Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy,
International Global Edition (2023)
- Gerald Corey –
_____
Overview of Focus Questions for the Theories
For the chapters dealing with the different theories, you will have a basic
understanding of this book if you can answer the following questions as they apply to
each of the eleven theories:
1 Who are the key figures (founder or founders) associated with the approach?
2 What are some of the basic assumptions underlying this approach?
3 What are a few of the key concepts that are essential to this theory?
4 What do you consider to be the most important goals of this therapy?
What is the role the therapeutic relationship plays in terms of therapy
5
outcomes?
What are a few of the techniques from this therapy model that you would want
6
to incorporate into your counseling practice?
What are some of the ways that this theory is applied to client populations,
7
settings, and treatment of problems?
What do you see as the major strength of this theory from a diversity
8
perspective?
What do you see as the major shortcoming of this theory from a diversity
9
perspective?
10 What do you consider to be the most significant contribution of this approach?
11 What do you consider to be the most significant limitation of this approach?
01. OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1 Giải thích quan điểm triết học philosophical stance của tác giả.
2 Đưa ra một số gợi ý về cách sử dụng cuốn sách.
Phân biệt differentiate giữa những mô hình tham vấn hiện đại được thảo luận
3
trong cuốn sách.
4 Nhận biết identify về những tình huống chính trong 2 trường hợp của: Stan và
5 Gwen.
6 Mô tả describe những chủ đề chính key themes về buổi tham vấn với Gwen.
2. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
To provide you with a consistent framework for comparing and contrasting the
various therapies, the 11 theory chapters share a common format. This format
includes-
1. a few notes on the personal history of the founder or another key figure;
2. a brief historical sketch showing how and why each theory developed at the time it
did;
3. a discussion of the approach’s key concepts;
4. an overview of the therapeutic process (tiến trình trị liệu), including the therapist’s
role and the client’s work;
5. therapeutic techniques and procedures;
6. applications of the theory from a multicultural perspective (góc nhìn đa văn hoá);
7. application of the theory to the cases of Stan and Gwen;
8. a summary and evaluation that focuses on the contributions and limitations of the
theory;
9. self-reflection and discussion questions;
10. suggestions of how to continue your learning about each approach;
11. recommendations for further reading.
The Preface includes a complete description of other resources that fit as a package
and complement this textbook. In the MindTap Video Quizzes related to The Case of
Stan, I demonstrate my way of counseling Stan from the various theoretical
approaches in 13 sessions and present my perspective on the key concepts of each
theory in a brief lecture, with emphasis on the practical application of the theory. A
more recent video, The Case of Gwen, shows nine therapists working with Gwen using
their own approaches.
4. THE CASE OF STAN
4.1. An Introduction
You will learn a great deal by seeing a theory in action, preferably in a live
demonstration or as part of experiential activities in which you function in the
alternating roles of client and counselor. An online program demonstrates one or two
techniques from each of the theories. As Stan’s counselor, I show how I would apply
some of the principles of each of the theories you are studying to Stan. Many of my
students find this case history of the hypothetical client (Stan) helpful in understanding
how various techniques are applied to the same person.
Stan’s case, which describes his life and struggles, is presented here to give you
significant background material to draw from as you study the applications of the
theories. Each of the 11 theory chapters in Part 2 includes a discussion of how a
therapist with the orientation under discussion is likely to proceed with Stan. We
examine the answers to questions such as follows:
◆ What themes in Stan’s life merit special attention in therapy?
◆ What concepts would be useful to you in working with Stan on his problems?
◆ What are the general goals of Stan’s therapy?
◆ What possible techniques and methods would best meet these goals?
◆ What are some characteristics of the relationship between Stan and his therapist?
◆ How might the therapist proceed?
◆ How might the therapist evaluate the process and treatment outcomes of therapy?
