The following survey will assess your theoretical orientation. The survey assesses your affiliation to thirteen different theories and the schools of therapy to which they belong (psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, existential humanistic, and post-modern). Take the survey, write down your percentages for each theory and for each school, and discuss your various results. Descriptions of each theory and school can be found by rolling your cursor over theory are school. Make sure that your search engine is cleared of history, and if you have trouble accessing the survey, try a different search engine.
The survey can be found at: http://www.odu.edu/people/e/eneukrug/therapists/survey.html After you identify your orientation, write a paragraph using some or all of those key concepts that describes your view of human nature. See an example paragraph below: I believe that a person is molded by others in his or her life through language, modeling, and reinforcement contingencies which are a particular function of the cultural milieu in which one grew up. Although I believe that ones’ personality is molded most powerfully in early childhood, I also believe that one can change at any time throughout ones’ life if they can come to realize how their conscious and unconscious minds have impacted upon the kinds of choices they have made. A client can come to realize this impact if they are provided with a safe atmosphere to share thoughts with a counselor. Such an atmosphere is provided by a counselor showing a respectful curiosity about the client’s predicament, and when a counselor is empathic, shows unconditional positive regard, and is congruent. In addition, I do not pathologize the client, as I believe this leads to objectifying the client which results in them feeling as if there is something wrong with them. In this environment, issues that were in the background and had been unconscious can slowly come into the foreground and into consciousness. As the counselor builds a relationship with the client, the client will slowly feel comfortable enough to begin the difficult journey of working on their issues, which have sometimes formed complexes or certain particular ways of being that are dysfunctional. As the client begins to see their issues more clearly, the counselor can help the client look at how embedded core beliefs continue dysfunctional behaviors. Slowly, clients’ can challenge their belief system, and new behaviors can be adopted. As the client realizes that they have internal control over his or her thinking, the client can increasingly focus on solutions rather than focusing on past problems.
Over time, change will take place, and the client will adopt more effective ways of being with self and with others. Some of this will be demonstrated by the client giving up seven deadly habits and adopting the seven caring habits. Over time, as the client matures, the client and the therapist will have increasingly developed mutual empathy and the relationship becomes more equal. This way of being can be generalized to other important relationships in the client’s life. Requirment: Response includes results and paragraph using some or all of those key concepts that describes your view of human nature. Style: APA style (see Writing Expectations, Tips and Resources)
