COUNSELING AND

PSYCHOTHERAPY
COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY DEFINED

COUNSELING
- generally refers to short-term consultation
- deals with current issues that may be resolved
on the conscious level, and tends to be more
concerned with practical or immediate issues
and outcomes
COUNSELING
 helps a client process powerful emotions such as grief
or anger
 deal with immediate causes of stress and anxiety
 clarify values and identify options when making
important personal or professional decisions
 manage conflicts within relationships
 develop better interpersonal and communication skills
 intentionally change unproductive thoughts and
behaviors
COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY DEFINED
PSYCHOTHERAPY
- typically refers to longer-term treatment
- usually includes an intensive and extensive
examination of a person‟s psychological
history
- more focused on helping a person understand
his/her life in a profound and reflective
manner
PSYCHOTHERAPY
- an evolutionary process that helps a person look at long-
standing attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors that have
resulted in the current quality of one‟s life and
relationships
- goes much deeper to uncover root causes of problems,
resulting in more dramatic changes in perspective
regarding oneself, one‟s life experience, and the world in
general
- ultimate goal: to empower the individual by freeing
him/her from the grip of unconscious triggers or impulses
through increased self-awareness
“The principal aim of psychotherapy is not to
transport one to an impossible state of
happiness, but to help (the client) acquire
steadfastness and patience in the face of
suffering.” Carl Jung
COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY DEFINED
 Many mental health professionals are trained and skilled in
practicing either counseling or psychotherapy, even
integrating them when necessary.
 At times, straight-forward counseling for symptoms, such as
indecisiveness or procrastination, may reveal a damaging
pattern of thought and behavior that may require in-depth
psychotherapy, provided the client is ready to address the
deeper issues.
 In both forms of treatment, what remains essential is the
relationship built on mutual respect, trust, support, and
deep honesty.
(Source: australiacounselling.com.au)
COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
COUNSELING VS THERAPY:
POSSIBLE DISTINCTIONS

- Counseling as Information-Provision?
- Counseling for the “Worried Well”,
Therapy for the “Sick”?
- Counseling for the Conscious, Therapy
for the Unconscious?
- Close-up or Long Shot?
 DIFFERENCES & SIMILARITIES
- Ongoing debate as to the differences or similarities between
counseling and psychotherapy
- In general terms, psychotherapy has stronger roots in a
medical/psychological model, whereas counseling has a more
social/psychological model
- Some differences in the structure and provision of training
- Both offer interventions that can be based in short-term, and longer-
term approaches
- Both can be found in a variety of health and social settings
- The majority of skills cross both definitions
The application of counseling and psychotherapy in
practice is hard to differentiate.
COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY IN
THE PHILIPPINES
IRR of RA 9258: Guidance and Counseling Act of
the Philippines

Guidance and Counseling. The profession that involves

the use of an integrated approach to the development
of a well-functioning individual primarily by helping
him/her to utilize his/her potentials to the fullest and
plan his/her future in accordance with his/her
abilities.
Functions of the Guidance Counselor
- Counseling
- Psychological testing (i.e. personality, career, interest, mental
ability, aptitude, achievement, learning and study orientation)
- Research, placement and group processes
- Teaching of guidance and counseling subjects, particularly those
given in the licensure examinations and other human
development services

Counseling – considered synonymous to and interchangeable with

guidance and counseling.
IRR of RA 10029: Psychology Act of 2009

"Psychology" is the scientific study of human behavior.

It involves the application of scientific methods to inquire

into the biological, cognitive, affective, developmental,
personality, social, cultural and individual difference
dimensions of human behavior.
"Practice of Psychology"
… consists of the delivery of psychological services that
involve application of psychological principles and
procedures for the purpose of describing,
understanding, predicting and influencing the
behavior of individuals or groups, in order to assist in
the attainment of optimal human growth and
functioning.
The delivery of psychological services includes, but is not limited to:
(1) psychological interventions:
- psychological counseling
- psychotherapy
- psychosocial support
- coaching
- psychological debriefing
- group processes
- all other psychological interventions that involve the application
of psychological principles to improve psychological functioning
of individuals, families, groups and organizations;
STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES
STRENGTHS
 Efforts to professionalize the fields of counseling and
psychology; assurance of standards and quality of
services
 Greater public awareness regarding the role of
counselors and psychologists (e.g., PAP‟s stand on the
death penalty)
(Melgar, M. I. E. (2013). Counseling and psychotherapy in the Philippines. Handbook
of counseling and psychotherapy in an international context, 237-246.)

- Other strengths?
CHALLENGES
- School counseling has slow progress or might even
have deteriorated (Villar, 2000)
- Poor research output (Bernardo, 2002)
- Other challenges?
- Refer to next page for supplementary reading
WHO IS AN EFFECTIVE
COUNSELOR OR
PSYCHOTHERAPIST?
THE PERSON AND THE PROFESSIONAL

