimination, identity concerns, and relationship issues.
• Gender roles within specific cultures may influence how clients express emotions and experience therapy.

Socio-Economic Status

• Limited financial resources can restrict access to counseling services.
• Clients from low-income backgrounds may present with stressors such as unemployment, housing issues, or trauma, requiring trauma-informed care.

Religion and Spirituality

• Religious beliefs may affect clients' views on counseling, coping strategies, and personal values.
• Faith-based interventions may be appropriate when clients draw strength from spiritual practices.

Disability and Neurodiversity

• Individuals with disabilities may require accommodations such as accessible communication methods (e.g., sign language interpreters) or adaptive tools.
• Neurodivergent clients (e.g., those with autism or ADHD) may benefit from structured, predictable therapeutic sessions.

 

Other Factors in Counseling

• Location of Counseling: Online or face-to-face settings influence the dynamics of therapy.
• Time Constraints: Limited session durations or infrequent meetings may require focused interventions.
• Family Involvement: For some clients, involving family members can be beneficial, especially in cultures where family is central to decision-making.

Essential counseling skills at Secondary education: Active listening, empathy, questioning, reading non-verbal communication, body language and reflection

 

Essential counseling skills at Secondary education: Active listening, empathy, questioning, reading non-verbal communication, body language and reflection

 

1.     Active listening

A communication technique that involves focusing on another person to demonstrate interest. Teachers can teach active listening by encouraging eye contact, non-verbal cues, and paraphrasing. Students can practice active listening by avoiding distractions and asking questions. 

 

2.     Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Teachers can build empathy with students by showing that they care about their well-being. 

 

3.     Questioning

A teaching method that involves posing questions to guide students to discover knowledge. 

 

4.     Nonverbal communication

This includes facial expressions, posture, touch, and other ways of communicating without words or sounds. Counselors can use nonverbal communication to understand their clients, and to show that they are engaged and understanding. 

 

5.     Body language: 

This is a facial expression, gestures, and posture, can convey emotions and provide additional layers of meaning.

6.     Reflection

This is a tool that involves reflecting back on what the client is feeling, and providing suggestions for them

Tone of voice: Tone of voice in communication refers to how you utilize words or phrases to create an impact on the audience. Tone of voice helps a business to interact with its customers through the material it creates for marketing. It is also a powerful weapon for molding the public's view of them.

WORLD BANK

 

WORLD BANK

Head quarter:  Washington, D.C., United States

With 189 member countries, staff from more than 170 countries, and offices in over 130 locations, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership: five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries.

 Vision

Our vision is to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.

Mission

Our mission is to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. This is threatened by multiple, intertwined crises. Time is of the essence. We need to write a new playbook to drive impactful development that is:

 

Inclusive of everyone, including women and young people;

Resilient to shocks, including against climate and biodiversity crises, pandemics and fragility;

Sustainable, through growth and job creation, human development, fiscal and debt management, food security and access to clean air, water, and affordable energy.

To achieve this, we will work with all clients as one World Bank Group, in close partnership with other multilateral institutions, the private sector, and civil society.

Director-General, UNESCO  Audrey AzoulayHead quarter: Paris, France

 

Secretary general, WHO : Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Head quarter: Geneva, Switzerland

World Bank: President :   Ajay BangaHead quarter:  Washington, D.C., United States

 

 

WHO

 

WHO

We are champions for healthier, safer lives

Our team of 8000+ professionals includes the world’s leading public health experts, including doctors, epidemiologists, scientists and managers. Together, we coordinate the world’s response to health emergencies, promote well-being, prevent disease and expand access to health care. By connecting nations, people and partners to scientific evidence they can rely on, we strive to give everyone an equal chance at a safe and healthy life.

 WHO’s Secretariat includes experts, staff and field workers at our Geneva-based headquarters, 6 Regional Offices and other stations located in 150+ countries around the world.

