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Introduction to Counseling

John Darley and Bibb Latané – devised an experiment called the ‘Bystander Apathy Experiment’.

Bystander effect – theorizes that in the faces of emergency, the distressed person is less likely to be offered
help if there are multiple onlookers present.

Significant milestones in the history of Counselling and psychotherapy:

• Tribal times- people would come together in a group and share their experiences and sometimes
their dreams. “A problem shared is a problem halved.”

• 1885/6 – Freud returned to Vienna, opened a private practice specializing in nervous and brain
disorders, and married. He went on to develop Psychoanalysis (1896)

• 1942 – Rogers published his book Counseling and Psychotherapy, in which he first introduced the
term counseling and outlined the principles of his client-centered approach.

• 1951 – Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman, and Ralph Hefferline outlined Gestalt therapy in the
book, Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality.

• 1954 – Abraham Maslow helped to found Humanistic psychology and later developed his
famous Hierarchy of Needs.

• 1955 - REBT is the pioneering form of cognitive behavior therapy developed by Dr. Albert Ellis.
REBT is an action-oriented approach to managing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
disturbances.

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• 1959 –Viktor Frankl published the English edition of his book, Man's Search for Meaning, which
provided an existential account of his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps
during World War II. The book also outlines an existential approach to counselling known
as Logotherapy.

• 1960s- Aaron Beck developed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) suggesting that in terms of
depression the way we think contributes to our emotional well-being.

• late 1970s- Solution-Focused Therapy is a future-focused, goal-oriented approach which helps

clients replace problems for solutions. American researchers Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg
developed the theory

• 1980s -Narrative Therapy was developed by Michael White and David Epston who proposed that
cultural influences and unconscious processes shape human behavior.

• 1980s - Collaborative Language systems were developed by Harlene Anderson Harry Goolishian.
They propose the client works through their difficulties in the conversations they have with the
therapist.

The Biomedical Perspective

Lobotomy One of the earliest modern forms of somatogenic
or biomedical treatments was the use of
lobotomy. Lobotomy is a form of psychosurgery in
which parts of the frontal lobe of the brain are
destroyed or their connections to other parts of
the brain severed. The procedure was formerly
used as a radical therapeutic measure to help
grossly disturbed patients with schizophrenia,
manic depression and mania (bipolar disorder),
and other mental illnesses.

Trephination Also known as trepanning, trepanation or burr

holing, is one of the oldest surgical procedures
known to humanity and refers to a surgical
procedure in which a circular piece of bone is
drilled and excised, most commonly from the
human skull.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) Is a procedure done under general anesthesia.
During this procedure, small electric currents pass
through the brain, intentionally causing a brief
seizure. ECT seems to change brain chemistry, and
these changes can quickly improve symptoms of
certain mental health conditions.
Drug Therapy

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The Religious/Spiritual Perspective

The clergy, shamans, mystics, monks, elders, and other religious and spiritual leaders have been sought
for advice and counsel over the centuries.

For many Native American tribes, spiritual authority and spiritual practices still hold as much or more
salience for healing than do most forms of counseling or psychotherapy (D. Wetsit, personal
communication December 17, 2001).

The same holds true for many native or indigenous people, as well as those of Western European
descent who have strongly held religious commitments.
Many Asian and African cultures also believe that spiritual concerns and practices are intricately related
to psychological matters.

We readily acknowledge the healing potential in spiritual practices and beliefs. Religious and spiritual
leaders often have great wisdom, compassion, and insight into the human condition.

Any therapist worth his or her salt will take into account a client’s biological condition and spiritual
beliefs and concerns when providing treatment. Of course, therapists will vary in the relative weight
they give to these dimensions. But the task at hand is to understand the theories of psychotherapy and
counseling that draw primarily from the psychosocial perspective.

The Psychosocial Perspective

Since time immemorial, it was understood that human verbal interactions and relationship alterations
can change thinking patterns, mood, and behavior.
At the very least, we know that for centuries wise healers from many cultures and traditions used
psychological and relational techniques that, upon close inspection, look very familiar to current
theoretically driven strategies for helping people with psychological change and healing.

Siddhartha Gautama “Buddha” (563–483 A.D.) forebears to contemporary cognitive theory and
and Roman philosopher Epictetus (50–138 . .) therapy.

Avicenna (980–1037 A.D.) a great figure in Islamic medicine. Less cited

figure in the tenth and eleventh centuries.

