THEORIES OF COUNSELLING

Theories are reasoned suppositions put forward to explain facts or events. They are explanations
of the general principles of art or science. Theories help us understand a phenomenon or
behaviour. Theories of counseling are derived from theories of psychology. These theories help
us to be able to predict behaviour understands the emotional problem a client might have and
also how the client’s behaviour can change.

A counselor has to choose a counseling theory that will guide his practice in order to deliver
counseling services effectively. There are many counseling theories but we shall only focus on
three, namely:

 Psychoanalytic theory
 Behavioral theory
 Humanistic theory

PSYCHONALYTIC THEORY

This theory was advanced by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). It is considered the first force/thrust
in attempting to understand the human mind and behaviour. Psychoanalysis involves analysis of
the unconscious motivations that influence behaviour.

KEY CONCEPTS

a) Human behaviour is deterministic. Our behaviour is determined by irrational forces,

unconscious motivations, biological and instinctual drives.
b) Behaviour is influenced by conflicts in the personality structure consisting of ID, Ego and
superego. The Id operates with the “pleasure Principle” I.e. desire to satisfy instinctual needs
and avoid pain. The Id is largely unconscious, does not think only wishes. It is irrational.
The Ego is in touch with reality. It is the executive that governs controls and regulates
personality. It meditates between the instincts and the surrounding environment. It is the
seat of intelligence and rationality. It operates on the “Reality Principle “ as it does realistic
and logical thinking. The superego is the person’s moral code being concerned with whether
an action is good or bad, right or wrong. It is the judicial arm of personality. It represents
the ideal, the values or ideals of society as handled down from parents to children. It strives
for perfection. Superego operates with the “moral code principle”
c) Behaviour is influenced by experiences or conflicts in the first six years of life. According to
Freud, an individual goes through the five psychosexual stages namely:- oral, anal, phallic,
latency and genital stage. If one does not negotiate these stages successfully, fixation results
and this affects later behaviour.
d) Anxiety, (a state of tension) develops due to conflict between id, Ego and superego trying to
control the available psychic energy. Anxiety motivates behaviour. To cope with anxiety
and avoid being overwhelmed, the ego employs defence mechanisms. These ego defenses
are normal behaviours and have adaptive value but should not be overused or become a
lifestyle to avoid reality. Some defence mechanisms include projection, repression, denial,
reaction formation, compensation etc.

By Mrs Nyaga W.E. KTTC. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Guidance and Counselling Notes, 2020
GOALS OF THERAPY

1. To bring the unconsciousness

2. To strengthen the Ego
3. To help client gain insight into the origin of his problems.

TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING

1. Free association

The client is allowed to talk freely anything that comes to mind however illogical,
painful or irrelevant it might seem. Freud called this, talking cure or catharsis.

2. Analysis of dreams

Freud viewed dreams as the royal road to the unconscious. The client narrates the
dreams he/she has had and the therapist assists in analyzing them though there is no
universal interpretation of dreams.

3. Analysis of transference

A client might attach feelings he has for another person to counselor. The
counselor’s role is to facilitate that transference as it helps the client ventilate some
emotions like anger, making the client feel better. Note that a counselor might also
attach some feelings for another person to a client. This is called counter-
transference. The counselor has to be aware of this feeling, otherwise it can affect the
therapy.

4. Analysis of Resistance

The client might have experienced some painful events in the past which are
repressed in the unconscious. There may be resistance when trying to get in touch
with those painful experiences. The counselor has a role to break that resistance.

5. The Freudian slip

Freud said that there is no slip of the tongue. What comes out as a slip of the tongue
is in fact, the unconscious getting access to the conscious.

By Mrs Nyaga W.E. KTTC. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Guidance and Counselling Notes, 2020
 BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

These were advanced by B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, Albert, and Bandura Ivan
Pavlov among others. The behavioral approach is regarded as the 2nd force/thrust in
psychotherapy. There are four behavioural theories namely:- classical conditioning,
operant conditioning, social learning and cognitive behaviour theory. We are going
to focus on the first three theories.

