Theory and
Practice of
Counseling and
Psychotherapy
Updated TENTH EDITION
Gerald Corey
CHAPTER 2
The Counselor: Person and
Professional
Introduction
¨ The most important instrument you have is YOU.
¡ Your living example of who you are and how you struggle to live up to your
potential is powerful.
● A good way to begin your study of contemporary counseling theories
○ Open to self-evaluation, you not only expand your awareness of self but
also build the foundation for developing your abilities and skills as a
professional.
¨ The person and the professional are intertwined facets that cannot be
separated in reality.
Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 2 (1)
The Counselor as a Therapeutic
Person
¨ Be authentic and don’t hide behind your role.
¡ Leaving your reactions and self out of your work may result in ineffective
counseling.
¨ Be a therapeutic person.
¡ Be willing to grow, risk, care, and be involved.
¨ Abundant research indicates the centrality of the person of the therapist and
therapeutic relationship as key factors in successful therapy.
¨ The contextual factors are the primary determinants of therapeutic outcome.
Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 2 (2)
Personal Characteristic of
Effective Counselors
● Have an identity
● Are open to change
● Make choices that are life oriented
● Are authentic, sincere, and honest
● Have a sense of humor
● Make mistakes and are willing to admit them
● Live in the present
● Appreciate the influence of culture
Personal Characteristic of
Effective Counselors (2 of 2)
● Have a sincere interest in
the welfare of others
● Possess effective
interpersonal skills
● Become deeply involved in
their work and derive
meaning from it
● Are passionate
● Are able to maintain
healthy boundaries
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Personal Therapy for the
Counselor
● Personal therapy contributes to the therapist’s professional work in three
ways:
○ as part of the therapist’s training, personal therapy offers a model of
therapeutic practice in which the trainee observes a more experienced
therapist at work and learns experientially what is helpful or not helpful.
○ a beneficial experience in personal therapy can further enhance a
therapist’s interpersonal skills, which are essential to skillfully practicing
therapy.
○ successful personal therapy can contribute to a therapist’s ability to deal
with the ongoing stresses associated with clinical work.
The Role of Values in
Counseling
¨ Assist clients in finding answers that are most congruent with
their own values.
¨ Bracketing can be used to help manage value conflicts.
¨ Counselors should NOT refuse to render services to clients
because of differing values.
¨ Value imposition refers to counselors directly attempting to
define a client’s values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
¨ Avoid imposing their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and
behaviors.
¨ Seek supervision to learn to effectively manage value
differences with your clients.
Becoming an Effective
Multicultural Counselor
¨ Become aware of your personal biases,
values, or problems.
¨ Seek to examine and understand the world
from your client’s vantage point.
¨ Understand the dynamics of oppression,
racism, discrimination, and stereotyping.
Becoming an Effective
Multicultural Counselor
¨ Possess knowledge about the historical
background, traditions, and values of your
client, and learn about their cultural
background.
¨ Become responsible for educating clients
about the therapeutic process.
¨ Seek out educational, consultative, and
training experiences to enhance the ability
to work with diverse clients.
Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 2 (9)
Incorporating Culture in Counseling Practice
● Learn more about how your own
cultural background has influenced
your thinking and behaving.
● Identify your basic assumptions,
especially as they apply to diversity
in culture, ethnicity, and race.
● Remain open to ongoing learning
of how the various dimensions of
culture affect therapy.
Issues Faced by Beginning
Therapists
● Dealing with anxieties
● Being oneself and self-disclosure
● Avoiding perfectionism
● Being honest about your limitations
● Understanding silence
● Dealing with demands from clients
● Dealing with clients who lack commitment
● Tolerating ambiguity
Issues Faced by Beginning Therapists
● Becoming aware of your countertransference
● Developing a sense of humor
● Sharing responsibility with the client
● Declining to give advice
● Defining one’s role as a counselor
Staying well as a Person and as a Professional
● Take care of your single most
important instrument—YOU.
○ Develop self-care strategies
and a plan for renewal.
● Learn to look within yourself to
determine what choices you are
making to keep yourself vital.
● Wellness and self-care are being
given increased attention in
professional journals and at
professional conferences.
Hettler’s Dimensions of Wellness
Staying well as a Person and as a Professional
● Following are therapeutic lifestyle changes that promote wellness for
individuals:
○ Physical activity
○ Diet and nutrition
○ Being in nature
○ Relationships
○ Recreation
○ Religious/spiritual involvement
○ Providing service to others
Thanks!
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