4.2. Intake Interview With Stan
The setting is a community mental health agency where both individual and group
counseling are available. Stan comes to counseling because of his drinking. He was
convicted of driving under the influence, and the judge determined that he needed
professional help. Stan recognizes that he does have problems, but he is not convinced
that he is addicted to alcohol. Stan arrives for an intake interview and provides the
counselor with this information:
At the present time I work in construction. I like building houses but probably
won’t stay in construction for the rest of my life. When it comes to my
personal life, I’ve always had difficulty getting along with people. I could be
called a “loner.”
I like people in my life, but I don’t seem to know how to stay close to people.
It probably has a lot to do with why I drink. I’m not very good at making
friends or getting close to people. Probably the reason I sometimes drink a bit
too much is because I’m so scared when it comes to socializing. Even though
I hate to admit it, when I drink, things are not quite so overwhelming. When I
look at others, they seem to know the right things to say. Next to them I feel
dumb. I’m afraid that people don’t find me very interesting.
I’d like to turn my life around, but I just don’t know where to begin. That’s
why I went back to school. I’m a part-time college student majoring in
psychology. I want to better myself. In one of my classes, Psychology of
Personal Adjustment, we talked about ourselves and how people change. We
also had to write an autobiographical paper.
That is the essence of Stan’s introduction. The counselor says that she would like to
read his autobiography. Stan hopes it will give her a better understanding of where he
has been and where he would like to go. He brings her the autobiography, which reads
as follows:
Where am I currently in my life? At 35 I feel that I’ve wasted most of my life.
I should be finished with college and into a career by now, but instead I’m
only a junior. I can’t afford to really commit myself to pursuing college full
time because I need to work to support myself. Even though construction
work is hard, I like the satisfaction I get when I look at what I have done.
I want to get into a profession where I could work with people. Someday, I’m
hoping to get a master’s degree in counseling or in social work and eventually
work as a counselor with kids who are in trouble. I know I was helped by
someone who cared about me, and I would like to do the same for someone
else.
I have few friends and feel scared around most people. I feel good with kids.
But I wonder if I’m smart enough to get through all the classes I’ll need to
become a counselor. One of my problems is that I frequently get drunk. This
happens when I feel alone and when I’m scared of the intensity of my
feelings. At first drinking seemed to help, but later on I felt awful. I have
abused drugs in the past also.
I feel overwhelmed and intimidated when I’m around attractive women. I feel
cold, sweaty, and terribly nervous. I think they may be judging me and see me
as not much of a man. I’m afraid I just don’t measure up to being a real man.
When I am sexually intimate with a woman, I am anxious and preoccupied
with what she is thinking about me.
I feel anxiety much of the time. I often feel as if I’m dying inside. I think
about committing suicide, and I wonder who would care. I can see my family
coming to my funeral and feeling sorry for me. I feel guilty that I haven’t
worked up to my potential, that I’ve been a failure, that I’ve wasted much of
my time, and that I let people down a lot. I get down on myself and wallow in
guilt and feel very depressed. At times like this I feel hopeless and think I’d
be better off dead. For all of these reasons, I find it difficult to get close to
anyone.
There are a few bright spots. I did put a lot of my shady past behind me, and I
did get into college. I like this determination in me—I want to change. I’m
tired of feeling the way I do. I know that nobody is going to change my life
for me. It’s up to me to get what I want. Even though I feel scared at times, I
like that I’m willing to take risks.
What was my past like? A major turning point for me was the confidence my
supervisor had in me at the youth camp where I worked the past few
summers. He helped me get my job, and he also encouraged me to go to
college. He said he saw a lot of potential in me for being able to work well
with young people. That was hard for me to believe, but his faith inspired me
to begin to believe in myself. Another turning point was my marriage and
divorce. This marriage didn’t last long. It made me wonder about what kind of
man I was! Joyce was a strong and dominant woman who kept repeating how
worthless I was and how she did not want to be around me. We had sex only a
few times, and most of the time I was not very good at it. That was hard to
take. It made me afraid to get close to a woman. My parents should have
divorced. They fought most of the time. My mother (Angie) constantly
criticized my father (Frank Sr.). I saw him as weak and passive. He would
never stand up to her. There were four of us kids. My parents compared me
unfavorably with my older sister (Judy) and older brother (Frank Jr.). They
were “perfect” children, successful honors’ students. My younger brother
(Karl) and I fought a lot. They spoiled him. It was all very hard for me.
