Personal Theory of Counseling of Counseling #20 University of Florida of Florida April 11th, 2013
1 View of Human Nature
I am of the firm belief that at the core of every human is an inherent goodness, a goodness that cannot be altered, tarnished or lost through one‟s decisions or life experiences. Rather , this positive core can only be temporarily obscured. I consider the basic nature of a human to be similar to that of a small pond: if the water is continuously disturbed the mud and dirt will rise from the bottom and obscure the clarity of the water . However , if allowed to settle in stillness the water will regain its clarity. Similarly, I believe that if we allow ourselves to settle into what we truly are in the moment, to be congruent with our experiential self , our basic goodness re-emerges unchanged. In dealing with the question of free will and determinism, I conceptualize the human condition as being thrown into a matrix of life conditions, while retaining the freedom to choose our responses to these conditions. While we do hold the power to influence our life conditions to a certain degree (e.g. working towards social change, lifestyle choices etc.), there will always be a limitation on these choices and we must always face the existential givens of reality (e.g. life‟s finiteness). From this perspective it follows that the ultimate freedom does not lie in our power to change the outer world, but rather in our power to choose a response to its circumstancesand demands in the moment. I would extend this proposition of „freedom through choice‟ to the realm of inner life as well. Anyone who has tried to rid the mind of thoughts for even a minute is well aware of the fact that our thoughts and emotional reactions seem to be outside of our control much of the time. However , through choosing our responses to inner stimuli we can express our freedom of mind. Furthermore, I believe that through the practice of not reacting to thoughts (and consequently getting caught up in further agitating the mind) while still remaining fully present with our inner experience, we can learn to increase our inner freedom potentially to the point of complete liberation from the habits of the thinking mind. This for me is the true path to freedom.
2 At this point I feel it important to point out that in my view the same centered stillness of mind (i.e. congruence with the experiential self in the moment) that leads the individual to experience increased freedom and growth, also allows the individual‟s fundamental goodness to emerge. I would like to suggest that this state of congruence is not only an inherent human capacity, but also the original state of the human experience. Consider an infant who does not have the capacity to think , but rather experiences reality fully moment to moment; there is no capacity to conceptualize and therefore no capacity to be incongruent with the real, fluid experience of self . As this is the natural state of a human being – a state that promotes the individuals growth towards achieving inner freedom and self-actualization – I posit that we are all born with the innate tendency to grow towards our full potential. The Source of Mental Illness
I believe that assuming the experience of mind to be a simple unidirectional „result‟ of the biological processes of the brain is a mistake. That is to say that I support the view that an individual‟s conscious thoughts alter the functioning of the brain on a neural level (Davidson & Begley, 2012). These changes can contribute to both dysfunction and healing. I make this point to suggest that even while taking into account the biological component of many recognized mental „illnesses‟, it is inappropriate to assume that atypical patterns of brain functioning indicate the source (rather than the result) of dysfunctional thoughts, patterns of behavior , and ways of being. When it comes to defining mental „illness‟ I take a relativistic approach: I in no way believe that deviation from the norm constitutes „illness‟. Furthermore, I believe that the term „illness‟ is an arbitrary designation; a more accurate conceptualization would be that we experience constantly varying degrees of health and dysfunction. I would like to acknowledge the role of nature, nurture and individual action/choices as potential sources of psychological problems. For example, an individual
3 can be born with a high tendency for physiological arousal in stressful situations (i.e. emotional reactivity), and could be raised by parents who exhibit high levels of emotional reactivity along with little skill in handling their emotions. Both of these factors would likely contribute to a predisposition to experiencing psychological problems stemming from high emotional reactivity and low skill in handling emotionally stimuli. However , through and individual‟s conscious actions and choices this predisposition can be overcome (or further exacerbated). This brings me to the problem I view to be of greatest concern to the counselor . I believe that every individual is infinitely resourceful and has the capacity for self-awareness, change and growth. However , we can lose contact with this innate positivity and resourcefulness when we strive to be something other than what we are. In light of this I believe that the most fundamental problem a counselor must address is helping his or her client become satisfied with and trusting of who he or she really is in the moment. Once the client‟s illusory self-concept (which includes conditions of worth and the notion of a fixed self) is broken down, the client can once again reconnect with the core experience of self in the moment. It is from this center that the client begins to develop an internal locus of evaluation, acceptance of self & other and an accurate perception of reality. It is from this center that the client can continue the process of growth and self-actualization. The Purpose of Counseling
