Child counselling approaches and critical evaluation of their application - Essay Example

? Theoretical assessment: Child counselling approaches and critical evaluation of their application BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE Child counselling approaches and critical evaluation of their application Introduction There are a plethora of viable counselling models that are suitable when engaging children for therapeutic intentions. The appropriateness of the model determined to be most effective for supportive healing is interdependent with the current developmental characteristics of the youth. Application of a chosen counselling technique must be aligned with youth values, emotional adjustment and cognitive capacity if there are to be productive and life-long outcome sustainability. There is object relation theory, a psychoanalytic conception describing how a psyche is developed during infancy which shapes the totality of human consciousness and personality. A child experiencing abuse, trauma or neglect from a caregiver will, under this theory, carry these objects, patterns carried into the subconscious which predict similar negative behaviours from others who are reminiscent of earlier, negative caregivers. Similar to object relations theory is Winnicott’s model of the good-enough mother, focusing on the imperative of early infancy caregivers and the caregiver role in laying the foundation of positive mental health therapeutic touch in what is referred to as the holding environment. Despite the relevancy of the aforementioned theories which are beneficial in assisting in knowledge production about what drives maladjusted behaviours, there is much more contemporary emphasis on attachment as a primary consideration for counsellors working with children. Research into contemporary counselling theory and practice, to determine what model maintains the most relevant counselling structure, has indicated a stark congruency between counsellor personalities constructs and behaviours along with youth competencies both socially and psychologically. Winnicott theory deals with the imperative of authentic caregiver role in promoting touch as a viable infant development need, thus this essay focuses primarily on attachment theory and its tangible influences on determining appropriate counselling strategies, the importance of counsellor self-awareness as well as counsellor emotional and psychological development, and identification of strategies most practical to improve maladjusted child behaviours according to respected models of counselling. The relevancy of child attachment, security, and bias removal in counselling practice The relationship between counsellor and child is paramount and there are some basic principles, for example when the therapist and child relate genuinely to each other free from transference. In this gestalt the unexplained does happen. Commitment to psychological counselling and necessary psychotherapeutic exploration, the elements of relating that are being transferred from previous relationships and which may emanate from either patient or therapist. A nurturing relationship where this may have been absent, not good enough, destroyed or lacking information concerning intra-psychic processes leads to the subliminal reparative: A nurturing relationship where this was absent not good enough or destroyed, impacting attachment. Most counselling theorists, researchers and practitioners sustain consensus related to attachment and its role in developing a therapeutic program of child counselling. Attachment is a fundamental and critical circumstance which either facilitates effective and well-adjusted emotional development or serves as a hindrance to positive cognitive, social and psychological growth. Generally speaking, attachment occurs very early in the infancy stage of development between caregiver and child in which smell, touch, language, and blatant caregiver exhibition of infant security determine outcomes such as trust versus mistrust (Holmes, 1993; Bowlby, 1988). The nurturing nature of caregiver behaviours serve as significant predictors of whether a child, in advancing years from infancy, achieve constructive self-esteem or positive adjustment in a variety of social systems. Attachment, however, is not limited to infancy and differing variations of attachment occur throughout child development periods and, oftentimes, manifests itself into adulthood in relation to more intimate adult relationships. Counsellors that are charged with creating therapeutic interventions for children must take into consideration much more than the symptomatic problems occurring within the child when determining an appropriate set of counselling techniques, the counsellor must be aware of the role of attachment as a catalyst for poorly-adjusted child development. Schaefer & Gerard Kaduson (2007) iterate the importance of establishing a secure-base relationship between counsellor and child; an effort to create an attachment to ensure that the child feels secure and safe in the counselling relationship. The majority of psychological theories of human behaviour and motivation iterate that security needs are fundamental for achievement of higher order adjustment, such as self-esteem development and finding sanctuary through social belonging (Weiten & Lloyd, 2005). Children that were exposed to caregivers that did not manifest early-aged security have disrupted the outcome benefits of attachment that are critical contributors to constructive social, emotional and psychological adjustment in later years. Unsatisfactory caregivers who did not provide the aforementioned security for younger children generally