Counseling Theory: The Bondage Breaker
In The Bondage Breaker, Neil T. Anderson presents a very religious and somewhat controversial approach to therapy; he believes that some problems may be the result of demonic possession and his therapeutic approach incorporates traditional Christian methods for dealing with demonic possession. It is important to realize that Anderson does not believe all psychological problems are the result of demonic possession or even that they represent the struggle with sin. Instead, he believes that demonic possession and the concept of sin should be examined after ruling out organic and traditional psychological causes for problems. He points out that the belief that there can be metaphysical causes for real-world problems may go against modern scientific notions, but is supported, not just by Christian theology, but by the modern Western interest in what he refers to as the "two tiers" of reality: an upper transcendent world and…...

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References

Anderson, N. (2006). The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational

Feelings, Habitual Sins. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers.

Counseling Theory: Boundaries and Marriage
In Boundaries and Marriage, Henry Cloud and John Townsend introduce the concept of boundaries as it relates to marriage. In order to understand their theory of boundaries, it is important to realize that this book is one in a series of books that the authors have written about boundaries, and includes an exploration of how boundaries impact interpersonal relationships. Their theory is that relationship problems are rarely solved by looking at how the other people in the relationships are relating or failing to relate, but are more often solved by establishing appropriate interpersonal boundaries.

They include ten laws of boundaries to be incorporated into relationship therapy. These include: the law of sowing and reaping; the law of responsibility; the law of power; the law of respect; the law of motivation; the law of evaluation; the law of proactivity; the law of envy; the law of activity;…...

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References

Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (1999). Boundaries in Marriage. Grand Rapids: Zondervan

Publishing House

New Counseling Paradigm Focusing on Scripture and Family
New Directions for Christian Counseling:

A Focus on Scripture and Family

This paper will focus on presenting a new counseling paradigm which synthesizes the power of the Bible by combining a variety of elements from assorted counseling theories with the inherent goal of maximizing client outcomes. This framework is useful as it mixes the intrinsic nature and needs of man along with the defining psychological elements which contribute to forming his mental health function or dysfunction. Once this model has been discussed, the work then discusses the details of effective counseling intervention. In short, this paper puts forward a counseling paradigm which focuses on the vital role of the client and their motivations in producing their own mental health. The Christian counselor can help clients arrive at the best psychological outcome through utilizing various established counseling models with Scripture, allowing a desire for God's wisdom…...

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References

Curtis, R., & Davis, K.M. (1999). Spirituality and Multimodal Therapy: A Practical Approach to Incorporating Spirituality in Counseling. Counseling & Values, 43(3), 199. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Johanson, G.J. (2010). Response to: "Existential Theory and our Search for Spirituality" by Eliason, Samide, Williams and Lepore. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 12(2), 112-117. doi:10.1080/19349631003730100

Jones, S.L. & Butman, R.E. (1991). Modern Psychotherapies. InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL 60515

Murdock, N.L. (2009). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy. Pearson Education Inc.: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Integration of Counseling Theory From a Christian Perspective
Current Integration of Counseling Theory from a Christian Perspective

The biblical approach to counseling brings with it so much in the field of counseling. Unlike many other logical approaches to counseling, Christian view of personality and counseling takes a spiritual angle to behavior and behavior change. Effectively, the worldview of a Christian ion as far as counseling is concerned will be very different from that of a non-believer. I have developed a Christian-based personal theory of counseling from various readings covered in class. In this respect, I have come to appreciate the role of God and his power in shaping human behavior and bringing humanity into himself. By acknowledging that human beings do acknowledge the existence of the Supreme Being, God as a factor cannot be ignored if the counseling process has to be effective. Whereas human action may be motivated by physical environment…...

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References

Adams, J.E. (1986). How to help people change. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House

Anderson, N.T. (2006). The bondage breaker (New and Expanded Edition). Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers

Backus, W.D., & Chapian, M. (2000). Telling yourself the truth (20th Ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers

Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (1999), Boundaries in marriage, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

Similar to Gestalt therapy, I also did not incorporate existentialist thinking into my theory.
However, similar to Jungian analytical psychology and Gestalt therapy, I view this type of therapy as very philosophical in its' nature and application. Therapy methods that are very philosophical in their application do not appeal to me because they do not seem to adequately address the "real-life" problems, and instead seek vague answers that can be subject to many different kinds of interpretation. Existential therapists seek to find whether the major questions of our existence can be answered. As a result of my disagreeance with this type of therapy, I have not modeled by theory after existential therapy.

