Strengths and Weaknesses of Integrative Therapeutic Counseling - Report Example

Strengths and Weaknesses of Integrative Therapeutic Counseling Introduction Integrative Therapeutic Counseling is becoming more important in the psychotherapy spheres. This approach is geared towards creating an effective method for treating patients, as opposed to using one therapeutic counseling approach. The integrative therapeutic counseling can also be used in the Christian context (Walsh, 2008). Integrative counseling Integrative counseling refers to when a therapist uses more than one approach or counseling theory to treat a patient. A therapist may decide to use this approach because they feel that there is no specific approach that is specifically effective on its own. As a result, this approach uses a number of approaches and integrates them into one approach in a way to try to have a comprehensive therapy formula. Eclectic therapy approach Eclectic therapy approach is similar to the integrative approach in that the therapist does not use one specific modality or approach to treat the patient. However, the eclectic therapy approach is different from the integrative approach in a number of ways. To begin with, the eclectic approach is more flexible and more specific to a patient. In using an integrative therapy, the therapist analyzes the patient and tries to use a range of counseling approaches that he or she might important in a particular case (Norcross & Prochaska, 1988). This is intended to bring out the best results because all the best elements of each of the approaches used will be combined while the cons of each of the approach will be avoided. In other words, instead of integrating a number of therapeutic approaches, the eclectic approach picks the best elements from each element and only applies these best elements of several approaches in treating a patient. Processes in a integrative therapy The first process of creating an integrated approach in therapy is the common factors method. The common factors method looks at the different factors that are common in all the approaches. Once the common factors have been identified, the approaches that have the most common factors can be integrated together to make one integrated approach. The advantage is that only the practices that have been proven to work are used and this increases the efficacy of the integrated model resulting from this. Eclecticism way of developing integrative therapeutic approach Eclecticism is the other way in which the integrative therapy can be developed. In this regard, the best elements that have worked in other situations are selected and then used to make one integrated model. This approach works in an evidence-based practice method to create a treatment model. Comparing of integrative and eclectic approaches According to the above descriptions, it is clear that the eclectic approach is more advantageous in that it allows the therapist to be able to tailor a therapy process that is specific to each patient. There is no one single eclectic therapy modality that is applied to all patients. This as Howard, Nance and Myers (1986) say, is important in that not all patients are the same. Integrative therapy, while it has the advantage of using more than one therapeutic approach in order to address all the needs of a patient is less flexible than the eclectic method. Integrative therapeutic approach only uses an integration of several counseling approaches but does not allow the approach to be tweaked to meet the needs of the individual patient (Institute For Integrated Psychotherapy, 2014). This lack of flexibility is very critical in that it does not provide for a way for the therapist to be able to develop a therapy process that is specific to a patient (Norcrossa & Grencavagea, 1989). Advantages of integrative counseling Useful In Co-Morbidly Situations The fact that the integrative therapy approach combines a number of approaches means that it can be very useful in treating patients with more than one disorder. In some cases, a patient being treated may have more than one mental or psychological disorder that needs to be treated. In such a case, the integrated therapeutic approach is necessary in making sure that all the disorders are taken care of and that the patient is treated properly. The argument behind this is that each disorder is best treated using a specific counseling approach. As a result, the fact that the patient may have more than one disorder would require the therapist to use more than one approach. However, in using more than one approach to treat the co-morbid patient, the different therapy approaches are not applied individually but are applied in an integrative way so that they fit together to provide one integrated therapy model (West, 2010). Helps in tapping into the subjective world of the patient As Thorne (2012) argues, although even other approaches to counseling and therapy can also be utilized to offer solution-focused therapy, integrative counseling is so much more useful in this aspect. When integrative counseling is done from the Christian perspective, it helps the patient to be able to of connect with the therapist in a way that can help the patient to recover in an easier way. The therapist is also able to connect to the patient’s world and develop a solution based on the patient subjective or spiritual world. Once the therapist is able