produce an unwillingness to trust others, have built negative internal models in the child with distorted views of the self, and a resistance to interpersonal relationship development that are a product of relational traumas or other sufferings directly related to negative attachment scenarios (Schaefer & Gerard Kaduson, 2007). A child would not be placed into the therapeutic care of counsellors if they did not maintain known or otherwise suspected maladjustment problems; a rather common sense view. However, research into the theory of attachment and its stern importance as a foundation of counselling effectiveness have indicated that counsellors must conduct a preliminary needs analysis to determine the impact of previous attachments and current attachment capacity before designing an appropriate therapeutic program. Children cannot be approached in similar strategy to that of adults, due largely to their developmental capacities both cognitive and emotional, many of which are largely universal for all children in different age groups. One of the most respected psychological models of child development was provided by Jean Piaget, which examines capacity occurring in four different stages of youth up until late adolescence and early adulthood. When working with children between the age of two and seven, the counsellor is providing therapy for youths in the preoperational stage of development. It is during this period of development where the child is highly egocentric (University of Colorado, 2009), maintaining difficulty in seeing situations or circumstances from another’s point of view (Weiten & Lloyd, 2005; Santrock, 2004). What makes interventions with youths in this age group most difficult is an inability, due to lack of tangible cognitive brain structures, to successfully manipulate abstract information and view situations logically. Pretend play is commonplace in the preoperational stage, which tends to conflict counsellor attempts to superimpose reason and logical judgments onto the child. This is due to the fact that pretend play is highly symbolic and quite unique and individualised for each child dependent on their level of positive attachment experienced during infancy and earlier childhood periods. Having an understanding of the foundational capacity of children in the two to seven-year-old age group, this is where the counsellor must assess the variety and scope of relationship development necessary to achieve affective trust and security whilst taking into consideration emotional and cognitive capacity. Geldard & Geldard (2008) iterate that children view their social environment substantially different from parental caregivers. Children develop their own working models of values and beliefs founded on secure versus insecure attachment or other associated experiences that have occurred within their unique social systems. As such, the child should not be influenced by counsellor values (which will often be significantly more sophisticated and incongruent with the child’s working assessment frameworks) as this would place undue influence in an effort to steer the child toward counsellor values and beliefs (Geldard & Geldard, 2008). This is ineffective for modern counselling techniques as it is the child’s unique evaluating framework, their aforementioned set of values and beliefs (whether distorted or well-adjusted), that will determine the scope of counselling interventions required to ensure therapeutic outcomes. Children that have not been shown important affections during their infancy and early childhood periods often exhibit defensive behaviours, with supplementary internal conflictions occurring where the child begins to question their own self-worth (Panda, 2002). Lack of affection will, in most instances, lead to either increased aggression or overt compliancy and submissiveness within a social framework. This occurs as an attempt to bolster self-confidence and esteem in a circumstance where these positive reinforcements are not stemming from the social systems involved directly in the child’s lifestyle (Panda, 2002). Coupled with known propensity to maintain egocentric perspectives prevalent during the preoperational stage of development, counsellors must develop appropriate strategies to deconstruct these negative characteristics whilst performing age-specific tactics that are going to be comprehended effectively by the maladjusted child. Now, herein lays the difficulty for a counsellor charged with providing therapy for the neurotic or confused child with poor adapting skills and capacities. Geldard & Geldard (2008) reinforced the necessity for the counsellor to create a framework of relationship development and therapy that are comprehensible and relevant to the child’s unique evaluative framework. However, nearly every counsellor maintains unique sets of biases, prejudice or impartiality, which are oftentimes long-standing based on culture and experiences. Gehardt (2004) iterates that when a caregiver, in this case the counsellor, maintains blockages to understanding their own emotions or other psycho-social states, it will be difficult to countermand bias to better serve the interests of the child. In accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework of best practices in modern counselling, humility is one of the most fundamental moral and ethical obligations of the counsellor. The BACP defines this as accurate assessment and acknowledgement of the counsellor’s strengths and weaknesses (BACP, 2013). Coupled with this is the BACP acknowledgement of competence as an ethical obligation, defined as “effective deployment of the skills and knowledge needed to do what is required” (BACP, 