In high school I started using drugs. I was thrown into a youth rehabilitation
facility for stealing. Later I was expelled from regular school for fighting, and
I landed in a continuation high school. I went to school in the mornings and
had afternoons for on-the-job training. I got into auto mechanics, was fairly
successful, and even managed to keep myself employed for three years as a
mechanic.
I can still remember my father asking me: “Why can’t you be like your sister
and brother? Why can’t you do anything right?” And my mother treated me
much the way she treated my father. She would say: “Why do you do so many
things to hurt me? Why can’t you grow up and be a man? Things are so much
better around here when you’re gone.” I recall crying myself to sleep many
nights, feeling terribly alone. There was no talk of religion in my house, nor
was there any talk of sex. In fact, I find it hard to imagine my folks ever
having sex.
Where would I like to be five years from now? What kind of person do I want
to become? Most of all, I would like to start feeling better about myself. I
would like to be able to stop drinking altogether and still feel good. I want to
like myself much more than I do now. I hope I can learn to love at least a few
other people, most of all, a woman. I want to lose my fear of women. I would
like to feel equal with others and not always have to feel apologetic for my
existence. I want to let go of my anxiety and guilt. I want to become a good
counselor for kids. I’m not certain how I’ll change or even what all the
changes are that I hope to make. I do know that I want to be free of my self-
destructive tendencies and learn how to trust people more. Perhaps when I
begin to like myself more, I’ll be able to trust that others will find something
about me to like.
Effective therapists, regardless of their theoretical orientation, would pay attention to
suicidal thoughts. In his autobiography Stan says, “I think about committing suicide.”
At times he doubts that he will ever change and wonders if he’d be “better off dead.”
Before embarking on the therapeutic journey, the therapist would need to make an
assessment of Stan’s current ego strength (his ability to manage life realistically),
which would include a discussion of his suicidal thoughts.
4.3. Overview of Some Key Themes in Stan’s Life
A number of themes appear to represent core struggles in Stan’s life. Here are some
of the statements we can assume that he may make at various points in his therapy and
themes that will be addressed from the theoretical perspectives in Chapters 4 through
15:
◆ Although I’d like to have people in my life, I just don’t seem to know how to go
about making friends or getting close to people.
◆ I’d like to turn my life around, but I have no sense of direction. ◆ I want to make a
difference.
◆ I am afraid of failure.
◆ I know when I feel alone, scared, and overwhelmed, I drink heavily to feel better.
◆ I am afraid of women.
◆ Sometimes at night I feel a terrible anxiety and feel as if I’m dying.
◆ I often feel guilty that I’ve wasted my life, that I’ve failed, and that I’ve let people
down. At times like this, I get depressed.
◆ I like it that I have determination and that I really want to change.
◆ I’ve never really felt loved or wanted by my parents.
◆ I’d like to get rid of my self-destructive tendencies and learn to trust people more.
◆ I put myself down a lot, but I’d like to feel better about myself.
In the chapters in Part 2, I write about how I would apply selected concepts and
techniques of the particular theory in counseling Stan. In addition, in these chapters
you are asked to think about how you would continue counseling Stan from each of
these different perspectives. In doing so, refer to the introductory material given here.
To make the case of Stan come alive for each theory, I highly recommend that you
interact with The Case of Stan sessions in this book’s MindTap through the Case of
Stan Video Quizzes. In this video program, I counsel Stan from each of the various
theories and provide brief lectures that highlight each theory.
