essay about psychological counseling

Psychological Science: Counseling Essay (Theory of Counseling)

Introduction, theory of counseling, counseling psychology, values in counseling.

Counselling generally refers to the provision of assistance or guidance that eventually helps solve personal, social or mental problems. A professional individual typically administers it. It usually takes a number of forms, including individual counselling, group counselling, and couples counselling. The goal of individual counselling is to help one make better decisions, improve one’s relationship with others, and generally help one understand oneself in order to be able to make healthy changes. However, group therapy helps an individual to comprehend their emotions and transform problem behaviours with the help of others (Seikkula, 2019). This essay about counseling can help reveal and understand the prospects for using various techniques in the process of helping clients.

Counselling may be beneficial in a number of ways. It can make one have a better understanding of things that help in getting new skills to manage themselves better. Through the help of the counsellor, individuals can respond to problems from different perspectives. Sharing thoughts can exceptionally be helpful in changing one’s life, and that is what counselling is all about. There are important aspects of counselling that make its usage effective. One of these aspects is confidentiality; this means that a counsellor is, by ethics, required to treat all the information that a client shares as confidential material (Avasthi et al., 2022). Another important aspect is the counselling process; this depends on the individual counsellor and client and the urgency of the issue in question. However, the general process to be followed includes collecting background information, identifying key issues, case development, setting goals for therapy, implementation of intervention and evaluation. An important research question of this essay is, “How will counseling help you get through with your problems?”

Theories of counselling vary and mainly depend on the views of different writers. The ones reviewed include client-centred, holistic health, learned optimism, cognitive behavioural, solution-focused and existential. In client-centred counselling, the client is motivated to discover things and develop as a result of the guidance and climate that the counsellor provides. In this type of counselling, the standard features include active listening, acceptance, truthfulness and empathy (Bayliss-Conway et al., 2021). Holistic health, on the other hand, stresses the importance of physical well and emotional, social, vocational and spiritual needs. If these are ignored, then individuals will easily succumb to stress, which can affect their well-being.

There is a type of counselling practice that allows for interaction between the client and the counsellor. This method makes it possible to discuss successful moments that have occurred in the past or in the present (Bayliss-Conway et al., 2021). This form of counselling is referred to as learned optimism counselling. This also allows them to address the problems that should be anticipated in the present and the future. It involves having a positive mind and usually directs an individual on how things can turn out.

Cognitive behavioural therapy, also referred to as the ABC method, can be described as any form of therapy that is based on the belief in one’s thoughts and that is typically directly connected to the way one feels. In this type of scenario, there usually is what is referred to as the activating event, where the client draws their interpretations. This makes it possible for clients to believe in the ideas conveyed by the consultant (Reid et al., 2021). This typically leads to different consequences concerning the outcome of the event. Thus, this form of therapy helps clients identify distorted thinking that causes emotional problems and helps solve them.

Solution-focused therapy typically focuses on the outcomes; this means that the primary goal is focused towards achieving what the client wants through the use of therapy rather than the cause that made them seek therapy. This kind of approach focuses on the present and future, and the client is customarily advised to focus on the future and how it has changed (De Shazer et al., 2021). The existential approach is simply based on the presence of individuals in a therapy session and the reason why they are there in the first place. This means that if a client knows the reason why he/she is in therapy, then it will enable them to face the challenges that come along swiftly.

Counselling and psychology are interrelated; the use of psychological principles to overcome different problems is facilitated through counselling. Therefore, counselling psychology is a specialty that brings together research and applied work to achieve broad areas. The counselling process, outcome, supervision, and training are critical components in establishing preventive recovery pathways (DeBlaere et al., 2019). Some unique features of counselling psychology include the focus on people, environment interaction and impact personalities. Psychologists get the answers to people’s behaviours through counselling.

Psychologists are generally interested in finding answers through the counselling process and outcomes, in which, through the process, they get to ask questions, and the outcome will determine whether the process was effective and successful. In this process, the psychologist uses specific techniques. One of the main and most common ones can be called client and cultural variables (DeBlaere et al., 2019). Therapist variables and mechanisms of change are also included.

Therapist variables include the traits of a counsellor, theoretical orientation and behaviour. Following clearly established models of therapeutic intervention can have significant positive effects on patients (DeBlaere et al., 2019). Client variables, on the other hand, include certain things, such as seeking support from other people and further attachment to them (DeBlaere et al., 2019). This has been very useful in counselling. Stigma from mental illness motivates people to accept the fact that they have problems and make them seek help. Self-stigma is a condition that affects the individual’s perspective towards counselling, and this causes such an individual to require intervention.

Attachment style can be viewed in different ways. Those clients with avoidant styles may believe that counselling is not able to have any positive effect on their condition (Moradi et al., 2023). However, securely attached ones react differently. They perceive counselling to be incredibly beneficial. These kinds of individuals seek such professional help. Anxious attachment is said to perceive much importance as well as risks to counselling; thus, providing education about expectations of counselling can change clients’ attitudes tremendously.

Counselling relationship, as referred to in counselling psychology, refers to the feeling that a client and a therapist have towards each other and the way in which they are expressed. This kind of relationship may fall into three categories: countertransference, working alliance and personal relationship (Moradi et al., 2023). The secure base hypothesis is a theory concerning the function of counselling and is typically related to attachment theory; this enables the client to have a reference point.

Counselling psychologists use different approaches. They incorporate things such as cultural variables in counselling practices. They relate such aspects with the processes and results arrived at during counselling. Recent studies show that black clients are at risk of racial discrimination from white counsellors. Counsellors must have experience working with a variety of people in order to effectively deal with their characteristics and personal problems (Moradi et al., 2023). Counselling outcomes typically look at different symptoms, such as specific disorders and behaviour changes. Positive outcomes like quality of life form a basis of life-satisfaction measure reports.

One of the various quantitative methods includes conducting correlation studies. This is applied in the counselling course and during clinical trials. They also apply during the actual process of counselling and the studies on the processes of counselling and the outcomes. On the other hand, qualitative methods involve conducting, translating, and coding therapy sessions. In practical terms, one sees that counselling can delve into aspects such as emotion, personality and interpersonal relationships (DeBlaere et al., 2019). It, thus, can relate to different kinds of settings in a population, like community mental health settings and in-patient clients on drug abuse. In a community mental health setting, there are different individuals who suffer from all sorts of mental breakdown illnesses.

Counselling helps in making them understand the core reason behind their mental breakdown and possibly helps them deal with the fears that relate to it; the end results depend typically on the attitude of patients and their response to therapy during these counselling sessions. Different settings, thus, have different counselling approaches and also depend on the technicality of the given situation. Client variables normally help a lot during some sessions as they represent a deeper understanding of the current situation (DeBlaere et al., 2019). An in-patient on drug abuse, for example, may not derive much benefit from counselling if he does not accept that he/she has a problem, the problem has had a significant effect on his/her life, and finally, the problem can be fixed.

It is important to note, therefore, that counselling can only work where a client is willing to participate; commonly, psychology can be used to gain this will. Counselling, in essence, is a profession that is highly dependent on the needs of clients and their personalities. The counsellor’s approach should be unique from session to session and depend on how the client responds to the therapist’s questions and actions (DeBlaere et al., 2019). On other occasions, counsellors influence decision-making in individuals. This way, they influence the kind of decisions the clients make. Some of their decisions may change their lives completely.

Values in counselling introduce us to the various theoretical perspectives of psychology that can be used in counselling. The question of this study is to find out how counselling will help you get through your problems. There are various theoretical perspectives in psychology that are commonly referred to as paradigms. They include behavioural, biological, cognitive, humanistic, social, Freudian, and developmental. Focusing on the developmental perspective, its information processing, and developmental approaches as a discipline brings us to the approaches that can be applied in counselling (DeBlaere et al., 2019). There are three basic approaches currently under debate. They include information processing, life span development, and developmental approaches.