to know the patient’s religious beliefs and convictions, he or she can use this to develop a solution that is based on these beliefs and thus help the patient to recover easily. Of course, the challenge is that the solution the therapist will develop may not be supported scientifically due to the fact that some religious attitudes towards psychology do not align with scientific approach. However as a way to help a patient to recover from a psychological disorder such as depression, it might have an effective impact in that the patient is more likely to believe in the intervention of a higher power (West, 2010). In an integrative counseling approach, the therapist does not necessarily act as the provider for the solution but only as a pointer to this solution. The patient will therefore feel that the solution to his or her problems will come from a higher power as opposed to coming from the therapist. This has a number of important outcomes. First one, the patient may be less opposed to the therapy process. This is important as in most cases the biggest hindrance to successful therapy is the resistance by the patient. Most patients do not seem to believe of have the confidence that the therapy will help them to overcome their issues. As a result they seem to be resistant and to distance themselves from the counseling or therapy. Mostly, this may be because the patient may not believe that another human being (the therapist) has the capacity to help them. However, with regard to integrated counseling where the therapist includes the principles of Christian values and beliefs, this issue of patient resistance seems to dissipate making it easier for the therapist to smoothly help the patient to overcome her problems. In this regard, there a number of factors that must be addressed when applying the integrated counseling approach. First, that there is a need to make sure that the patient’s Christian values have been well established and that they are being used effectively to make sure that the patient is understood. This will then require that the initial analysis of the patient to include an analysis of her religious persuasions in order to create a baseline for his or her therapy. Secondly, it will be easier to make sure that the patient psychoanalysis is done in a way that the customer feels comfortable with. Disadvantages The main disadvantage is the fact that when Christian principles are used to do counseling, the patient being treated may feel that he or she is being judged as opposed to being helped. Christian counseling and psychotherapy seems to revolve around the relationship between man and God and in this case, any issues that an individual may be having are attributed to the persons severed relationships with God (Ingram, 2010). According to the bible, God never abandons his people and it is only his people’s sins and arrogance that can separate them from God. When a person is separated from his God by his own sin, this is when they may have a problem. This is used to explain such issues as depression and anxiety. In this regard, the person needs to find his error and get back to God. In other words, it is his fault that he is in this situation and only him who can correct the situation. Two main issues arise from this situation. One, the patient may feel judged and thus feel helpless because he feels that he should be getting help and now he is being judged. A person who may be suffering from issues such as depression may find this very hard to deal with. This is because depression and a number of other mental disorders make the person to feel hopeless and worthless and therefore making them feel that they are themselves the origin of their own problems only makes the situation become even worse (Boniwell, 2008). As Marshall (2009) argues, although using Christianity in counseling may prove to be difficult enough with regard to counseling Christian patients, it is even more difficult in treating the non-Christian patients. Since non Christian patients do not subscribe to the Christian faith, they may find it hard to be able to believe that the Christian faith may be practical in helping them. This as Corey (2012) articulates, is becoming ever more important in that more and more people are abandoning the Christian faith, not necessarily to join other religious persuasions but to become agnostics. Advancements in science has increased the conviction in many people that the idea of God is a fabrication, or as secular psychologist like Freud would put is, an imagination of the human mind as a coping mechanism. This indicates that Christianity may not be very useful in delivering the right results with regard to counseling these people. Christian counseling must realize that this aspect of counseling is becoming less effective. Even patients who are Christians are seen to prefer non-Christian psychotherapists because they say that secular psychologists are likely to help them deal with their problems without judging them or making them feel awful about themselves (Kaslow, 2004). This is extremely important and can be used to gauge the importance of Christian counseling. It becomes incompatible with different faiths Although integrated counseling is effective with regard to a situation where patient and the therapist are of the same faith, it fails dramatically where the two do not share a faith. Christian counselors must be careful not