Although Avicenna made advances in

pharmacology and in clinical practice, his greatest
contribution was probably in the philosophy of
medicine. He created a system of medicine that
today we would call “holistic” and in which
physical and psychological factors, drugs, and diet
were combined in treating patients.

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Avicenna talked about psychological disorders

and believed that melancholia is a disorder where
one becomes suspicious and is usually mixed with
certain types of phobias.

Diathesis-stress model- The model suggests that a mental disorder develops when an individual has a
vulnerability or predisposition combined with exposure to stressful life events.

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The professional helping relationship in its generic form is a relationship established between two or
more people for the purposes of people giving and receiving help.

Helping Profession - A profession that nurtures the growth of or addresses the problems of a person's
physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional or spiritual well-being.

This includes medicine, nursing, psychotherapy, psychological counseling, social work, education, life
coaching and ministry.

Allied Mental Health Professional Groups

Social Workers - Social casework and therapy to mediate relationships with social structures like schools,
agencies, and health care facilities.

Family Therapists - Systemic approach to diagnosing and treating problems in a family context. Extensive
use of more active/directive interventions to realign family structures.

Pastoral Care - An approach to helping that is embedded in religious, spiritual, or ministerial work,
combining theology with community service.

Psychiatrists - Medical management of patients with clinically significant psychological problems; use of
medication, hospitalization, and therapy to restore normal functioning.

Counselors - Therapeutic interventions with relatively normal functioning clients who are experiencing
adjustment reactions, developmental issues, and problems of daily living including career, education,
family, personal, and esteem issues.

Psychologists - Diagnosis, treatment, and clinical management of persons with psychopathological

symptoms and other severe mental disturbances.

Prepared by:

Donald M. Laxamana, RPm

Psychology Instructor

References:

Corey, G. (2018). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 10th ed. Singapore:
Brooks/Cole, Thomson Learning, 2013

Sangganjanavanich, V. F., & Reynolds, C. A. (2015). Introduction to Professional

Counseling. Sage Publications.
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https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhfreu.html#:~:text=In%201886%2C%20Freu
d%20returned%20to,and%20brain%20disorders%2C%20and%20married.

https://achology.com/psychology/carl-rogers-person-centered-counseling/
https://positivepsychology.com/gestalt-
therapy/#:~:text=Gestalt%20Therapy%3A%20Excitement%20and%20Growth,describing%20gest
alt%20theory%20and%20practice.
https://www.verywellmind.com/biography-of-abraham-maslow-1908-1970-2795524
https://albertellis.org/rebt-cbt-
therapy/#:~:text=REBT%20is%20the%20pioneering%20form,%2C%20emotional%2C%20and%2
0behavioral%20disturbances.
https://www.beacon.org/Assets/ClientPages/MansSearchForMeaningtg.aspx
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470241/#:~:text=In%20the%201960s%2C%20
Aaron%20Beck,(CBT)%20or%20cognitive%20therapy.
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ny%20contexts%20around%20the%20world.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-solution-focused-brief-therapy-
2337728#:~:text=Spouses%20Steve%20de%20Shazer%20and,focus%20on%20a%20client's%20
past.
https://www.britannica.com/science/lobotomy
https://www.osmosis.org/answers/trephination
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20393894#:~:text=Overview,of%20certain%20mental%20health%20conditions.
Additional Readings:
1. De Jesus, Evangeline M. Counseling Psychology, 1st ed. Ermita, Manila: Educational Publishing
House, 2006

2. Jones, Richard N. Essential Counseling and Therapy Skills: The Skilled Model. Great Britain: Sage
Publication, 2002.

3. Kotler, J A. & Shepard, D S. (2018). Introduction to Counseling: Voices from the Field, 6th ed.
USA: Brooks/Cole, Thomson Learning, 2008.

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4. Sharf, Richard S. Theories of Psychotherapy and Counseling, 4th ed. USA: Thomson Brooks/Cole ,
2008.

5. Smith, V., Collard, P., & Bayne, R. Key Concepts in Counselling and Psychotherapy, U,K:
University Press, 2012.

6. Villar, Imelda V.G. Implementing a Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program in the
Philippines. Makati City: Aligned Transformations Publications, 2008

7. Williams, Lee et al. Essential Assessment Skills for Couple and Family Therapists, New York:
Guilford Press, 2011.

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