Another reason why I have not modeled my theory on existentialism is because most often such theorists will claim a spiritual or religious basis for their optimism.

Hoffman (2004) states that the spiritual existential approach is not necessarily a religious…...

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Bibliography

Ablon, J.S. & Jones, E. (2002). Validity of Controlled Clinical Trials of Psychotherapy:

Findings from the NIMH Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program.

American Journal of Psychiatry, vol.159: 775-783.

Bickford, J. (2004). Prototypical Psychoanalytic vs. Social-Cognitive Approaches to Understanding Personality: A Comparative Assessment. Retrieved November 7, 2005, at http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/1150/psych5html.

Theoretical Approach to Counseling
Personal Counseling Theory Paper

A solution-focused approach would be beneficial to the patient. Cognitive Behavioral therapy offers an approach that allows for a solution based approach to counseling Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006.

Emotional difficulties arise from cognitive distortions, which manifest themselves in the patient's automatic thoughts. The thoughts are triggered by situational events that occur in the life of the patient. This approach compares to the client-centered theory. This theory provides a growth-promoting climate. This environment gives the client freedom and the ability to grow, as they want and need. The therapist will be an active listener, providing empathy, accepting the client, and genuinely been concerned of the client's problems. Understanding the client's emotional difficulties and listening to them will allow the client to open up and be more comfortable with the therapist, which will provide the perfect environment for finding a solution. Challenging the thoughts a…...

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References

Butler, A.C., Chapman, J.E., Forman, E.M., & Beck, A.T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses. Clinical psychology review, 26(1), 17-31.

Hayes, A.M., & Feldman, G. (2004). Clarifying the construct of mindfulness in the context of emotion regulation and the process of change in therapy. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 255-262.

Multicultural Counseling Approaches Used in the Application of the Family Systems Theory
The purpose of this discussion is to explain the multicultural counseling approaches used in the application of the family systems theory.

First we will define the Family Systems theory. Then the discussion will review three counseling approaches that utilize the theory in a multicultural context. These approaches will include family therapy, family literacy and cross cultural marriage workshops.

Family Systems Theory

Family systems theory asserts that people can change behaviors if they are aware of the impact current and historical family behavior has on the definition of his or her choices. In the context of the family systems theory the word "Family" may be composed of the immediate family that the person presides with, the extended family of relatives and friends, and the community in general. (Bowens Family Systems Theory 2002, ¶1)

The family systems theory was pioneered by Dr. Murray Bowen, and…...

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Works Cited

Bowens Family Systems Theory. (2002) (Online)

http://trfn.clpgh.org/wpfc/theory.html

Family Systems Theory. (2001).  http://web.pdx.edu/~cbcm/CFS410U/FamilySystemsTheory.pdf 

Coco, E. Lane. (1998) "A Family Systems Approach For Preventing Adolescent Runaway B." Adolescence. (Online)

Counseling Theory
Existential therapy, person-centered therapy, and gestalt therapy all fall under the rubric of humanistic psychology. They share a considerable amount of theory, philosophy, and practice. Yet each of these practices is stemmed in its own theoretical framework; therefore, existential, person-centered, and gestalt therapies differ in key ways. ecent scholarship on existential, person-centered, and gestalt therapies builds on the rich canon of literature in these three core humanistic traditions, but is more than just summative. The following review of literature shows how existential therapy, person-centered therapy, and gestalt therapy are practiced in the 21st century, and in so doing, reveals the similarities and differences between these three humanistic psychological frameworks.

Existential Therapy

Existential therapy has been called "a way of thinking rather than…a particular style of practicing," (Corey, 2008, p. 216). Corey (2008) claims that existential therapy is "not a separate school or a neatly defined, systematic model with specific therapeutic techniques,"…...

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References

Ceil, C. (2012). Person-centered therapy. Social Science Electronic Publishing. Available at SSRN:   or  http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2051484 http://ssrn.com/abstract=2051484 

Corey, G. (2008). The existential approach to groups. Chapter 9 in Theory and Practice of Group Counseling. Cengage.

Crocker, S.F. & Philippson, P. (2005). Phenomenology, existentialism, and Eastern thought in gestalt therapy. Chapter 4 in Gestalt Therapy: History, Theory and Practice. Sage.