KEY CONCEPTS:-

1. Behavour is learned
2. Behaviour can be unlearned
3. Behaviour can be relearned
4. Behaviour is the problem not the symptom.
5. Human beings are both products and producers of the environment.

GOALS OF COUNSELLING

1. To eliminate maladaptive behaviour.

2. To help clients to relearn more effective behaviour pattens,
3. To help clients to change their problematic behaviour.

1. Classical Conditioning

This was developed by Ivan Pavlov. He experimented with dogs in

modification of behaviour. He conditioned the dog to salivate on hearing a
bell because the dog was trained to associate the bell with food. This implies
that people who are subjected to some severe conditions and react in certain
ways will always react in similar way when exposed to similar conditions.
This means that behaviour can be learnt and can be sustained by
reinforcement. Behaviour can also be unlearnt by, refusing to reward it.

2. Operant(instrumental) Conditioning

Operant means that all organisms works in a given environment, resulting to

some consequences. It is instrumental because there is sorely responsible for
generating rewards for its behaviour. B.F. Skinner advanced this theory after
experimenting with rats. A rat in a box stepped on a bar of a food delivering

By Mrs Nyaga W.E. KTTC. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Guidance and Counselling Notes, 2020
 system accidentally, causing food pellets to come out. The rat continued this
action to get more food. Similarly human beings have to learn to operate in
their environment (home, school, work, town) in order to receive positive
consequences. For instance a husband may show love to the wife to create a
satisfying relationship. Thus behavioral counselors will teach clients
techniques that will help them operate on the environment to get what they
want.

3. Social Learning Theory

Albert Baudura developed this theory. Social learning refers to observational

or imitation learning. An individual learns in his environment as he/she
interacts and observes others. Social learning guides ones behaviour to
comply with societal norms values and beliefs. This helps a person adjust
well in society. Bandura experimented with dolls. Children treated a doll the
way they saw adults treat it. They learnt by observing similarly clients can
learn by observing the counselors. So counselors have a challenge to
encourage this modeling process by making every effort to be desirable
models.

Techniques of Counseling

1. Use of systematic desensitization – This introduces the client to a feared object slowly
until he/she unlearns the fear.
2. Use of flooding. The client is exposed to the feared object in abundance to unlearn the
fear.
3. Use of self-management techniques
4. Use of aversive therapy/stimulation. Behaviour is associated with painful stimulation
causing the client to unlearn it.

By Mrs Nyaga W.E. KTTC. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Guidance and Counselling Notes, 2020
HUMANISTIC APPROACH

PERSON CENTERED THEORY

Carl Rogers (1902-1987) developed the person centered theory. Note that there are other
humanistic theories like get start theory, but we shall only focus on person centered theory. This
theory is considered humanistic because of the positive view of human being it holds. It
emphasis on the respect and uniqueness of a person.

Key Concepts

1. A client is viewd as trustworthy

2. Clients have potential and are capable of self-direction
3. Clients can make constructive changes. They are the experts of their problems
4. Clients are able to live effective and productive lives.
5. Psychological disturbance results when a persons ideal self and real self in conflict.

COUNSELLING TECHNIQUES

There are no techniques as such but Carl Rogers proposed three core conditions that help in a
therapeutic relationship. These are:-

i) Empathy
ii) Unconditional positive regard
iii) Genuineness

Empathy- refers to counselor’s ability to tune in to the wave length of the client. It is to enter
into the client’s world to try and understand how they are experiencing their world. Accurate
emphatic understanding is very important as it helps the client to feel understood.

Unconditional- positive regard means communicating a respecting, caring attitude to the client.
It is being non-judgmental and accepting the client’s feelings, thoughts and behaviour are not
judged.

Genuineness- means being real or congruent during therapy. The counselor has to be himself, no
façade to be able to model genuineness to the client. These core-conditions help the client to be
open to experience and realize his potential in dealing with his/her issues.

By Mrs Nyaga W.E. KTTC. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Guidance and Counselling Notes, 2020