The person of the therapist and the

therapeutic relationship contribute to
therapy outcome at least as much as the
particular treatment method used.
(Duncan, Miller, Wampold, & Hubble, 2010; Norcross, 2011; Norcross & Guy, 2007)
IMPLICATIONS
- Technical expertise is not enough
- Need for authenticity (person-to-person connection)
- “It is not theories and techniques that heal the
suffering client but the human dimension of therapy
and the „meetings‟ that occur between therapist and
client as they work together” (Elkins, 2009, p. 82).
- Meta-analytic results on therapeutic effectiveness:
personal and interpersonal components are essential
to effective psychotherapy, whereas techniques alone
have relatively little effect on therapeutic outcome
(Wampold, 2001).
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE
COUNSELORS/PSYCHOTHERAPISTS (COREY, 2013)
 Having an identity  Living in the present
 Self-respect and appreciation  Appreciate influence of culture
 Openness to change  Sincere interest in others‟
 Life-oriented choices welfare
 Authentic, sincere and honest  Effective interpersonal skills
 Sense of humor  Accept work rewards and find
meaning
 Willingness to admit
mistakes/errors  Passionate/sense of energy
 Maintain healthy boundaries
 ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS
(PAP, 2009)
Principle 1: Respect for the dignity of persons and peoples
- Regardless of perceived or real differences
- Respect for uniqueness, diversity
- Respect for customs and beliefs (except when customs and
beliefs contravene respect for dignity of persons or causes harm)
- Free and informed consent
- Privacy
- Protection of confidentiality
- Fairness and justice
Principle 2: Competent caring for the wellbeing of persons
- Do no harm (maximizing benefits, minimizing potential harm)
- Correcting or offsetting harmful effects
- Developing and maintaining competence
- Self-knowledge
- Respect person‟s decisions and ability to care for themselves
Principle 3: Integrity
- honesty, and truthful, open and accurate communication
- avoiding incomplete disclosure of information unless complete
disclosure is culturally inappropriate, or violates confidentiality, or
carries the potential to do serious harm
- maximizing impartiality and minimizing biases
- not exploiting persons or peoples for personal, professional, or
financial gain
- avoiding conflicts of interest and declaring them when they
cannot be avoided or are inappropriate to avoid
Principle 4: Professional and Scientific Responsibilities to Society
- The discipline has the responsibility to
a) increase scientific and professional knowledge to promote well-
being of society and all its members
b) use psychological knowledge for beneficial purposes and to
protect such knowledge from being misused, used incompetently,
or made useless
c) conduct its affairs in ways that are ethical and consistent with
the promotion of the well-being of society and all its members;
d) promote the highest ethical ideals in the scientific, professional
and educational activities of its members;
e) adequately train its members in their ethical responsibilities and
required competencies; and,
f) develop its ethical awareness and sensitivity, and to be as self-
correcting as possible
Five counselor behaviors with moderate to
strong link with therapeutic alliance
- asking questions
- making encouraging comments
- identifying and reflecting back the client‟s
feelings
- making positive comments about the client
- validating the client‟s experience
(Duff &Bedi, 2010)
Another six counselor behaviors moderately to strongly
correlated with the therapeutic alliance
- making eye contact
- greeting the client with a smile
- referring to details discussed in previous sessions
- being honest
- sitting still without fidgeting
- and facing the client
(Duff &Bedi, 2010)
REFLECTION:

“What brings me here?”

(As a counselor/psychologist, do I need counseling or

psychotherapy to become an effective professional?)
 PERSONAL THERAPY IS USEFUL IN 3 WAYS...
(1) As part of the therapist‟s training, personal therapy offers
a model of therapeutic practice in which the trainee
experiences the work of a more experienced therapist and
learns experientially what is helpful or not helpful;
(2) A beneficial experience in personal therapy can further
enhance a therapist‟s interpersonal skills that are essential
to skillfully practicing therapy; and,
(3) Successful personal therapy can contribute to a
therapist‟s ability to deal with the ongoing stresses
associated with clinical work.
(Orlinsky, Norcross, Ronnestad, & Wiseman, 2005)
PAP CODE OF ETHICS (2009)
PAP CODE OF ETHICS (2009)
Four Main Themes in Literature:
1) Genesis/Beginnings of the Wounded-Healer Paradigm
- Cultural considerations
- Concept of the Buddy System (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous)
2) The role of “wounds” in healing
- Within pastoral care
- Consumer survivors
3) Emotional wellbeing in the workplace
- Reasons for being in the profession
- Stress, anxiety and burnout
4) Peer support
(Conchar & Repper, 2014)
REFLECTION:

“As a beginning counselor/psychologist,

what challenges do I foresee or have I
experienced?”
THE BEGINNING COUNSELOR/PSYCHOTHERAPIST
 Dealing with anxieties – uncertainties, self-doubts
 Being one‟s self and self-disclosure* - aim:
genuineness and presence; hiding behind
professional facade vs too much disclosure
* Read Hanson, 2005; Bottrill , Nancy Pistrang , Chris Barker & Michael Worrell,
2010; Siebold, 2011; Audet, 2011

 Avoiding perfectionism
 Being honest about limitations – when and how to
make a referral
 Understanding silence
 Dealing with demands from clients
 Dealing with clients who lack commitment
 Tolerating ambiguity – “getting worse”
 Being aware of countertransference
o Any projections that influence our perceptions and
reactions to a client
o Occurs when triggered into emotional reactivity, respond
defensively, or when we lose ability to be present
because of our own issues
 Developing a sense of humor
 Declining to give advice – help clients make
independent choices and accept the consequences of
their choices
 Defining your roles as a counselor/psychotherapist
 Learning to use techniques appropriately –
thoughtfully chosen to help clients make therapeutic
progress
 Developing your own style
 Maintaining vitality as a person and as a professional
o self-monitoring; self-care is an ethical mandate
THANK YOU