Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling Essay

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling - Essay Example In both cases, dreams were a factor in the analysis (Neuman, 1954). A method pioneered by psychologist Carl Rogers was a person-centered approach known as humanistic counseling, and B.F. Skinner was interested in what could actually be observed in the outside world, leading at first to therapy as a separate strand from counseling (History: Freud, 2007). Freud believed in psychoanalysis as a field for laypersons, but in the United States lay analysis was not considered legitimate, and is in fact illegal at present. U.S. psychoanalysts are required to be medically qualified. This prejudice against lay therapists led to Roger's adoption of the word "counseling" instead of therapist to describe his method since he was medically trained (Rohan, 2001). The terms "psychotherapy" and "counseling" have now become interchangeable in psychiatry, but Roger's holistic approach to the human side of counseling is unique in the field and has led to hundreds of research agendas. He brought many new ideas into therapy that were resisted at the time they were introduced and continue to be resisted even now (History: Counseling vs. Psychotherapy Divide, 2007). It is the approach to the whole person rather than just analysis of conscious and unconscious thought that makes humanistic counseling a produc... We live in a global community with a mix of cultures and social norms throughout the world. If we look at ourselves as individuals interacting with others and making an effort to determine what factors give us the most satisfaction, we become our own therapists. Humanistic counseling is comprised of self-actualization, creativity, and free choice. John Rowan (2001) describes Rogers' person-centered approach to psychiatric analysis as empathetic, genuine, and non-possessive warmth on the part of the counselor and goes on to discuss the various factors that make this a working form of counseling and analysis. Influences Shaping My Understanding of Counseling Humanistic counseling is somewhere in the middle of the therapeutic system, with Freud and Jung still a major force in the field and family therapy a derivative of humanistic counseling. With the advent of child guidance clinics, family therapy became the recommended treatment in the belief that "a child's symptoms were usually a function of emotional distress in the family" (Family Therapy. par. 8). However, the bottom line is the ability of the individual to understand and accept self, and in that respect humanistic counseling would be the preferred method. The following shows the stages of individual development from the inside out (Rowan, 2001): The first is the importance of self-esteem, trust, and acceptance between client and counselor. Next, it is necessary for the client to gain personal control by being honest with self. The second aspect of humanistic psychology is what is called "self actualization," the whole person: body, feelings, intellect, transpersonal self, and spirit. Neglecting any one of these areas defeats the effort. With so much attention now on the body-diet