The approach under investigation was based on the concept of irrational beliefs, concepts of feelings and behaviour. The counsellors may incorporate therapy in the session and combine it with behaviour. This way, the counsellor personalizes the therapy session. How an individual feels and reacts to such feelings is the first step in knowing that something is not correct, and that can further lead to reasoning and, thus, the decision that motivates them to seek counselling. With these considerations, counselling appears as a link between the individual’s way of thinking and his/her behaviour. Feelings of sadness or anxiety can significantly predetermine a person’s behaviour in public life and their reactions to any aspects of society (Chita-Tegmark & Scheutz, 2021). Behaviour is usually motivated to result in a change in the human mind. When one’s response is based on false emotions, then negative and possibly harmful results will be achieved.

Negative behaviour may sometimes be the reason that individuals or groups in a therapy session realize the need for change. Proper guidance is one of the critical aspects that must be complemented by the ability to identify the client’s emotional state and behavioural patterns (Chita-Tegmark & Scheutz, 2021). This may lead towards finding out what the problem is with a particular individual or a group or may enable proper interpretation of events that led to therapy.

When a counsellor discovers the behaviour in an individual is no longer functioning, it may be a good indicator for assessing the things that the individual now believes in and thus, emotional health can be regained through removing the negative thoughts and distortions and trying to give them emotional and personality balance. Behavioural response as a perspective in counselling can provide a significant impact on the change process of an individual or a group. A behavioural perspective in interactions with clients during consultations can influence the achievement of trusting relationships between people (Seikkula, 2019). Usually, clients who decide to go for counselling have different problems they are aware of but need the help of a therapist to be able to identify the core reason as to why they cannot solve it.

Counselling can show that the initial stages of the client-counsellor relationship can be a bit difficult, but as the clients’ emotions and behaviour exhibit themselves, the counsellor will gain insight that will enable him/her to understand the client more and, thus, improve their relationship. Thus, it is crucial for the therapist to identify specific behavioural traits that are characteristic of the client and on which work can be concentrated (De Shazer et al., 2021). The positive ones help in improving the client’s self-esteem in the time when he/she seems to be having a mental breakdown that is related to the problem he/she is facing.

Exploring this perspective enhances the buildup of a therapy case before and in the course of counselling. The individual most often has no knowledge of the kind of issues that need to be addressed if he/she goes to counselling, but he/she knows that something is not right in the environment he lives in or that he/she has a problem that needs to be addressed. Distinguishing between the types of emotions experienced by the client is critical for the therapist in the initial stages as this will lay the foundation for further cooperation (Avasthi et al., 2022). In later stages of counselling and as the counsellor and the client relationship is built up, the counsellor may uncover the thought that leads to disruptive behaviour and feelings. It is the counsellor’s role in this perspective to identify and respond to them so as to restore an individual functional system.

Counselling is meant to consider the entire characteristic that an individual exhibits when he/she enters counselling; a counsellor, through knowledge of these traits like behaviour and feeling, will be challenged to uncover the client’s beliefs that are the cause of their actions. This can help create a more personalized process aimed at demonstrating people’s focus on their thoughts and ideas (Reid et al., 2021). The kind of behaviour that an individual exhibits during counselling sessions will either work positively for the client or not. If a client exhibits behaviour aimed at changing the painful experiences and helps him or them work on his/her feelings like anger, then this will be of great significance in making this individual a healthy and positive person.

In essence, counselling will make the individual understand and appreciate the reward that he/she achieved because of counselling. There are different approaches employed in counselling psychology. They differ in terms of therapy and the basic concepts. One of them is the behavioural perspective. This is comparable to the rest but also differs in various aspects. A comparison between the behavioural and cognitive perspectives revealed a key difference in the approach to problem-solving through psychoanalytic theory and practice methods, respectively (DeBlaere et al., 2019). The Freudian perspective works towards changing an individual’s personality and character through using childhood experiences. Cognitive and behavioural perspectives usually produce a change in a group or individual in a short period.

Theoretical perspectives differ in scope and applicability. Some can be used to solve crime cases as well as real-life dilemmas. There are various theories and approaches that can be combined with the perspectives discussed to help consultants gain a broader perspective and understanding of clients’ understandings (DeBlaere et al., 2019). In this way, a conducive and harmonious counselling environment can be created that will enhance the process to achieve results faster. It will also allow the client to recognize the impact that counselling has had on their life.

A compiled essay about counselling has shown it is quite a broad and diverse subject; it shares most subject matters, especially concerning psychology as a discipline in terms of emotion, behavior, personality, attention and perception. It usually provides an opportunity for individuals to express themselves where no one seems to agree with what they have to say; this is the basis and direction in which most individuals’ dysfunctional problems are solved today. Counselling has had tremendous results over the past in solving cases, and, as an expert, counselling psychology is one of the most effective tools in handling mental breakdown; the results of its usage in the modern world have become very effective over the years.

The counselling essay format provided a comprehensive review of the main aspects of this process and the key elements necessary for success. The study of counselling and, in broad terms, psychology have also been criticized by different philosophers of science; some say it is a soft science lacking the fundamental concepts and effectiveness like mature sciences such as physics and chemistry. Some say that it is not objective. They argue that the phenomena used by psychologists, like personality and emotion, cannot be measured directly and that they are often subjective in nature. The critical thing to note is that its usage in real-life situations has proven to be very successful.

Avasthi, A., Grover, S., & Nischal, A. (2022). Ethical and legal issues in psychotherapy. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 64 (Suppl 1), 1-27. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9122134/

Bayliss-Conway, C., Price, S., Murphy, D., & Joseph, S. (2021). Client-centred therapeutic relationship conditions and authenticity: a prospective study. B ritish Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 49 (5), 637-647. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2020.1755952

Chita-Tegmark, M., & Scheutz, M. (2021). Assistive robots for the social management of health: a framework for robot design and human–robot interaction research. International Journal of Social Robotics, 13 (2), 197-217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-020-00634-z

De Shazer, S., Dolan, Y., Korman, H., Trepper, T., McCollum, E., & Berg, I. K. (2021). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy . Routledge.

DeBlaere, C., Singh, A. A., Wilcox, M. M., Cokley, K. O., Delgado-Romero, E. A., Scalise, D. A., & Shawahin, L. (2019). Social justice in counseling psychology: Then, now, and looking forward. The Counseling Psychologist, 47 (6), 938-962. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019893283

Moradi, B., Brewster, M. E., Grzanka, P. R., & Miller, M. J. (2023). The hidden curriculum of academic writing: Toward demystifying manuscript preparation in counseling psychology. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 70 (2), 119-132. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/cou0000650

Reid, J. E., Laws, K. R., Drummond, L., Vismara, M., Grancini, B., Mpavaenda, D., & Fineberg, N. A. (2021). Cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 106 , 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152223

Seikkula, J. (2019). Psychosis is not illness but a survival strategy in severe stress: a proposal for an addition to a phenomenological point of view. Psychopathology, 52 (2), 143-150. https://doi.org/10.1159/000500162

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The Importance of Counseling: 14 Proven Benefits of Therapy

Most likely, the practice of offering counsel to others has always occurred in some fashion within human society.

We are relational beings, experience a range of emotions, and have an innate desire to avoid suffering and live abundant lives.

Today, one in five American adults has a mental health condition, and research shows that these conditions can be effectively treated (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

Not only can counseling treat mental health conditions, it can also help individuals, groups, organizations, and society optimize wellbeing. In this article, we further discuss the importance of counseling, with a list of scientifically researched benefits.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will provide you with a detailed insight into positive Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.

This Article Contains:

Why is counseling important 5 proven benefits of counseling, 3 reasons why career counseling is important, 4 benefits of group counseling, counseling for students: 3 empirical benefits, why is family & couples counseling important, the benefits of counseling in society at large, positivepsychology.com’s helpful resources, a take-home message.

