Strengths Based Counselling Essay

Counseling has evolved into a broader scope since 2000. It now encompasses a systematic helping process based on the principle of psychology used by the professional counselor to help clients in handling their development and challenges in modern living. Counseling includes crisis intervention, marriage and family counseling, relationship counseling, career counseling, rehabilitation counseling, mental health counseling, sexual trauma counseling, AIDS counseling, philosophical counseling, grief and bereavement counseling, substance abuse counseling, transgender counseling and others. All counselor approaches have something to offer when used by a trained counselor some theoretical approaches work better than others depending on individual needs.

Prevailing characteristics of the session are active listening, empathy, acceptance (unconditional positive regard) and genuineness. Holistic Health (Biopsychosocial) asserts that we have physical, intellectual, social, emotional, vocational and spiritual needs -- the neglect of which reduces the ability of one to withstand the effects of stress. And we live in socio-economic conditions that can enhance or demean our long-term well-being. Strengths Based counseling focuses on what is going right in a person’s life; the counselor and client work together to find past and present successes and use these to address current and future challenges. Its first cousin, Positive Thinking or Learned Optimism, is about learning a positive perspective – focusing on what can go right. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ABC Method) could be described as “as I think, so I feel (and do)!” In any given situation you have: A. Activating Event – the actual event and the client’s immediate interpretations of the event, B. Beliefs about the event – this evaluation can be rational or irrational and C. Consequences – how you feel and what you do or other thoughts. On the other hand, Solution Focused Therapy (Where do I want to be?!) focuses on what clients want to achieve through therapy rather than on the problem(s) that made them seek help. The approach does not focus on the past, but instead, focuses on the present and future. The client is asked to envision how the future will be different when the problem is no longer present. The Existential approach (Why Am I Here?!) is also known as “Meaning Therapy.” As Viktor Frankyl put it, “He who knows the ‘why’ for his existence, will be able to bear almost any ‘how.’” Therapy is concerned with creating one’s identity and establishing meaningful relationships with