Geller, J.D. (2003). Self-disclosure in psychoanalytic-existential therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology 59(5): 541-554.

& #8230; in its heyday there was elitism and arrogance among psychoanalysts, a sense of having superior knowledge that set us up for a fall" (Altman, ¶ 3). In a field that claims to possess knowledge of the unconscious, Altman asserts, this constitutes an occupational hazard. To counter the temptation to feel more knowledgeable than others, whether patients or the public in general, therapists who practice psychoanalytic therapy, need to remember that the depths of their own unconscious realms are as unfathomable as those they treat.
Psychoanalysis, nevertheless, possesses particularly valuable offerings, despite numerous attacks on meaning. Due to the fact that people currently, continuing to move faster and faster as they pursue success and security. Consequently, "thoughtfulness and self-reflection get crowded out. People are instrumentalized, working around the clock, on their cell phones and e-mail and Blackberries, allowing themselves to be exploited in the service of the corporate bottom…...

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REFERENCES

Altman. N. (2007). Renewing psychoanalysis for the 21st century. Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy. Heldref Publications. Retrieved October 01, 2009 from HighBeam

Research:  http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-171440479.html 

Bacal, H.A. (2007). Discussion of Judy Pickles's case presentation from the perspective of psychoanalytic specificity theory. Psychoanalytic Inquiry. The Analytic Press, Inc.

Retrieved October 01, 2009 from HighBeam Research:

Counseling Theory: Postmodern Approaches Counseling orientation has experienced paradigm shifts over the decades from traditional pioneering theories such as cognitive theory, psychoanalysis, and humanism to the postmodernist theory. The rationale for the progression to postmodernism has been the evolving notion of a multiplicity of reality, a shift from modernist empiricism to constructivism (Shurts, 2015). The traditional counseling theorist considered counseling as a true mapping of the psychic phenomena depicting an accurate depiction of human psychological processes (Hansen, 2015). Contrasting with the modernistic approach that assumes a knowable reality, postmodernism assumes that observers create realities. Hansen (2015) notes postmodernism is grounded on the premise of anti-essentialism where observers always infuse phenomena with meaning as opposed to the true knowledge of phenomena being revealed by through objective observation. Postmodern therapy is anchored on the principle of collaborative and consultative stance between the patient and therapist as opposed to the unidirectional and authoritative stance
According…...

Counseling Alternatives in Modern Times
There are certainly several benefits to counseling theories that consist of contemporary, multicultural, and Biopsychosocial counseling and its integration. However, since each of these respective types of counseling theories focus on a particular aspect of psychology and counseling, there are also drawbacks to them as well. Perhaps the true strength in each of these theories lies in their integration -- both with one another and with other theories in general.

The most salient positive associated with multicultural counseling theories and integration is the emphasis they place on one's cultural identity. As such, clinicians are supposed to help cultivate a client's cultural identity -- which greatly pertains to his or her ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, and other eminent cultural factors. Another boon associated with this approach is that it considers the client as a unique individual, one whose identity "is embedded in multiple levels of experience and context"…...

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References

Banks, J.A., Banks, C.A., McGee, E. (1995). Sue, D.S. Toward a theory of multicultural counseling and therapy. In Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education. New York: MacMillan Publishing.

Borrell-Carrio, F., Suchman, A.L., Epstein, R.M. (2004). The Biopsychosocial model 25 years later: Principles, practice and scientific inquiry. www.annfammed.org / Retrieved from  http://www.annfammed.org/content/2/6/576.full

It has been argued that despite this fact, because substance abuse treatment has been developed by men, for men, it emerged "as a single-focused intervention based on the needs of addicted men." (Covington 2008). ithout empowering substance abusers whose lives have become severely impaired in terms of basic life functioning, treating the abuse or disability as a purely biological function will have little effect, and only address the physical withdrawal symptoms, and surrendering to the addiction may not address the need to seek out new, positive social relationships and to actively construct an environment that does not facilitate the addiction.
Even addicts with jobs who are minimally socially functional may have social structures revolving around their addiction. In the case of many women in particular, the life pattern of being involved with an abusive partner, which may have driven the women to abuse drugs in the first place, becomes a…...

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Works Cited

Bakalar, Nicholas. (2006, July 25). Review sees no advantage in 12-step programs.