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

M. Scott Peck

Millions of people have experienced the benefits of counseling . Counseling is a specific mental health discipline that includes aspects of guidance and psychotherapy (Erford, 2018). It focuses on a wellness model aimed at improving the quality of life and involves both the counselor and client in collaboration.

Outcome research measures the effectiveness of counseling interventions and responses to the therapeutic process (Erford, 2018). Using theory and empirically validated research keeps counselors and the profession accountable and ethical. While experiencing the benefits of counseling is the goal, outcome research allows us to find best practices, evaluate techniques, and optimize counseling approaches for clients.

Psychotherapy and other counseling techniques help individuals explore moods and behaviors, provide fresh perspectives, and offer a better understanding of emotions.

Counseling can help improve mood, treat mental illness, reduce medical costs, improve communication and relationships, and promote self-esteem and resilience.

Here is a list of the benefits of counseling based on research.

1. Scientific evidence for treating mental illness and improving mood

Counselors use a myriad of techniques and approaches to improve the mental health and wellbeing of clients.

Gingerich and Eisengart (2000) reviewed 15 outcome studies regarding the efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) for depression, anxiety, parenting skills, psychosocial adjustment, antisocial behaviors, alcohol use, and family conflict. Five of the studies were tightly controlled, and all of them found SFBT to be significantly better than no treatment.

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. It is a chronic condition that hinders quality of life, involves sleep problems, appetite changes, and feelings of guilt or apathy (Lambert, 2004). The three types of depression that can be effectively treated with counseling include:

• Major depressive disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder

A systematic review of 30 studies examining the effectiveness of counseling/therapy treatments found that psychological treatment of depression was more effective than traditional treatment (pharmacological) or no treatment at all (Linde et al., 2015).

All studies in the meta-analysis were randomized, controlled trials of depressed adults in primary care. The research found that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy ( CBT ) was particularly effective in both short- and long-term treatment trials.

Anxiety is another common mental health condition affecting approximately 19% of the U.S. population (National Institute of Health, 2017). Clinical anxiety is chronic and often debilitating for people.

The three main types of anxiety are:

• Generalized anxiety
• Social anxiety

Many forms of counseling have been found to treat anxiety effectively, relieve uncomfortable symptoms, and adjust maladaptive behaviors.

While CBT consistently demonstrates the most effective results at relieving symptoms of anxiety, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , mindfulness, and talk therapy have also been used as counseling techniques to effectively reduce anxiety (Arch & Craske, 2008).

2. Another form of anxiety: Counseling for OCD

Several theories came forward in the 1940s that explained the fear/anxiety and avoidance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where the fear of a stimulus is avoided to reduce anxiety, and the behavioral avoidance results in repeated compulsive rituals (Jacofsky, Santos, Khemlani-Patel, & Neziroglu, n.d.).

Once OCD was seen as an anxiety disorder, early behavioral therapy such as aversion therapy and exposure therapy were developed to treat the condition.

Today, there are over 40 years of research to support a consensus among researchers and counseling professionals that CBT is an effective treatment for OCD. Exposure-based treatments have the largest pool of evidence to support efficacy, and about 80% of patients respond to some form of therapy for OCD (Frances, Docherty, & Kahn, 1997).

3. Counseling can reduce medical costs

There is a direct link between physical and mental health. Often, when individuals treat underlying mental health conditions or receive counseling to help regulate emotions and improve mood, physical health improves as well.

One study found that psychological treatment among individuals with chronic physical conditions in small group settings decreased medical care costs by $10 for every $1 spent (Lorig et al., 1999). This shows the significant physical and financial benefits counseling can offer.

4. Counseling can provide education and teach skills

Psychoeducation is the process of explaining mental health conditions, diagnoses, services, and treatment options.

Many people who come to counseling know that they are suffering but understand nothing about the underlying causes, specific conditions, or how certain techniques can address presenting problems.

Psychoeducation can help normalize problems, decrease stigma, and increase compliance with treatment plans. It is a large component of many trauma treatments. Among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, psychoeducation was found to reduce rehospitalization rates and reduce the number of days a patient was hospitalized (Bauml, Frobose, Kraemer, Rentrop, & Pitchel-Waltz, 2006).

Various techniques are used in counseling to teach and practice skills that provide both short- and long-term relief. Clients learn general skills like self-awareness, active listening, and communication skills as well as specific mindfulness and behavior change skills.

As an example, CBT skills teach clients how to identify and reframe faulty thought patterns that lead to distressing emotions. This Positive Replacement Thoughts worksheet is a typical example. Learning and practicing these skills in counseling sessions can change long-term patterns of negative thoughts and behaviors.

5. Counseling can promote factors of resilience

Resilience factors include (Johnston et al., 2015):

• Having meaning or purpose in life
• Experiencing positive emotions
• Self-esteem
• Active coping
• Self-efficacy
• Cognitive flexibility

While there are specific resilience-training programs focused on improving these factors, many forms of counseling increase these aspects of resilience too.

Through discussion, role-play, practical exercises, and homework, various counseling procedures offer a basis for teaching and strengthening resilience. For example, “stress inoculation therapy” designed for anxiety has also improved measures of resilience (Meichenbaum, 2007).

Stress inoculation therapy is a form of positive CBT that can teach individuals more adaptive patterns of thinking and emotional and behavioral responses. Most clients come to counseling looking for help with one specific area of their life, but they can leave therapy with new insights and tools that provide meaning, positive emotions, coping skills, and a healthier sense of self-worth.

According to the National Career Development Association, a career counselor is someone educated, trained, and experienced in helping employees overcome career obstacles and achieve their highest career aspirations through assessment, performance improvement, career transition, career planning, workplace, and work–life balance situations (Ginac, 2004).

Here’s why career counseling is important:

1. Career counselors can help employees find potential employers

Career counseling can help individuals create specific career paths based on their knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. Counselors explore options and prepare employees for job searches, help with resume preparation, practice interviewing, and suggest ways to build networking experience.

Most career counselors can identify alternative career options for people in transition to capitalize on their skills, knowledge, and profiles.

2. Career counseling maximizes person–job–organization fit

Career counseling includes the administration of assessments and inventories to assess the work values, interests, skills, and competencies of potential employees.

Career counseling services may help employers and organizations find the best candidates for the job by helping recruiters or hiring managers identify individuals that can fill specific needs.

3. Career counseling helps organizations and employers

People often think that career counselors are only helpful for individuals seeking employment.

However, the field of career counseling helps provide unbiased, objective interventions, mediation, and facilitation for people experiencing job stress and for organizations that may be transitioning through mergers or downsizing.

They can also create career development plans to help employees and managers grow, using executive coaching , and learn within an organization, which helps both the employer and employee.

The trinity of career counselling – Jaishankar Gopalan

Group counseling is a great option for therapy and can offer unique benefits that individual counseling may not be able to provide.

Group counseling is just as effective as individual treatment for most conditions, as long as the group is specific to the focus of treatment (Erford, 2018).

Group therapy involves one or more leaders (trained counselors, therapists, or psychologists) that lead/guide a group of 5–15 clients. Typically, groups will meet for an hour or two on a weekly basis.

Groups may be open, meaning new members can join any time, or closed, meaning members begin and end for a specific period.

The benefits of group counseling include the following:

1. Shared struggles

Group counseling provides a safe atmosphere where individuals with similar struggles can feel accepted and understood.

It is one thing to be accepted and understood by a counselor in individual therapy, but it is another to discuss struggles with members who have had the same experience.

This allows the experience (such as loss of a loved one, surviving a sexual assault, or having abusive parents) to become normalized to some degree and opens up a new avenue for healing.

2. Accountability

The regular meetings of group counseling offer an opportunity for accountability.

A good example of this is Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, which provide a safe and confidential place for individuals who struggle in their efforts to stay sober and abstain from alcohol and drugs.

3. Education and self-evaluation

Groups can teach individuals about themselves. Each member is holding up a mirror to others in the group, which provides a way to access self-reflection and self-awareness within the context of a shared experience.