WHO works with all Member States to support them to achieve the highest standard of health for all people. Our staff working in countries advise ministries of health and other sectors on public health issues and provide support to plan, implement and monitor health programmes.

The World Health Assembly is WHO’s highest level decision-making forum. Every year, delegates from all Member States convene at the World Health Assembly to set priorities and chart a course for global health progress.

 

UNICEF

 

UNICEF

A child’s right to education entails the right to learn. Yet, for too many children across the globe, schooling does not lead to learning.

Over 600 million children worldwide are unable to attain minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics, even though two thirds of them are in school. For out-of-school children, foundational skills in literacy and numeracy are further from grasp.

Children are deprived of education for various reasons. Poverty remains one of the most obstinate barriers. Children living through economic fragility, political instability, conflict or natural disaster are more likely to be cut off from schooling – as are those with disabilities, or from ethnic minorities. In some countries, education opportunities for girls remain severely limited.

Even in schools, a lack of trained teachers, inadequate education materials and poor infrastructure make learning difficult for many students. Others come to class too hungry, ill or exhausted from work or household tasks to benefit from their lessons.

Compounding these inequities is a digital divide of growing concern: Most of the world’s school-aged children do not have internet connection in their homes, restricting their opportunities to further their learning and skills development.

Without quality education, children face considerable barriers to employment later in life. They are more likely to suffer adverse health outcomes and less likely to participate in decisions that affect them – threatening their ability to shape a better future for themselves and their societies.

 

Education is a basic human right. In 147 countries around the world, UNICEF works to provide quality learning opportunities that prepare children and adolescents with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. We focus on:

 

Equitable access: Access to quality education and skills development must be equitable and inclusive for all children and adolescents, regardless of who they are or where they live. We make targeted efforts to reach children who are excluded from education and learning on the basis of gender, disability, poverty, ethnicity and language.

 

Quality learning: Outcomes must be at the centre of our work to close the gap between what students are learning and what they need to thrive in their communities and future jobs. Quality learning requires a safe, friendly environment, qualified and motivated teachers, and instruction in languages students can understand. It also requires that education outcomes be monitored and feed back into instruction.

 

Education in emergencies: Children living through conflict, natural disaster and displacement are in urgent need of educational support. Crises not only halt children’s learning but also roll back their gains. In many emergencies, UNICEF is the largest provider of educational support throughout humanitarian response, working with UNHCR, WFP and other partners.

 

UNESCO

 

UNESCO

Our Mission

UNESCO has main priorities for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the improvement of the human condition.

 

Literacy is a fundamental human right for all. As children return to school in many countries across the world, UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to literacy with a special commitment to Africa, supporting major education reforms in the region including in Cameroun, Mali, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire and Tchad.

 

This is part of a global effort to strengthen literacy programs across the globe, through dedicated programs, awards and educational projects, at a time when 40% of the world's population still cannot access education in a language they speak or understand.

 

Education transforms lives and is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission to build peace, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development. It is a human right for all throughout life. The Organization is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to cover all aspects of education. It has been entrusted to lead the Global Education 2030 Agenda through Sustainable Development Goal 4.  

UNESCO provides global and regional leadership in education, strengthens education systems worldwide and responds to contemporary global challenges through education with gender equality as an underlying principle. Its work encompasses quality educational development from pre-school to higher education and beyond

World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching personnel in higher education. World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated since 1994.

It is a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally.  

World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and Education International (EI).

 

 

2024 celebrations

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the future by nurturing students and driving educational progress. However, to fully harness their potential, it's crucial that their voices are heard and valued in the decision-making processes that affect their profession. This year’s World Teachers’ Day highlights the need to address the systemic challenges teachers face and to establish a more inclusive dialogue about their role in education. The 2024 celebrations will focus on "Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education", underscoring the urgency of calling for and attending to teachers' voices to address their challenges but, most importantly, to acknowledge and benefit from the expert knowledge and input that they bring to education.