Theoretical Orientation

Introduction
Discovering a theoretical orientation is a lengthy and weighty process. Stepping into this realm has been enlightening and overwhelming all at the same time. Toward the beginning, I felt it would be obvious which orientation I would choose. In my mind, it would be reminiscent of a movie scene where the guy meets the girl, the music builds, and it seems the whole world knows what is happening is meant to be. Nevertheless, as one wanders through the many variations of where problems stem from and how to help others find healing it can be easy to get lost in the minutia of this process. Consequently, as I began to process where I would land, I took a step back and started with my values to help in this process. When I say values, I mean: how do I view humanity, where do problems stem from, how can healing be achieved, and what role should the therapist play in the course of healing. Beginning here is imperative for me, and Rogers agrees when he talks about the necessity of a therapist’s congruence and authenticity as the baseline for change (Corey, 2007). After discovering my values, I aimed to find theories which aligned with my values. Lastly, I worked on finding confluence with these theories to create my own theoretical orientation.
Values

First and foremost, I believe all of humanity is created in the image of God.

The author of Genesis writes, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’” (English Standard Version, Genesis 1:27). Consequently, I regard every human life as sacred. Moreover, I believe every human being was created for relationship. Again, the writer of Genesis lays the groundwork for this need when they write, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (Genesis

2:18).
Beyond these basic beliefs laid out in the Bible, I also have general presumptions regarding how issues come about, what brings about healing, and the role a therapist plays in such a process. First, when thinking about the origination of issues, I think there is a subconscious and environmental element to how the issue began. Writers throughout the Bible spoke openly about an internal war in the human heart. For instance, Paul writes regarding himself, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (English Standard Version). I operate under the assumption there is a struggle within every human, and this struggle reveals itself through many avenues including mental and emotional issues. Moreover, external events and circumstances play a major role in my presumptions regarding etiology of mental and emotional issues as well as how clients perceive their circumstances and events. Examples of impactful external events range in my mind from gender to family interactions to socio-economic status. Second, I think healing is a process which begins with trust. If a client does not trust the therapist then there is no foundation for change. Once trust is established I gather there are three processes which lead to healing: insight/awareness, adopted alternative views/beliefs, and a clear plan assisting the client in moving forward. Finally, my views place the therapist in the role of partner, collaborator, and guide. At times I believe a therapist can be a coach, but therapeutic intent must be clear when this role is adopted.