A study examining group therapy among college students found that after only four sessions, members reported less emotional distress and increased life satisfaction and self-esteem (Leaf, Krauss, Dantzig, & Alington, 1992).

While this study used Rational-Emotive Therapy as a technique, many of the positive benefits were attributed to a greater understanding of self.

Members of the group can learn more about the specific topic of the group and how their personal experience with it is interpreted. Additionally, groups can teach unique social skills as members practice interacting, listening, and reflecting.

4. Cost effective

Because the cost of therapy is shared between members in a group setting, the price per session is generally cheaper. For example, without insurance, counseling sessions in the U.S. in 2020 ranged between $100 and $200 for individuals, but a group counseling session averaged $50 per person (Psychology Today, n.d.).

Individuals may be able to receive the same mental and emotional benefits from counseling in a group and reduce the financial strain that is often associated with therapy.

Approximately 20% of school-aged children have a diagnosable condition needing intervention ranging from attention problems, depression, and suicidal tendencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

School counselors are equipped to address these needs, and the benefits of counseling in educational settings go far beyond treating mental health problems.

1. Improved learning outcomes and student behavior

Professional school counselors are often employed by schools to provide direct and indirect services.

These professional counselors offer a range of services, including consultation and collaboration with teachers and administrators, educational planning services, developmental classroom guidance, peer mediation, and comprehensive school counseling programs.

The effectiveness of this broad range of services has been empirically studied and has consistently shown higher achievement scores, improved attendance, lower rates of dropouts, and fewer delinquent behaviors among students (Prout & Prout, 1998).

2. Developmental guidance for social and emotional skills

Counselors have also effectively used activities to promote healthy emotional development as well as social development, taught through a variety of methods.

These involve activities such as music, drawing, stories, games, worksheets, role-play, puppets, and videos.

Using these methods in empirically validated ways has showed efficacy in addressing personal and emotional issues, improving school attitude and behavior, and developing self-management skills (Ginac, 2004).

3. Responsive services for personal situations

Responsive services shift immediate attention and intervention to respond to problems that arise in the school setting but stem from personal situations.

Individual and group counseling has been found to be effective at teaching students to relax and treating a wide range of school-based behaviors, such as discipline problems, adjustment to divorce, and learning disabilities (Thompson & Littrell, 1998).

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The family is the first and primary place of development, learning, and attachment for individuals as they enter the world. Family therapy and couples counseling are important to help both the family unit and individual members within it.

Family and couples counseling can help with:

• Communication problems
• Stressful life events such as divorce, job loss, career transition, moves, loss of a family member
• Mental health issues including substance abuse
• Traumatic events such as high-jacking, school shootings, terrorism
• Psychoeducation for parents, couples, and children
• Academic and behavior problems
• Setting goals, making future plans, and solving problems

Families and couples who seek counseling can improve communication, decrease the likelihood of divorce, and strengthen child–parent bonds in as few as eight sessions (Beels, 2002).

Counseling can address major issues within relationships and help individuals within a family system by working with multiple members at once. Creating strong relationships and families is important not only for the specific clients involved, but also for the community and society at large.

Counseling settings include mental health agencies, hospitals, shelters, prisons, and colleges.

As counseling improves the mental health, resilience, educational, and work outcomes of individuals, general society reaps the benefits through economic and physical wellbeing and relational improvement.

Adverse childhood experiences: An example

One example of how counseling can benefit communities and society at large is through research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs have systematically been found to impact future physical, mental, emotional, and economic health outcomes (Marie-Mitchell & Kostolansky, 2019).

ACEs include abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, having a caregiver or loved one experience prolonged illness, having a loved one die by suicide, being separated from biological parents, being in the foster care system, and having a loved one engage in substance or alcohol abuse.

Original ACE research was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) between 1995 and 1997 and concluded that those who had experienced four or more ACEs were more likely to have increased health risks for alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and suicide, poor physical health, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity, and smoking.

Evidence shows that counseling individuals and families helps provide safe, stable, nurturing relationships that can prevent ACEs (Merrick et al., 2019). Public health efforts to prevent and immediately address situations that lead to ACEs can help improve community and societal health. Early intervention trauma treatment can build more resilient and flourishing communities .

17 Science-Based Ways To Apply Positive CBT

These 17 Positive CBT & Cognitive Therapy Exercises [PDF] include our top-rated, ready-made templates for helping others develop more helpful thoughts and behaviors in response to challenges, while broadening the scope of traditional CBT.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Since much of the empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of counseling involves techniques of CBT, this Functional Analysis worksheet can help clients and therapists identify triggers, behaviors, and consequences that lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Mindfulness is another useful tool counselors use to reach outcome goals in therapy. This simple guide to mindfulness provides practical steps to teach and apply the skill.

Be sure to also check out our free Countdown to Calmness and Breath Awareness meditations, which you can teach clients to help calm a racing mind or ground themselves during times of stress.

17 Positive CBT Exercises

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others through CBT, this collection contains 17 validated positive CBT tools for practitioners. Use them to help others overcome unhelpful thoughts and feelings and develop more positive behaviors.

Counselors use a variety of empirically validated techniques to improve mood, mental health, relationships, careers, student behavior, and education.

They are found in a variety of settings in all parts of the world. From guidance to education, assessment and collaboration, diagnosing and treating, entering into the counseling arena is full of possibility and rewards.

There is a wealth of valid, scientifically backed research to support the effectiveness of counseling in a wide range of areas. From treating mental health conditions to helping entire communities thrive, counseling offers hope, healing, and health to anyone willing to try it.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. For more information, don’t forget to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free .

• Arch, J. J., & Craske, M. G. (2008). Acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: Different treatments, similar mechanisms? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice ,  15 (4), 263-279.
• Bauml, J., Frobose, T., Kraemer, S., Rentrop, M. & Pitchel-Waltz, G. (2006). Psychoeducation: A basic psychotherapeutic intervention for patients with schizophrenia and their families. Schizophrenia Bulletin , 32 (1), 1–9.
• Beels, C. (2002). Notes for a cultural history of family therapy. Family Process , 4 (1), 67–82.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). 2017 BRFSS survey data and documentation. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2017.html
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Learn about mental health. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/
• Erford, B. T. (2018). Orientation to the counseling profession: Advocacy, ethics and essential professional foundations (3rd ed.). Pearson.
• Frances, A., Docherty, J. P., & Kahn, D. A. (1997). Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry , 58 , 5–72.
• Ginac, L. (2004, May 1). Career counseling is a valuable benefit for employees.  National Career Development Association . Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/4859/_PARENT/CC_layout_details/false
• Gingerich, W. J., & Eisengart, S. (2000). Solution focused brief therapy: A review of the outcome research. Family Process , 39 , 477–498.
• Jacofsky, M. D., Santos, M. T., Khemlani-Patel, S. & Neziroglu, F. (n.d.). Operant conditioning and avoidance learning. Gracepoint. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://www.gracepointwellness.org/1-anxiety-disorders/article/38494-operant-conditioning-and-avoidance-learning
• Johnston, M. C., Porteous, T., Crilly, M. A., Burton, C. D., Elliott, A., Iversen, L., … Black, C. (2015). Physical disease and resilient outcomes: A systematic review of resilience definitions and study methods. Psychosomatics , 56 (2), 168–180.
• Lambert, M. J. (2004). Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change . Wiley.
• Leaf, R. C., Krauss, D. H., Dantzig, S., & Alington, D. E. (1992). Educational equivalents of psychotherapy: Positive and negative mental health benefits after group therapy exercises by college students. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy , 10 , 189–206.
• Linde, K., Sigleman, K., Kriston, L., Rucker, G., Jamil, S., Meissner, K., & Schneider, A. (2015). Effectiveness of psychological treatment for depressive disorders in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Annals of Family Medicine , 13 (1), 56–68.
• Lorig, K. R., Sobel, D. S., Steward, A. L., Brown, B. W., Bandura, A., & Ritter, P. (1999). Evidence suggesting that a chronic disease self-management program can improve health status while reducing hospitalization: A randomized trial. Medical Care , 37 , 5–14.
• Marie-Mitchell, A., & Kostolansky, R. (2019). A systematic review of trials to improve child outcomes associated with adverse childhood experiences. American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 56 , 756–764.
• Meichenbaum, D. (2007). Stress inoculation training: A preventative and treatment approach. In P. M. Lehrer, R. L. Woolfolk, & W. E. Sime (Eds.), Principles and practice of stress management (pp. 497–516). Guilford Press.
• Merrick, M., Ford, D., Ports, K., Guinn, A., Chen, J., Klevens, J., … Mercy, J. (2019). Vital signs: Estimated proportion of adult health problems attributable to adverse childhood experiences and implications for prevention — 25 states, 2015–2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , 68 (44), 999–1005.
• National Institute of Health. (2017). Any anxiety disorder. Mental health information: Statistics . Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml
• Prout, S. M., & Prout, H. T. (1998). A meta-analysis of school-based studies of counseling and psychotherapy: An update. Journal of School Psychology , 36 (2), 121–136.
• Psychology Today. (n.d.). How much does therapy cost?  Psychology Today. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/cost-and-insurance-coverage
• Thompson, R., & Littrell, J. M. (1998). Brief counseling for students with learning disabilities. Professional School Counseling , 2 (1), 60–67.

