Integrative Counseling Theory Paper

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Today many counselors and therapist operate their work on theories. Theories give counselors a framework for understanding, interpretation, reasoning, and knowledge. Theories can be like a road map for counselors. The theories used in counseling are a guide that allow counselors and therapist to have an integrational approach. Even though counselors may feel more competent and comfortable with one theory over another, no one theory is comprehensive enough to attend to all aspects of human thought, feeling, and behavior. Counseling theories are also necessary for research because they can provide testing, subjective input, versus solely observational intervention, objective input. Therefore, to work with clients, counselors must use a combination …show more content…

Counselors also listen wholeheartedly to clients, treat them with respect, attempt to be a genuine and open person, and strive to be themselves. In this theory clients are the central figure in the therapy process and counselors do not seek to educate clients because all clients have self-creation (Sommers-Flanagan, J. & Sommers-Flanagan, R., 2013). This fits into my integration approach because I believe the client knows themselves best, however there are unique circumstances where the client may feel out of touch with knowing …show more content…

The Cognitive Behavioral theory is an expansion of the behavior therapy and focuses on cognitions. Individuals behavior is focused on the cognition and how they are thinking and how the thoughts relate to their feelings. Counselors implementing Cognitive Behavioral theory feel cognition is the core of the individual’s suffering and helps the client modify the distressed thoughts (Sommers-Flanagan, J. & Sommers-Flanagan, R., 2013). The Cognitive Behavioral theory coincides with my personal theory approach because I know people have thoughts that affect how they feel. Even though I do not fully agree that people are disturbed by their views and not by things, I do agree individuals can focus on negative circumstances and do not see the reality thought clear enough (Sommers-Flanagan, J. & Sommers-Flanagan, R.,

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