The purpose of counseling is to facilitate the client‟s reconnection with the real experiential self . This can also be thought of as helping the client gain a greater awareness, acceptance and clearer understanding of his or her phenomenological experience in the moment. Once this occurs I believe that the client has been made capable of solving his or her own issues, having been granted the power to engage in intentional, authentic and growth-oriented living in the present. From this state, empowerment naturally occurs as the client‟s trust in his or her own capacity for growth, inherent
4 worth and goodness are restored. The process of therapy is not intended to rid the client of discomfort or pain, but rather to help the client develop a deep sense of peace, trust and wholeness in the experience of self in the present moment. This is the real indicator of effective therapy. Theoretical Integration
My personal theory of counseling seeks to integrate the Person Centered , Existential and Gestalt approaches with Buddhist Psychology Key concepts
Buddhist philosophy, PCT, Existential and Gestalt theory all assert that the root of psychopathology is essentially clinging to an illusory fixed sense of self , rather than experiencing the real self directly in the present moment. Conversely being aware of , accepting and living from this experiential self is the key to mental health, growth and self-actualization (Corey, 2009; Goleman, 2004; Hutterer , 1996). This contention is consistent with my belief that every human is inherently good, resourceful, and naturally engages in self-actualization when experiencing congruence with this real self . Although Existential theory maintains that human nature is neutral I choose to reject this notion (Corey, 2009). Based on this premise of fundamental goodness, the purpose of therapy in each framework is to in to help the client reconnect with and accept his or her own experience of real self in the present moment, firstly through bringing this experience to the client‟s conscious awareness. However , each framework seems to focus on a slightly different aspect of this experience. Gestalt emphasizes the awareness of emotions and polarities within the experience of self “in the now” (Corey, 2009, p.202). This approach also draws the client‟s attention to his or her inability to connect with the real self (and consequently one‟s surrounding field) through exploring the concept of contact/boundary phenomena (Corey, 2009). Existential theory brings the client‟s awareness to the individual‟s
5 capacity for freedom through choice, the continual creation of self and meaning through engagement in the present, and acceptance of uncertainty and anxiety in the face of existential realities. (Corey, 2009).As a result, the client‟s awareness is also brought to how they may be avoiding the freedom and responsibility of being fully engaged in the present moment. PCT‟s primary aim is to provide the growth fostering conditions of unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence so that the client can use the therapeutic relationship to move towards “becoming what he or she already is” (Rogers, 1995; Corey, 2009). Buddhist psychology presents a similar , if not more fundamental iteration of the same process. By engaging in the practice of mindful awareness, which John Kabat-Zinn (1995) describes as "paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment”, the client comes to a direct experience of his or her process of self in the moment. Through this practice, the practitioner becomes familiarized his or her moment to moment experience, and over time congruence becomes the practitioner‟s default state of being (Goleman, 2004). In relation to my integrated theory, I believe that these fourth theoretical perspectives are three variations on the same theme: therapy should focus on the client‟s unique phenomenological experience, and facilitate the client‟s shift from holding rigid, fixed and inaccurate conceptions of self and reality, to becoming aware of their own experience self and reality in the present. This fundamental shift from „thinking and doing‟ to a firm foundation in the act of simply „being‟ what they is what allows the client to express his or her innate self-actualizing tendencies and basic goodness. -
The Process of Change
