Personal Therapeutic Approach

This course will focus primarily on the development of attending skills in helping professions. Over the last two years I have taken several psychology and sociology classes, with each one offering new and eye-opening perspectives into therapy techniques. The first thing I was asked to do was a 50-question self-inventory aimed toward helping me gain awareness in personal therapeutic approaches. I did struggle with some of the questions, feeling that it was nearly impossible to choose only one “right” answer. That is the most interesting thing about therapy. Since each person is unique, their paths to recovery are also distinct. It appears we will have an opportunity to take the same test at the end of the term so that we can compare our outcomes.
After we all introduced ourselves and shared our interests in counseling/therapy, we were presented with a series of sessions between Dr. Gerald Corey and his patient Stan. Dr. Corey uses these videos to introduce several counseling methods and offers insight into how and why a professional might use them. These serve as a great supplement to the textbook and allow for excellent discussion within our group. It is

Corey mentions that the existential approach is the backbone of his methods. He is a strong believer in building a good relationship with the client and letting them know exactly what you expect to accomplish. Concentrating entirely on the human condition, existential therapy boasts human capacities and works to inspire individuals to take accountability for their accomplishments. Since Stan exhibits signs of extreme nervousness and has an inferiority complex, it appears that he would benefit from existential therapy. In this, emotional and spiritual difficulties are regarded as inner conflict triggered by confrontation with the principles of reality. Rather than probe into the past, the existential approach looks at the present, exploring what the human condition means for that