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i really appreciate your website cause i have found a lot of good advice and they can help me and someone who really want to get something from it .

Thank you for sharing this informative article about counseling sessions. I hope there are a lot of practitioners who could read this and be guided accordingly.

I have been counselled for Marriage, eventually during the divorce, children, and court ordered counselling and evaluation for more than 30 years. I have an exceptionally negative perception of psychology – i seriously think it is one of the greatest self perpetuating unscientific scams invented by academia to give low performing unintelligent college graduates a market for their BS ideas. Talking to people about your problems is very beneficial. Paying people who basically peddle pseudo science to pretend they have a clue about what is best for you is self delusion. My kids are now grown, i have asked them how much did they think their lives benefited when we were going through one of the roughest patches in our lives. From all the meaningless games they play, to the lying and pretending they care etc. None of them can point to any meaningful impact of any of it that cost me tens of thousands of dollars, at a time when that money could have paid for real things the family needed.

Foa and Kozak found in 1985 that, among other approaches, ACT was effective as a treatment for anxiety? In 1985? I don’t think they mention ACT in the book chapter you cite. You might need to update that.

Whoops, thank you very much for bringing this to our attention! This citation and reference has now been updated 🙂

– Nicole | Community Manager

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Essays on the Importance of . . . in Psychotherapy and Counseling

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Article Published: 11/11/2020

The following is a series of three short essays on the importance of various aspects of doing psychotherapy and counseling. I received my counseling degree in 1978, and I have a small private practice specializing in very brief therapy (mostly single-session), generally using hypnosis based on the work of Milton H. Erickson. I have published 11 books in this field and written many articles, and I have provided workshops, trainings, and presentations in the United States and abroad.

On the Importance of Inclusivity

Clients come to see us because they are stuck; that is, they know only one interpretation for a particular stimulus in their life and that interpretation leads to one response. Although this is a rather simplistic model of psychotherapy, it seems to fit the facts. This means that our main task as therapists is to help clients discover choices in interpretation and choices in responses. Then, they are not stuck!

Also, both we and our clients tend to think about what is troubling them in an either/or fashion. They are depressed, panicked, anxious, obsessive, sad, grieving, unhappy, desperate, blocked, and limited OR they are not. O’Hanlon (2003) found a fascinating way to deal with this stuck state of affairs. He calls it inclusivity , which gets into the realm of both/and . This is oxymoronic technique, using confusion or scrambling of meaning, and is best illustrated by the following statements, generally prefaced by “I wonder how it would feel to be . . .”

• happily depressed/depressedly happy
• compulsively spontaneous/spontaneously compulsive
• obsessively casual/casually obsessive
• sadly delighted/delightedly or happily sad
• desperately free/freely desperate
• actively blocked/blocked actively
• grievingly full of warm memories/warmly grieving
• calmly panicked/panicky calm
• anxiously at peace/ peacefully or calmly anxious
• stressedly calm/calmly stressed
• openly protective/protectively open
• freely dependent/dependently free

Please note that these are all oxymorons, like a “down escalator” or “jumbo shrimp.” 

Recently, in the support group I facilitate, one of the members was talking about being depressed. This was first normalized by another group member talking about how depressed she had been and how she is still occasionally depressed about having cancer. I pointed out that almost everyone I know who has been diagnosed with a life-challenging disease goes through depression at one time or another. Then, I said, “I wonder what it would be like to be happily depressed?” The confusion that appeared in his face was a wonder to behold. Others in the group got the idea and added many both/and comments. (I leave this to your imagination.) He began to smile with the novelty of these new ideas. How could he be depressedly alive and active? What would it be like to be energetically slothful?

Inclusive statements scramble thinking and provide interesting choices for what had hitherto been restricted. I hope thinking more about the transformation involved in going from either/or to both/and will provide you with choices in your own life and also choices for your clients. You might even become effectively ineffective, for example!  On the Importance of Expectation in Hypnosis and Psychotherapy

Expectation is considered the basis of the placebo effect in both medicine and psychotherapy. Expectation involves hope and anticipation and wishing. 

In the beginning, psychoanalysis and psychodynamic approaches were structured for long-term involvement with a client, frequently going on for many years. As psychotherapy developed, the expectation was for fewer and fewer sessions. We now have brief therapy and very brief therapy and single-session therapy. Hoyt (2009) gives an excellent history of brief therapy, along with a scholarly based introduction to the subject. In my practice, I function as a very brief therapist, rarely seeing clients more than one or two times (more if they request). Let me relate how I arrived at this way of working.

I heard the late Steve de Shazer describe a research project carried out at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee. Clients were randomly told at intake that their particular presenting problem usually took five or 10 sessions with a therapist. The therapists did not know about this. At follow-up, it was found that the clients who were told 10 sessions began to do “serious” work in their eighth or ninth session, and the clients who were told five sessions did this generally in the fourth session. Having spent most of my life as an academic scientist, I did a simple extrapolation and wondered what would happen if a client were told that their concerns could be resolved to their satisfaction in one session (two if really needed). So I began telling clients that I worked as a very brief therapist who rarely saw clients more than one or two times. My expectation was one or two sessions, and this turned out to be the case with most of my clients. The late Kay Thompson (2004), one of Erickson’s best students, was fond of saying something like, “If you do not believe in what you are doing, then why should the client?” I believe. It also undoubtedly helps that my sessions are always open-ended with respect to time. (I believe that the record for this is Erickson’s 17-hour session—my record is about three hours.)

Because I have written a book about how I work in this mode (Battino, 2006), I will just mention a few of the things that I do here.

• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) – A session frequently involves some use of the SFBT m iracle question , with its expectation that the client will create in their post-miracle thinking such realistic and appealing life changes that they cannot help but incorporate these changes into their lives. The trick, if you will, is to get the client to provide as much detail as you can elicit for their post-miracle life. Connected with this is suggesting a number of ways they can act as if their life has changed in a particularly desirable way.
• Narrative Therapy – When a client is stuck (why they come to see you), they feel as if they cannot act differently (i.e., they are being controlled in some way by internal forces). Externalization is then used to suggest to the client that the controlling power/entity can be resisted and overcome and even “exorcized.” Although describing the externalization process as an exorcism may appear to be strange, my clients liked this description, and we then work out ways for this to happen. When and how have they successfully resisted or overcome this internal demon? Usually, this work is done in the hypnosis segment of the session, but it can be done directly.
• Gestalt Therapy, Two-Chair Technique – With a surprising number of clients, the Gestalt therapy two-chair procedure is just the correct thing to do. This is the case with polarities within the client and with conflicts with parents or other relatives or people. When a client really gets into switching roles, they are usually in some level of trance.
• Reframing – Suggesting a different meaning to an event, feeling, or experience can be revolutionary. Being stuck means interpreting what is happening in one’s life in only one way. Reframing provides alternate meanings and allows the client to view their life from a changed perspective. Thinking of behaviors in different contexts is also a reframing. To perceive one’s self differently is change that is lasting.
• Stories – Telling stories and building metaphors that contain alternative ways of being and thinking allow the client to discover new ways of living and acting. I tell lots of stories, many of them personal.
• Hypnosis for Consolidation – It is generally accepted that people are more receptive to suggestions while they are in a trance state. The hypnosis segment of a session usually occurs at the end and is used to consolidate and repeat the various themes that have emerged during the session. New suggestions are introduced and woven into the tapestry of the session. The client’s inner mind can then pick and choose what makes the most sense for them. Many relevant possibilities are introduced here.

Milton H. Erickson was an artist in structuring a session with a client so that various expectations were “seeded” at the beginning of the session and then utilized at later, appropriate times. People anticipate change in various ways. Anticipating going to a hospital for surgery can be scary in terms of the procedure or it can be hopeful in terms of the expected outcome. When I got a full knee replacement, I did not look forward to the surgery or the long rehab period, but I certainly looked forward to being able to walk and hike comfortably. Which aspect do you focus on? When you focus on the hopeful and positive aspects of change, the negative aspects dim and blur and can be quickly forgotten or overlooked. When hoped-for change is seeded, then it is more likely to occur. The placebo effect is about anticipating positive change, healing, and health. The literature shows it to be remarkably effective. That is why my expectation is that therapy will proceed rapidly and effectively. 

Expect happiness, health, joy, and the probability of rapid change. On the Importance of Concerns (vs. Problems) in Hypnosis and Psychotherapy

The development of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) by Steve de Shazer and colleagues was a paradigmatic 180-degree shift from the problem-focused therapy that was based initially on the medical model. Yet even with SFBT, the work is still about the “problems” that the clients present. The conversation with the client is about the solutions they have attempted and the solutions that they can attempt. If you ask clients to tell you about their problems, they will do so, and almost ad infinitum . If you ask them what has changed in their life recently that they would like to continue, what has worked for them, and what works for them from time to time, they will tell you that. The emphasis is on solution talk and not problem talk. Stating this another way, the emphasis is not on the organic medical “disease” model but a mental model in which the client has gotten stuck in ways of thinking and behaving that they would like to change.

I have a problem with clients having problems that need solutions. (This is too mathematical!) I prefer thinking about clients being concerned about their thoughts and behaviors (i.e., there are things in their lives that bother them). A concern is of a lesser magnitude than a problem. Problems are serious, and concerns are troubling. Concerns are more easily remedied. I like to think of my clients (and this is my personal belief) as being temporarily troubled . In fact, that is the only diagnosis I am willing to give: being temporarily troubled.

You may think that I am playing games with words here, and I am. Yet in talk therapy, the words we use are the essence of the treatment, the nature of the interaction, and the change agent. Going from a problem to a concern to being temporarily troubled is a major reframe. And reframing is the linguistic mind-changing mechanism of choice for second-order change. Watzlawick et al. (1974) wrote about reframing as the central approach to second-order change, or really changing the system. The goal of therapy is to get the client to do something different, and this occurs via thinking and believing differently about their life and circumstance. They are stuck because they typically have only one way of interpreting or viewing their lives, and this typically leads to only one response. Change comes from changing perspective. 

I am simply urging a small change from problem to concern and suggesting that you think about using the diagnosis (if needed) of temporarily troubled .

Battino, R. (2006). Expectation: The very brief therapy book . Crown House Publishing Ltd.

Hoyt, M. F. (2009). Brief psychotherapies. Principles & practices . Zeig, Tucker & Theisen Inc.

O’Hanlon. B. (2003). A guide to inclusive therapy: 26 methods of respectful resistance-dissolving therapy . W.W. Norton and Company.

Thompson, K. F. (2004). The art of therapeutic communication. The collected works of Kay F. Thompson . Crown House Publishing Ltd.

Watzlawick, P., Weakland, J., & Fisch, R. (1974). Change: Principles of problem formation and problem resolution . W.W. Norton & Company.

For more information about my work, please visit rubinbattino.com .

**Opinions and thoughts expressed in our Counseling Confab articles belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or practices of NBCC and Affiliates.

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Essay on Counseling Psychology

This paper focuses on counseling psychology. The analysis of counseling psychology stems from the need to become a marriage and family counselor. Counseling psychology traces its origin to the 1940s. The American Psychologists Association (APA) recognized counseling psychology under division 7 in 1946. Since its inception and formal recognition, several pioneers in the field, including Milton E. Hahn and others, have put in efforts to ensure counseling psychology grows through research (History of Counseling Psychology, 2019).

Counseling psychology is a segment of psychology that focuses on guiding people through different situations in life through the use of psychological theories to ensure they live the best lives by getting rid of several psychological hindrances. Therefore, a relationship counseling job entails helping people improve their personal relationships, which include marriages and intimate relationships. This field is related to the larger psychology discipline through its use of a variety of psychological theories to understand how humans behave and hence guide people accordingly.

Relevant Theories

One of the key relevant psychology theories in the field of counseling psychology is psychoanalytic theory. Sigmund Freud coined the psychoanalytic theory, which argued that people have subconscious preconceived notions and beliefs that guide how they behave and look at things. The subconscious beliefs stem from previous experiences, mostly childhood experiences (Safran & Hunter, 2020). For instance, the experiences one goes through as a kid are engraved in one’s subconscious mind, influencing their perception, behaviors, and personality. This theory helps counseling psychologists assess several behaviors which people portray and help them change and heal from them by uncovering the origin guiding towards the change. A counseling psychologist who deals with relationship counseling is bound to come across couples who go through issues that relate to subconscious beliefs and notions that relate to prior incidents in their lives. As a result, this theory has been relevant in the counseling psychology field.

Skinner, an American psychologist, came up with the behaviorism theory, which has played a significant theory in the counseling psychology discipline. In the behaviorism theory, Skinner suggests that human behaviors result from interactions with the environment (Verhaegh, 2019). Therefore, through the process of punishment and reward, individuals learn behaviors from their environments. Psychologists have been using the theory to understand how people learn several behaviors by assessing their external environment. As a result, counseling psychologists use the theory to assess how people behave and the origin of their behaviors. Afterward, the psychologists help them do away with negative behaviors that affect their relationships with others hence improving interpersonal relationships like marriages.

Research Methods

Researchers in the counseling psychology discipline use qualitative and quantitative research methods to obtain data and test hypotheses. Researchers use qualitative research methods to enable them to understand human behavior that cannot be quantified. They assess human behavior in an effort to understand the dynamics behind it. Examples of qualitative research methods include observations whereby the researchers observe how the subjects behave under certain conditions. Additionally, the researchers can use qualitative research methods like interviewing respondents and noting down patterns in behaviors from the responses (Frost, 2021).

Furthermore, researchers in counseling psychology also use quantitative research methods whereby they collect and analyze quantifiable data. The researchers use quantitative methods like polls and questionnaires. Through the numbers they collect, they are able to conduct statistical analysis and test hypotheses. The correlations and other variables that researchers obtain from quantitative research enable them to understand human behavior better hence improving the counseling psychology field (Appelbaum et al., 2018).