6 The process of change begins with the client‟s increasing awareness of themselves in the moment. In all four therapeutic frameworks, it is this initial redirection of the clients awareness to his or her experience of self that begins the process of change. This starting point of increased awareness and trust in the experience of the present moment is what allows the client to explore new-found or forgotten dimensions of his or her experience, as well as intentionally experiment with new behaviors and ways of being. While the therapist and clients are collaboratively responsible for fostering the conditions for increased awareness and change through the therapeutic relationship, integrating this increased awareness into daily life is ultimately up to the client. Change occurs through the humanistic paradox: the client can only change through fully becoming what they already are. Once again therapy is not intended to rid the client of their problems or discomfort, but rather to help the client discover his or her own inner resources. The level to which the client is able to do this is the real indicator of the effectiveness of therapy. In my approach I view thoughts as both the antecedents to actions and emotions, as well as the key point of leverage in helping my client increase their inner freedom. In accordance with the therapeutic orientations I align myself with I firmly believe that emotions are not something that we can or should change. Instead we can only experience them by recognizing and sitting with them in the moment. However we can recognize and consciously change our patterns of thought, and consequently behavior, by choosing how we respond to external and internal stimuli. In the most eloquent words of Viktor Frankl (2006) "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." By changing how we choose to respond internally (through thoughts), we ultimately change our behaviors, and influence our emotional reactions. -
Role of the Counselor
7 The primary goal of the counselor is to help his or her clients increase their awareness of their phenomenological experiences of self and reality, with the ultimate aim of helping the client develop a deep sense of peace, trust and wholeness in his or her own experience in the present moment, i.e. congruence. In my integrated approach the therapist does not take the primarily directive stance of the prototypical Gestalt therapist (Corey, 2009). However, I believe that my approach offers the therapist the flexibility to be directive at times, as long as he or she is guided by the central question: does my client feel like this fits? First and foremost, the therapist should be a fellow companion in exploring the client‟s experiences in the therapeutic relationship as well as a facilitator of increased awareness and insight into the experience of self and human condition (including the freedom of choice, and inherent uncertainty of life), as consistent with the Person-centered and Existential approaches (Corey, 2009). The therapist‟s ultimate responsibility is to make his or her genuine, unconditionally accepting and empathic presence available to the client through the therapeutic relationship. The most essential and distinctive intervention I would use with my client would be to aid the client in establishing a personal mindfulness practice, which is core to Buddhist psychology (Goleman, 2004). I believe firmly in transformational capacity of this practice and believe that this practice would enhance the client‟s capacity for self-awareness, full presence, integration of new awareness, ways of being and freedom into the client‟s day to day life. -
Values and Personal Style
Above all else I value close relationships and authenticity to one‟s own experience. However I feel that without the capacity to live authentically in the present, it is impossible to establishing genuine, loving relationships with another human a being. This is reflected in the centrality of the authentic experience of the self, in the present moment, as the key to self -actualization in all four of the therapeutic frameworks that I integrate (Corey, 2009, Goleman, 2004).
8 My approach to counseling is also reflective of my personal style in that it allows the therapist a large amount of flexibility with very little structure. As a therapist I would like to have the freedom to be actively involved with my client (without being overtly directive), and be reflective (without being too passive). I am personally very comfortable with improvisation and spontaneity, and believe that this flexibility is the only way to have truly authentic interaction with a client. I choose to straddle the middle ground between passive and active, while always remaining responsive to and reflective of the client‟s experience.
9 References
Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9th ed., Student ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, CENGAGE Learning. Davidson, R . & Begley, S. (2012). The emotional life of your brain: how its unique patterns affect the way you think , feel , and live--and how you can change them. New York: Hudson Street Press. Frankl, V. (2006). Man's search for meaning . Boston: Beacon Press. Goleman, D. (2004). Destructive emotions how can we overcome them? : A scientific dialogue with the Dalai Lama. New York: Bantam Books. Hutterer , R . (1996). Client-centered and experiental psychotherapy : a paradigm in motion. Frankfurt am Main New York: Peter Lang. Rogers, C. (1995). On becoming a person : a therapist's view of psychotherapy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Zinn, J. (1991). Full catastrophe living : using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress , pain , and illness. New York , N.Y: Pub. by Dell Pub., a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub. Group.