to be tempted to use the integrated counseling approach with patients who are not Christians (Ingram, 2010). They must be consciously cognizant of the fact that not all of their patients are Christians. Apart from some of the patient being of a different faith, it is also necessary to note that most people these days, even those who are Christians do not have strong convictions about religion. In fact, a lot more people these days are have agnostic tendencies and in such a case, if the therapist applies the integrated counseling approach to the therapy process, the intervention may have very little chance of succeeding. The therapist must also be very cautious not to turn the counseling into an evangelical intervention. In fact, this could be the biggest hindrances to the process of counseling. Faith Issues Even among those who have a strong faith and conviction, the integrated counseling approach may have more issues coming up with a solution for the patient. It might be even harder for the patient to have faith that God is his solution and he or she may be asking himself why if this God is so good he would allow him to be in that bad situation in the first place. People interpret things differently and it is possible that when the integrated counseling will be used on a patient, the patient may start having these issues of “why did God allow it?” In such a case, the therapist applying the integrated counseling approach may be tempted to start a faith intervention and in this case, it might be harder for the patient to benefit. In such a case, the ability of the therapist to sway away from the integrated counseling approach is important in saving the situation. If not, the process of intervention may worsen, much to the disadvantage of the patient. Integrated counseling approach and evidence-based practice Evidence-based counseling is considered by a large part of the psychiatry fraternity as one of the best ways to have a practice that delivers the best results. Evidence-based practice proposes that practice must and should be guided by the evidence of effectiveness in past studies and that the use of empirical evidence be the lighthouse that will guide the practitioner when developing a therapy theory for his or her patient. However, the integrated approach of counseling is not compatible with the evidence-based approach. This is as a result of a number of factors. One, integrated approach is not considered a scientific method and therefore hard to get empirical evidence that is required for evidence-based practice. Secondly, the fact that integrated approach is limited with regard to how it can be approached to any patient means that it cannot be used in evidence-based practice. For a counseling approach to work in an evidence-based manner it has to be universally applicable, that is, it can be used in any situation. Yet, as it has been identified in this article, integrated counseling does not work in all situations because it can only work where both the patient and the therapist have the same religious convictions. This issue creates a dilemma for those who prefer to use integrated counseling approach. Conclusion Integrative therapeutic counseling approach can be an effective way to help those patients who may be suffering from a specific psychological problem. However, there is a need to recognize the many issues that surround the issue of integrated approach. The fact that integrated approach cannot be used in all situations is also a setback for both practitioners and patients alike. In this regard, the use of a counseling approach that can be used in all situations and in an evidence-based way also means that this approach may have more detriments than advantages. Another significant determinant is the fact that in a modern world, more people are abandoning the religious faith, especially Christianity. The implication of this both in the short and long term is the fact that faith-based counseling will lose significant more and more. As therapist who use integrated counseling constantly face patients with agnostic tendencies, their approach may prove to be increasingly ineffective and they may turn their practice into evangelical campaigns instead of focusing on solving the patient’s psychological problems. Bibliography Boniwell, B. (2008). Positive Psychology in a Nutshell: A Balanced Introduction to the Science of Optimal Functioning. New York, NY: Personal Well-Being Centre. Corey, G. (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. London, UK: Cengage Learning. Howard, G. N. (1986). Adaptive Counseling and Therapy An Integrative, Eclectic Model. The Counseling Psychologist, 14 (3), 363-442 . Ingram, B. (2010). Clinical Case Formulations: Matching the Integrative Treatment Plan to the Client. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Institute For Integrated Physchotherapy. (2014). Institute For Integrated Physchotherapy. Retrieved October 07, 2014, from What is Integrative Psychotherapy?: http://www.integrativetherapy.com/se/integrative-psychotherapy.php Kaslow, F. (2004). Comprehensive Handbook of Psychotherapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches. Hoboken, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Marshall, E. (2009). The Treatment of Drinking Problems: A Guide to the Helping Professions. London, UK: Cambridge University Press. 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