What defines the meaning of the word “theory”? Is it merely abstract reasoning of speculation or an assumption based on limited information? Is it branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice? Or is it A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena according to Webster’s dictionary. (cite)
A theory or theoretical approach of analysis regarding and individual’s abstract reasoning can be theories provide a framework to interpret a client’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Theoretical approaches
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underlying rationale what different clients will do in different situations, and some general ideas about the counseling procedures- must be willing to subject these ideas to empirical test- empirical and theoretical approaches to counseling. urge the practicing counselor to make explicit his own assumptions and to use them in making verifiable predictions about the observable behavior of clients.. RATIONAL, LEARNING THEORY. VARIOUS APPROACHES ARE EXAMINED IN TERMS OF THEIR PHILOSOPHIES AND CONCEPTS, VIEWS OF THE COUNSELING PROCESS, AND GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. PATTERSON, C. H. (1966). ix 518 pp.
What would you look for in a theory? Our text teaches us to question the following when testing a theory: Is it precise? Is it clear? Is it comprehensive? Can it be tested through research? How useful is it? (cite text) To test a theory, a theory must: identify the pre-observations rather than rely entirely on after-the-fact explanations. Predict one outcome rather than several contradictory outcomes; make a specific prediction, rather than an extremely vague one; and make a prediction that can be verified through objective
... a theory should be able to explain a wide variety of things, not just only what it was intended to explain.
In science, a theory will refer to an explanation of an important feature of the world supported by testing and facts that have been gathered over time. It’s there scientific theories that allow scientists to make predictions about untested and unobserved concurrences in the world. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has this explanation of what a theory means to those in the science field, and it is as follows, “A scientific theory is a well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts......Such fact supported theories are not guesses but reliable accounts of the real
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers (2009) “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior” (Akers, (2009, p. 1). Theory is a set of interconnect statements that explain how two or more things are related in two casual fashions, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.
As a future counselor, I have enjoyed learning about the different techniques and theories of counseling. Understanding each approach is important but I believe that the counselors self knowledge of her or his own values, worldviews and life philosophy is just as important for the counselor to do the job effectively. Each theory that we learned about, I could see being helpful to different people, their circumstance and individual problem. I can see myself using different parts of each in my future career. Currently, I more drawn to the Adlerian theory. I understand and agree when Adler believed that people do have the ability to monitor and control the direction of their lives.The unconscious shapes personality,
Furthermore, the theories guide observations, assessment, and interventions.
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers, “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior.” Theory is a set of interconnected statements that explain how two or more things are related, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
A theory is basically a way to describe the essence of things. It involves careful consideration over what, how and why things come to be, how they work, and any interrelationship shared among other human realities. Theories seek to explain what the observer witnesses through thorough examination and thoughtful contemplation over matters some simple and some more complex (Akers, & Sellers, 2013). There is a distinct difference between ideas, thoughts and scientific theories and the essential component is what C. Wright Mills calls the sociological imagination (1959). It is important for intellectual thought to move from individual experience to a social standpoint, this shift the perspective from internal to external, becomi...
Theory: A general statement about some parts of the world that fit together and how they work; an explanation of how two or more facts are related
Theoretical Perspective: This semester in procedures of counseling class we discussed a lot of different types of counseling theories. We also did a lot of practicing with each theory with our partners. I found that person-centered therapy best fits my personal attitudes and style of counseling. I think this would be a good style of counseling for me because I can see myself better helping people as a whole than trying to fix an actual problem.
Throughout history, there have been many genocides, but none of them have had the same effect that Stalin’s Purges have had on on the world. While most people assume that Adolf Hitler was the most atrocious mass murderer of the 1900s, Joseph Stalin was actually the dictator to cause the most suffering. During Stalin’s purges, or The Great Purges, an estimated twenty million people died from, (“How many people did Stalin kill”). There were so many different people killed, in fact, that Stalin’s Purges are classified into different genocides. All of these took place in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the 1930s.
A theory is a way organizing and systematizing what is known about a phenomenon. It is, in fact, “a rationalized set of assumptions or hypotheses that provides a person with tools that can be utilized to explain the past and predict the future” (Johnson, 2000). Therefore, theories provide direction and when tested and supported, can assist in expanding our knowledge.
The word theory emanated from the Greek word meaning “contemplate” It has been viewed by scholars in different ways. Theory can be defined literally as an explanation of phenomena and its associations with variables that it is attempting to predict. There are no general agreed definitions of theory because scholar’s views of what constitute theory differ based on the purpose, nature and what make up of a good theory (Gelso, 2006; Harlow, 2009; Stam, 2007, 2010; and Wacker 1998). For instance, Wacker, (1998), pointed out that a theory must have four basic criteria such as conceptual definitions, domain limitations, relationship-building, and predictions. He, also, opined that for any theory to be regarded as a good theory, it must have qualities for `good ' theory, such as “uniqueness, parsimony, conservation, generalizability, fecundity, internal consistency, empirical riskiness, and abstraction, which apply to all research methods” (p.364). Stam (2010) interpreted theory as ...
It is imperative to study counseling theories when beginning field based work. Counseling theories provide a foundation to be able to learn and develop my own techniques. Some ideas that exemplify the significance of counseling theories are; research, application of theories, and case studies.
One aspect I found striking was the role of advice giving in counseling. Prior to this class, I knew that counselors did not typically give opinions or advice to lead a client in a certain direction. What I did not know was the entire reasoning behind this. A counselor might avoid giving advice so that a client learns to make his/her own decisions, does not become dependent on the counselor, and to ensure that a client will not later blame the counselor if the counselor’s advice did not turn out well. In this context, I have a better appreciation and understanding of why therapists refrain from telling the client what to do.