The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2009 at  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/health/25drin.html 

Buddy, T. (2009, March 7). Are you a functional alcoholic?

About.com. Retrieved September 27, 2009 at  http://alcoholism.about.com/od/problem/a/functional.htm

Some other factors may also be addressed such as the client's perception of his or her role in homosexuality, if he comes from a culture where it is normal or acceptable for men to be sexually active with other men, so long as he is not sexually passive -- this may affect his sense of his sexual identity as well.
It must be stressed, above all, at the first session, that the counselor cannot provide the client with an all-encompassing answer to his or her dilemmas regarding family and identity. The counselor cannot be the person who gives permission to 'leave,' or the person who orders the individual to 'stay.' Rather, the counselor is there as a sounding board. At this early juncture, once the client's readiness to leave or not leave his current marital session is assessed, it may be helpful to have another counselor deal with the problems…...

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Works Cited

Gladding, Samuel. (2005) Counseling Theories: Essential Concepts and Applications. New York: Prentice Hall

Defense mechanisms, the unconscious, coping mechanisms, self-actualization and archetypes are other examples. The ultimate and most useless example is the "little person," that resides in everyone and explains his behavior. These include ideas like soul, mind, ego, will, self and personality. Skinner, instead, suggests that psychologists should put their energies on what is observable, such as the environment and human behavior occurring in the environment (oeree).
Person-Centered Therapy

This therapy states three core conditions under which growth may occur (Mulhauser,

2011). These core conditions proceed from the assumption that a person naturally possesses the inner resources for growth. He is the best authority on his own experience. He also believes in his capability to realize his own potential for growth. The therapy, however, recognizes that the realization depends on favorable conditions. Under adverse conditions, a person is often denied unconditional acceptance and positive regard. He then fails to apprehend the true meaning…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Boeree, C.G. (2006). BF Skinner. Personality Theories C.G. Boeree. Retrieved on February 8, 2011 from  http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html 

Dodd, G. (2011). Counseling techniques and skills -- an introduction. Ezine Articles:

EzineArticles.com. Retrieved on February 8, 2011 from   -- an-Introduction&id-2748802http://ezinearticles.com/?Conseling-Techniqes-and-Skills 

Grant, S. (2011). Person-centered therapy. California State University Northridge.

This is accomplished by using a number of different tactics in conjunction with each other to include: examining their lifestyle, developing client insights, establishing a strong relationship with the patient and creating a change in behavior. When interacting with children, these views are used to comprehend how: their connections with friends and family members are influencing their desire to be accepted. ("Theories of Counseling," 2010) (, Tice, personal communication, October 25, 2012)
The Freudian approach is looking at how the child is developing base upon their relationship with others and the way they are dealing with the different stages in their lives. These include: studying the unconscious mind, analyzing dreams, examining the effects on the id / ego / superego and psychosexual development. The combination of these factors are designed to provide the therapist with a complete picture of what events are impacting the social, mental and emotional development of…...

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References

School Counseling. (2012). All About Counseling. Retrieved from:  http://www.allaboutcounseling.com/library/school-counseling/ 

School Counselors. (2012). Kids Health. Retrieved from:  http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/school_counselors.html 

Theories of Counseling. (2010). UNLV. Retrieved from: http://blogs.education.unlv.edu/csi/files/2010/02/nce-study-guide-theories-and-helping-relationships.pdf

Efford, B. (2012). Assessment for Counselors. Belmont, CA: Brooks / Cole.

There are a number of different counseling theories that mental health professionals can use when working with a client.  The choice of counseling theory is often a question of personal preference for the practitioner; most counselors or therapists are trained in a particular approach and default to that approach for most clients.  However, individual client needs can also dictate the type of counseling approach that a therapist chooses.  Some approaches are not suitable for use with some clients, while some different theories and approaches have great track records with certain types of....

Pivotal Life Experiences Shaping a Professional Counselor's Career Path

The path to becoming a professional counselor is often paved with a constellation of pivotal life experiences that ignite a passion for helping others and shape the counselor's unique approach to the profession. These experiences provide a profound understanding of human struggles, resilience, and the transformative power of counseling.

Childhood Trauma:

Personal adversity can often serve as a catalyst for a future career in counseling. A counselor who has experienced childhood trauma may develop a deep empathy for individuals who have faced similar challenges. This experience provides invaluable insights into the coping mechanisms and....