Empirical Studies

Hanley and Reynolds (2009) conducted an empirical study to determine the effectiveness of using the internet as a medium to conduct counseling sessions. The researchers identified a gap in studies assessing the effectiveness of counseling psychologists using the internet as a medium to administer their studies. As a result of the gap, counselors had no research to refer to before making the decision to administer their services through an internet platform. Therefore, the researchers gathered quantitative data on the effectiveness of the text-based counseling sessions. After conducting the research, which was limited by the scarcity of online-based research sessions and previous literature on the subject, they found that the internet medium, which psychologists had not well utilized at the time of the research, is promising. The empirical study findings have helped the counseling psychology discipline diversify the means of offering to counsel. As a result, humans can easily access the services of professional counseling psychologists despite geographical constraints. A decade later, from the research’s time, the findings’ benefits are evident as most psychologists opt to operate on online platforms. Furthermore, the covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for online counseling sessions and the efficiency they offer.

Gazzola et al. (2011) conducted an empirical study on the identity crisis and stress revolving around the counseling psychology career. The research was based on the research question, “What experiences and conditions do counseling psychology doctoral students perceive as contributing to their professional identities? And What experiences and conditions do counseling psychology doctoral students perceive as hindering their professional identity?” (Gazzola et al., 2011). The research design of the study consisted of qualitative research methods. Through the data collected from the interviews, the researchers found several factors that hinder the professional identity among doctoral students and those that fostered it. The study’s contribution to the counseling psychology field is the recommendations for adjustments to the training of counseling students.

The specific occupation in counseling psychology I plan to is marriage and family therapy. The core responsibility of a marriage and family therapist is to diagnose different emotional and mental disorders that impact the individual’s relationships in a marriage or family setup. Afterward, the therapist uses theories in counseling psychology to help the patient overcome the identified issues. The therapist collects information from the client through interviewing, listening, and observing them. They keep a tab of the information to ensure they keep track of their progress and hence determine whether they should continue with the prescribed treatments or adjust. The treatments include cognitive behavioral treatments to help them improve their relationships with others in their families ( Marriage and Family Therapists,  2022).

Several skills are crucial for marriage and family Therapists to perform their duties effectively. These skills include technical skills like operating various computer software that will be necessary for keeping track of the client’s details and progress. These include Microsoft word and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. Additionally, marriage and family therapists should have interpersonal relations skills to enable them to carry out their duties effectively. These include keen and effective listening, proper speaking skills, and empathy. The keen and active listening skills ensure they can listen to the clients speaking out their issues and noting the issues. Proper speaking skills enable therapists to talk to clients convincingly and encourage them to open up.

Furthermore, the therapist should clearly explain the identified issues and solutions. An empathetic therapist can get crucial information from the client, enabling them to accurately diagnose the issue. Other than interpersonal relations skills, the therapist must have problem-solving skills since the job entails helping clients solve marriage and family problems ( Marriage and Family Therapists,  2022).

A marriage and family therapist should be knowledgeable in certain fields to effectively administer counseling services to clients. One of the knowledge areas includes psychology. A vast and clear understanding of psychological theories and principles enables the therapist to understand human behaviors, identify behavioral issues, and offer appropriate solutions. A fluent understanding of the English language is important since the therapist will primarily communicate with clients in English and keep records in English. Furthermore, the therapist ought to be knowledgeable in customer service to enable them to relate with the clients appropriately. Additionally, therapists should be knowledgeable about the laws regulating the marriage and family therapy field to avoid getting into legal scuffles when administering their duties( Marriage and Family Therapists,  2022).

Several personal characteristics guarantee success in the marriage and family therapy occupation. For instance, an individual who is capable of coming up with creative and original ideas has a higher probability of excelling in the field ( Marriage and Family Therapists,  2022). The original ideas come in handy when formulating solutions to help clients solve marriage and family issues. A fluent communicator in speech and writing is guaranteed to effectively administer their duties as a marriage and family therapist. This characteristic is crucial since the better part of the career entails frequently communicating with the clients to identify problems and further communicate solutions. Problem sensitivity is also important in the field ( Marriage and Family Therapists,  2022). An individual capable of identifying an underlying problem will effectively help clients identify what is wrong with their marriage and relationship issues. Furthermore, deductive and inductive reasoning is a necessary characteristic of a marriage and family therapist.

Use of Curricular and Extra Curricular Activities

Exposure to curricular and extra-curricular activities through my undergraduate studies has helped me amass most of the necessary skills, knowledge, and characteristics to help me perform effectively as a marriage and family therapist. Through the course of my studies, I have had the opportunity to learn a wide range of theories that explain human behaviors, what influences the behaviors, how to identify the behaviors, and possible solutions to aid the change from negative to positive behavior. Other than the knowledge of psychological theories, the assignments have also equipped me with knowledge of how to communicate efficiently. Furthermore, I have learned how to use several computer software that will be useful in my career as a marriage and family therapist. I have also interacted with my classmates both online and offline. The interactions have equipped me with a variety of interpersonal relations skills that will help me relate with clients effectively.

Additionally, I have taken part in an internship whereby I practiced some of the learned theories by helping people solve their marriage and family issues. The internship gave me a hands-on experience with the unique nature of different real-life problems compared to the textbook examples taught in school. The unique, original, and real problems helped me to apply my problem-solving skills by applying the learned theories in real life to help come up with solutions to the identified solutions. More so, the internship helped me practice how to communicate with clients effectively and create an environment for them to be open to sharing and implementing solutions. In conclusion, the curricular activities like learning in class equipped me with the theoretical aspect of being a marriage and family therapist, whereas the extra-curricular activities gave me an opportunity to practice the knowledge in real life and build on my skills and character as a marriage and family therapist.

Appelbaum, M., Cooper, H., Kline, R. B., Mayo-Wilson, E., Nezu, A. M., & Rao, S. M. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for quantitative research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board task force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 3.

Frost, N. (2021). Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology: Combining Core Approaches 2e. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Gazzola, N., De Stefano, J., Audet, C., & Theriault, A. (2011). Professional identity among counseling psychology doctoral students: A qualitative investigation.  Counselling Psychology Quarterly ,  24 (4), 257–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2011.630572

Hanley, T., & Reynolds, D. (2009). Counseling psychology and the internet: A review of the quantitative research into online outcomes and alliances within text-based therapy. Counselling Psychology Review, 24(2), 4–13.

History of Counseling Psychology . Psychology. (2019, November 12). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/history-of-counseling-psychology/#:~:text=Counseling%20psychology%20emerged%20as%20an,of%20application%20for%20specialty%20recognition.

Marriage and Family Therapists . O*NET OnLine. (2022). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1013.00

Safran, J. D., & Hunter, J. (2020). Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapies (2nd ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000190-000

Verhaegh, S. (2019). The behaviorisms of Skinner and quine: Genesis, development, and Mutual Influence.  Journal of the History of Philosophy ,  57 (4), 707–730. https://doi.org/10.1353/hph.2019.0074

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Sample Counseling Psychology Personal Statement (NYU Steinhardt)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

The following personal statement is written by an applicant who got accepted to Masters’s program at NYU Steinhardt School in Counseling Psychology. Read this essay to understand what a top personal statement in Counseling Psychology should look like.

Sample Personal Statement in Counseling Psychology

Growing up in Poland, I had internalized the stigma attached to Psychology and Psychotherapy. I was famous in my circle of friends as “the understanding one,” but I had developed a bitter taste for formally studying Psychology. Therefore, I opted for a more socially acceptable high school major – Computer Science.

But I wanted to learn about human behavior. Turning my back on the subject of my intellectual curiosity alienated me from myself. As expected, I scored miserably in high school. However, I did not give up just yet and went on to enroll in an IT program at the University of Warsaw.

Despite trying to ignite a passion for the discipline, I was inevitably headed toward disaster. A day before my first-year exams, I stared dispassionately at my book. I felt helpless and broke down into tears. At that moment, I realized I needed help from a mental health professional.

But I didn’t seek help because of two reasons. Firstly, hearing that only the crazy go for psychotherapy all my life, I could not muster the courage to deal with that label. Secondly, I only knew of Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists, and I did not want to be diagnosed or medicated.