5. THE CASE OF GWEN
5.1. Background of Gwen
Gwen is a 56-year-old, married, African American woman presenting with
fibromyalgia, difficulty sleeping, and a history of anxiety and depression. She reports
feeling stress and isolation on her job and is having a difficult time managing her
multiple roles. Gwen is the oldest of five children, and after her parents’ divorce, she
took on the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings. Gwen has been married to
Ron for 31 years and states they have ups and downs but basically their relationship is
supportive. Ron is employed as a high school teacher and has always made the family
a priority. They have three adult children: Brittany age 29, Lisa age 26, and Kevin age
23. Gwen has a master’s degree in accounting and is employed at a large firm as a
CPA. She reports being the only woman of color at her job. Because she is the only
one speaking up for issues of diversity and racial equality at her workplace, she often
feels isolated and tired. She does not have enough time to spend with friends or to do
the things she once enjoyed because of her long work hours. Gwen also helps her adult
children with their bills when needed and is the primary caretaker of her mother, who
resides with her and is in the advanced stages of dementia. This is Gwen’s first time in
formal counseling. She reports having gone to her pastor when she was feeling “down”
in the past. Gwen also reports times of being sexually molested by an older cousin.
She seeks counseling because she is having difficulty staying focused at work and is
generally feeling sad and overwhelmed. Gwen also reports experiencing a great deal of
anxiety. She states she is not suicidal but is “sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.”
Gwen summarizes her current situation by saying, “I realized the other day that I am
tired of just existing and surviving. So here I am.” Gwen was referred to Dr. Kirksey
by the pastor of her church. Despite the many challenges in her life, Gwen says that
her faith in God is strong and church has always been her place of refuge.
5.2. Intake Session
Gwen begins by saying she is ready to unload the stressors she has been holding
inside. She states that she has held everything together for everyone far too long.
During this initial session, I also address the relevant aspects of informed consent and
begin an ongoing process of educating Gwen on how the therapeutic process works.
Gwen says she feels a heaviness in her heart, which is associated with all that is
expected of her at work and with her family, what she has not accomplished, and
where she is heading. I acknowledge this heaviness and ask her to start wherever she
wants. Gwen states that she has not felt carefree since she was a young child before
her parents’ divorce. Her parents moved to the North from Georgia for work when she
was eight years old. Both of her parents were teachers and valued education. Her
neighborhood and school were predominantly African American, and the community
was close. In high school she was bussed across town to a predominately White
school, and Gwen states she began to encounter what she felt were racist attitudes at
this school.
I felt different and excluded, and this was reinforced by occasional name
calling and subtle slights. That was one of the first times I remember feeling
like I had to work twice as hard to get ahead and to be accepted in life.
Throughout college I worked hard to be successful by pushing myself to
achieve what people said I couldn’t, but it seems that all my hard work has
just worn me down.
A number of life concerns bring Gwen into counseling. A few of her concerns relate
to her work. She experiences mounting tension on the job, and when she asserts her
opinions, she is labeled as emotional and angry. The more tension she experiences at
work, the less she engages at home. An additional concern is that her mother is slowly
fading into another world due to dementia. Gwen states that she is feeling terrible
about herself and does not even want to be around people anymore. Everything
irritates her and she prefers to spend time by herself. Gwen reports the following:
I feel like a shell of a person. I am not depressed where I am wanting to kill
myself. I just feel numb. There is no real point to doing this daily routine of
waking, suffering through the day, and going to bed just to get up and do it all
over again. My life is like a flat note with little joy. I don’t go out; I don’t
have sex; and I am too tired to do anything. Nothing I do is good enough. I
start projects, and then it’s like they disappear. Nothing ever gets finished, and
then I feel worse about myself. Sometimes I feel like I want to go into a cave
and never come out. I feel like I will lose everything if I don’t make some
changes in my life. Everything looks good on the outside, but inside of me, I
am on edge and need to do something different. My pastor and mentor tell me
I am sabotaging myself. Usually, I get defensive and withdrawn, but this time
I want to get better, and I am ready to do what it takes. I am done with feeling
tired all the time and hiding from people. My goal is to live a more balanced
life and to learn how to reduce my stress level.
The first step of our journey is to build a working alliance based on mutual respect. I
let Gwen know that this is her time to use as she pleases, and that it is a safe and
confidential space.
5.3. Experience Counseling Sessions with Gwen