2013, p.8). Counsellors can be beleaguered with their own negative experiences and biases. Friedberg & McClure (2002) iterate that youths asked to sit in a chair to face the counsellor in an effort to discuss their psychological issues can be discomforting for many children. Concurrently, the counsellor may have a personal dislike for engaging in activities that are more aligned with the child’s capable frameworks (e.g. object play) that would serve to conflict positioning the relationship from the perspective of the youth. Counsellors, to serve ethical obligations, must maintain emotional intelligence, a sense of knowing what drives attitudes and emotional responses, and avoid injecting these predispositions onto the child if the counsellor aspires to achieve any effective therapeutic outcomes. “If the caregiver doesn’t have a comfortable relationship with their own feelings, they may not be able to create attachment effectively” (Gehardt, 2004, p.25). Once a child believes that they are understood by the counsellor, the youth begins providing appropriate cues and guidance on the type of language that will actually assist in providing solutions for that which the child requires assistance (Delgado, 2008). However, it must again be recognised that these prompts and signals are going to be aligned with their current developmental capacity recognised by a variety of psychological researchers and practitioners. It is only when the counsellor is able to remove their own personal biases and establish a relationship using language suitable for current developmental capacity that the child will begin to consider the viewpoints of the counsellor; the concept of mind mindedness. Children will not empathise with the counsellor’s perspective until security and trust has been established, thus providing even more legitimate incentive to ensure that attachment between counsellor and the child is established as the most paramount and preliminary stage in the therapeutic model selected by the counsellor. The role of the Children’s Commissioner as identified by the Children’s Act 2004 is to “encourage persons exercising functions or engaged in activities affecting children to take account of their views and interests” (UK Legislature, 2004, p.2). This is appropriate alignment with the conceptions aforementioned by the BACP ethical framework for best practice in counselling as it relates to humility and ensuring the security and well-being of the child which is only accomplishable through effective attachment development. It cannot be stressed enough that being able to assess the counsellor’s own inherent biases serves multitudes of stakeholders in British society in the effort of providing effective counselling outcomes. Attachment will not occur effectively, thus jeopardising establishment of child security recognised as a critical psychological need serving as a stepping stone for self-esteem growth, if the counsellor is not aware of their obligations to embrace humility when attempting to develop a workable and effective program of child engagement. Conclusion Counselling practice does not, based on research understandings and theory; occur within a proverbial vacuum by adopting principles against a known counselling model. There are mitigating circumstances related directly to the child’s current state of cognitive and emotional development, inherent biases and generalised beliefs within the counsellor’s frame of reference that must be considered and/or removed from therapy strategy development, and a critical requirement to build attachment before any meaningful outcomes can be achieved related to therapy. The specific activities associated with a chosen model, whether symbolic or associated with such interventions as cognitive behavioural therapy, are not critical to understanding the foundational best practices of counselling as these techniques and procedures will be adaptable to the legitimate needs or scope of maladjustment for the child. The necessity for bonding between counsellor and child is paramount as the most critical underpinning necessity in counselling practice which will serve as a predictor for success in the chosen program selected to change or improve undesired attitudes and behaviours of the child. References BACP. (2013). Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.bacp.co.uk/admin/structure/files/pdf/9479_ethical%20framework%20jan201 3.pdf Bowlby, J.A. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development. New York: Basic Books. Delgado, M. (2008). Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Children and Young People: An old friend revisited, Psychiatry, 5(5), pp.67-72. Friedberg, R. & McClure, J. (2002). Clinical Practice of Cognitive Therapy with Children and Young People: The Nuts and Bolts. New York: Guilford Press. Geldard, K. and Geldard, D. (2008). Counselling Children: A Practical Introduction (3rd ed.). London: Sage. Holmes, J. (1993). John Bowlby & Attachment Theory. London: Routledge. Panda, K.C. (2002). Elements of Child Development. New Delhi: Kalyani Publishers. Santrock, J.W. (2004). Life Span Development (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill College. Schaefer, C. & Gerard Kaduson, H. (2007). Contemporary Play Therapy: Theory, Research and Practice. New York: Guilford Press. Weiten, W. & Lloyd, M. (2005). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century. UK: Thompson Wadsworth. UK Legislature. (2004). Children’s Act 2004. Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/data.pdf University of Colorado. (2009). Piaget’s Theory. Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://psych.colorado.edu/~colunga/P4684/piaget.pdf Read More