Personal Counseling Approach - Essay Example

Personal Counseling Approach Human beings do not fit neatly into pigeonholes of theory and practice. This single quandary is of paramount concern to many career counselors. Any task involving the human constituent-from plotting a war to planning for a career-involves a certain degree of ambiguity, because human behavior is often unpredictable. In fact, the counseling profession depends upon it. If there did not exist extreme disparities in personality, culture, language, and class, then there would be no need for help professionals such as counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists.

But, because these variations do endure and are the source of much conflict, it is my opinion that the behavioral theory, family theory, and multicultural theory are most beneficial to a comprehensive assessment of a client’s past and present, and the most helpful in guiding a person towards a better future. Having been raised in a liberal, open-minded family, I aim to take a tolerant, gentle, but straightforward approach to counseling. My upbringing consisted of a very open, loving environment in which social bruises like prejudice and inequality were highly frowned upon and discouraged.

Many of the moral and social values I possess today were acquired during my childhood. Though many of my social convictions were derived from my upbringing, life is an evolution of development, and I am subject to the influence of experience and environment. I view the patient as the vehicle of change, and as a counselor, it would be my goal to assist and facilitate in a process conducive to positive change. Adopting a stylistic approach to counseling fosters effective transcultural counseling methods.

It is important that a good counselor be able to apply knowledge and skills across cultural divides. Individuals who have been historically underrepresented in many social systems, can benefit from a counseling model that is more socially inclusive. I hope to provide a counseling style that encompasses and caters to all cultural backgrounds rather than alienating certain groups. Consequently, my challenges seem to lurk in areas of chemical imbalance and cognitive disorders in which the obstacles are not always as apparent.

Like many people, I reach for origins and roots to problems. Finding the source of a problem elusive is sometimes difficult. I endeavor to employ patience in challenging situations. Through field study, experience, and analysis I will grow to be a more versatile counselor. My counseling and psychotherapy worldview incorporates a moral framework intimately connected to behavioral theory and multicultural theory-a worldview that is both culturally and socially inclusive. I perceive each session as an opportunity to cultivate and support both moral and social growth within a patient.

I hope to integrate a variety of practical theories, but I also intend to venture beyond these theoretical applications and approach each patient as individually unique. It is my belief that a good help professional must always be asking questions and analyzing circumstances. I hope to discover how much my own worldview effects change in my patients. I would also like to become more acquainted with class discrepancies and social backgrounds, as this will make me better equipped to counsel a culturally diverse group of people.

The role of a counselor is to listen and encourage careful reflection and promote positive change. As a counselor, I wish to provide a mutually inclusive and non-threatening environment where all individuals will feel welcome and ready to work on themselves. Works CitedCormier, Sherry and Hackney, Harold L. Counseling Strategies and Interventions. (6th Edition). Allen & Bacon. 2004