Then I mustered the courage to cross the inner hurdles that kept me from studying Psychology. I wanted to gain insights into my emotional imbalances and tried to help myself by learning to help others. After that, I convinced my parents and changed my undergraduate central to Psychology.

This opened new doors that led me to a journey of growth and self-discovery. I met some wonderful people and began excelling in my studies. I was unanimously voted as the class representative in my second semester. Improved psychosocial support and self-efficacy began to work magic on my sense of self-worth.

Experiencing a shift from clutter to clarity, I felt a newfound affiliation with those in need. I heard about  Chayn  Poland through social media and started volunteering for it. While working at  Chayn , I was a part of an online community that created a resource portal to inform and help victims of domestic violence in Poland. It was an excellent opportunity to transmit the knowledge of the psychological aftermath of abuse to those who could benefit from it. I’m channeling the same spirit at my current job at  Social Welfare, Academics, and Training for Poland . Lending my hand in research about the psychological impact of militancy and war on the youth of Ukraine allows me to play my role in helping those in need.

Through my introduction to counseling and the humanistic model in my  Perspectives in Psychology  class, I saw the framework I could use to pursue the field of Psychology. Moreover, I realized that the humanistic school stood for the same values I had innately developed – holism; the importance of an individual’s experience, and the belief that all humans have an actualizing tendency.

Coincidentally, one of my close friends had joined a certificate course in  Humanistic Counseling  at Therapy Mission, Warsaw. I enrolled in the next session to test my interest in the subject. As part of the course, I completed 85 hours of group therapy and an equal number of lectures. I learned basic counseling skills, person-centered therapy, gestalt therapy, and transactional analysis. Being in the group was truly transformational. As group therapy generally does, the group started to represent my unconscious perception of the world for me. Some of my group members represented specific figures from the past who I had unresolved issues with. I had the privilege of working on those issues through hot-seat exercises and psychodrama enactments. Being heard changed my relationship with myself. I learned to nurture myself and develop an inner resource, which would help me cope with future distresses more intelligently. I’m currently enrolled in a diploma in  Integrated Counseling .

Stepping out of my comfort zone gave me the strength to explore further. Hence, last summer, I decided to go to Kenya for an internship through AIESEC at  Living Positive Kenya . Among other experiences, the training allowed me to practice the skills I had acquired at Therapy Mission. I facilitated a psychosocial support group of women who had HIV/AIDS. My primary strategy was to create a safe space for women to express themselves. In that space, a woman could express her thoughts, and the group would provide her unconditional presence. Though the feedback was encouraging, I realized I needed more advanced training to deal with similar issues back home. I based my conclusion on the general resistance with which the idea of therapy is met in Poland.

My strength is that I come from a place where people are skeptical about counseling. However, I understand Poland’s dire need for counseling and have experienced its value first-hand. Therefore, I want to reach out and counsel as many people as possible. Having crawled from a pit of emotional darkness towards light puts me in the position to hold someone’s hand while they do the same. Now, all I need is extra muscle.

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Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Counseling — My Purpose in Life: To Help Others as a Counselor

My Purpose in Life: to Help Others as a Counselor

• Categories: Counseling Dream Career Helping Others

About this sample

Words: 2265 |

12 min read

Published: Aug 4, 2023

Words: 2265 | Pages: 5 | 12 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, skills and qualities of an effective counselor, motivations to help others as a counselor, challenges faced in the helping profession, personal goals and purpose to help others, values that shape my life, lessons learned in my life's journey, works cited.

• McLeod, S. (n.d.). Counselling. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/counselling.html

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• Relationships

Relationship Value Guide for Couples Counseling and Self-Help

It’s hard to know what you want when focused on what you don’t want..

Posted April 9, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• Why Relationships Matter
• Find counselling to strengthen relationships
• Unique characteristics of living together obstruct lasting improvement from couples counseling.
• A common obstacle to long-term success is starting treatment after routine resentment has turned to contempt.
• A great obstacle is confusion about what partners want to give and receive in their relationships.

The form of therapy with the poorest sustained success rate is couples counseling. But that’s misleading. Joint counseling of intimate partners faces challenges beyond those of its therapeutic cousins.

A primary obstacle to the long-term success of couples counseling is that partners tend to initiate it too late. This is like waiting to visit an oncologist until the tumor is visible or the pain is unbearable. Typically, one partner pleads for relationship therapy for years to no avail. Eventually, the recalcitrant partner senses (or is told) that the partner who has asked for counseling for years is fed up. At that point, it’s often too late; resentment has hardened into contempt, if not detachment.

Another obstacle to the sustained success of couples counseling is that partners who live together develop habituated routines. If the relationship is hurtful, they develop automatic defense systems, triggered by body language , facial expressions, tone of voice, and disparate energy levels that seem to bring one down and overwhelm the other. In other words, the automatic defense system is typically triggered with no one doing anything wrong. Habits are difficult to change with therapeutic insight, which is processed in the brain much more slowly than habituated responses. Partners learn wonderful skills in couples counseling but find them difficult to practice in routine settings where habits dominate. The positive effects of insight fade quickly at home.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to enduring success in couples therapy is the confusion of clients about the kind of relationship they want. They’ve been so focused on stopping what they don’t want that they’ve lost sight of what they truly desire.

Focusing on what you don’t want creates defensiveness and distance. Focusing on what you want to receive and what you want to give disarms most defensiveness and offers the best chance of getting the relationship you want.

The Relationship Value Guide below can help clarify the union you both truly desire. Each partner should complete it separately and then compare results.

Relationship Value Guide

With whom would you most want to share your moments of success, triumph, and joy?

• Someone else

Whom would you most want to be with if you suffered sorrow, failure, or loss?

If a meteor were predicted to crash into the earth with catastrophic results, with whom would you most want to spend your last hours?

How important is your relationship to you?

• The most important thing in my life
• Very important
• Somewhat important
• I'm fed up with it

What kind of relationship do you want to have with your partner?

• Just friendly and cooperative (not close or supportive)
• None at all

What changes do you think you will need to make to achieve the kind of relationship you want in the future?

I will need to be (check all that apply):

• Compassionate, kind
• Loving, supportive
• Generous of spirit (giving of yourself)
• Aloof/withholding

Give both copies of the completed Relationship Value Guide to your couples therapist and ask for help in creating an action plan to build the relationship you want. Be open-minded in therapy and in negotiations with your partner.

Note: The Relationship Value Guide should not be used in cases of domestic violence or active emotional abuse —deliberately making partners afraid or feel bad about themselves. These are self-regulation issues; couples counseling is contraindicated in these instances.

Steven Stosny, Ph.D., treats people for anger and relationship problems. His recent books include How to Improve your Marriage without Talking about It and Love Without Hurt .

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Summer Undergraduate Courses in Counseling Psychology

Interested in taking a summer course? Check out the available courses in Counseling Psychology!

4-week Session (May 20th – June 16th)

• CP 332 – Gender and Queer Issues in Psychology Online and completely asynchronous!
• CP 655 – Clinical Communication Skills Online from 8:55am-10:10am (lecture) and 10:20am-12:15pm (discussion); Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week

8-week Session (June 17th – August 11th)

• CP 225 – Intersectionalities Online with a scheduled weekly discussion time plus an asynchronous weekly lecture
• CP 230 – Race and the Developing Child Online and completely asynchronous!
• CP 237 – Mental Health and Diverse Communities Online from 2:30pm-5:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• CP 531 – Mental Health: Prevention and Intervention Online from 9:00am-11:45am on Mondays and Wednesdays
• CP 665 – Career Development Through the Life Span Online and completely asynchronous!
• Section 001 – Body Image Online and completely asynchronous!
• Section 003 – Black Psychology Online and completely asynchronous!

*Please note that because these are topics courses, students wanting to enroll will need to email Andrea Burdick ([email protected]) to set up an enrollment permission. All interested students will be allowed to enroll until the course is full.

This post was authored by Academic Affairs on 04/07/2024.