Don’t we get over-concerned when someone says they’re seeing a therapist? We do, because it is not something comprehendible in a general sense.
Our generation has quite been open with mental problems and are not embarrassed of it. Despite the fact that public perceptions of mental illness have improved in recent decades, studies show that stigma against mental illness remains strong, owing in part to media stereotypes and a lack of education. But these stigmas obviously don’t stop the researches and studies from going on. In the past five decades there are many approaches developed that focus on improving the client’s health by going deep into the problem and suggest solutions. Present day methods work on rather eradicating the problem than trying to forget its experience, unlike the traditional approaches. Now we look at some of the prominent methodologies developed till date.
Among the various approaches of counselling, psychodynamic counselling is the most prevalent one. It involves a therapist who attempts to understand the complicated emotions of the client and suggests how to deal with them. In this approach, the therapist-client relationship play a crucial role. Most of the work of a therapist is already done when they provide enough comfort for the client to share their feelings and express themselves properly.
The primary purpose of psychodynamic counselling is to assist clients in balancing the three aspects of their personality such as Id, Ego and superego. It is based on delving into and comprehending past experiences in order to uncover buried issues that are influencing current behavior. As a result, psychodynamic counselling is a long and ongoing procedure that is typically employed when people are dealing with serious issues that cannot be resolved by other means.
Moving towards a rather more sensitive approach, we have the humanistic approach. It is presuming that everyone has the ability to develop emotionally and psychologically in order to achieve self-actualization and personal fulfilment. Humanistic counsellors believe that our difficulties are created by how we experience life events rather than by the events themselves. Our experiences will influence and be influenced by how we feel about ourselves, affecting our self-esteem and confidence. As a result, the humanistic approach to counselling encourages the client to discover how negative reactions to life situations can lead to psychological distress. The method seeks to help us accept both the problematic and positive aspects of our identities and traits.
The third dominant approach in the subject area is the client-centered one. The concept that we all have intrinsic resources that enable us to deal with whatever life throws at us is at the heart of client-centered counselling.
Client-centered therapy is based on the idea that the client is the expert on their own thoughts, feelings, experiences, and issues, not the therapist. As a result, the client is the best individual to find appropriate answers. The counsellor does not offer any recommendations, ask probing questions, or attempt to interpret anything said by the client. The client is solely responsible for resolving any issues that arise.
The behavioral approach to counselling is based on the idea that an individual’s behavior is determined by their environment. Individual behavior is the subject of behavior therapy, which tries to assist people in changing undesired behaviors. An unwanted response to something or someone in the environment is defined as unwanted behavior. A counsellor would identify the unpleasant behavior with a client and work together to change or adjust the behavior using this strategy. Phobias, anxiety attacks, and eating disorders are among the issues that respond well to this sort of therapy.
Behaviorists argue that behavior can be ‘unlearned’ since it is ‘learned.’
In the current times, where everyone has their own complications in life, it becomes even more significant to have a healthy space of mind. It unclogs our emotions and makes expression of the same easier. Our psychological, emotional, and social well-being can all be influenced by our mental health. It has a direct impact on how we feel and behave on a daily basis. Mental health isn’t something that can be dealt with once and then forgotten about. It is critical at all stages of our lives. From childhood through adulthood, mental health is something we must be aware of and treat with caution.
It is that aspect of our living which makes us human and unique from other humans. Out of 8.7 million species on earth, only human beings have this beautiful privilege of expressing our feelings so explicitly. Summing up the discussion with a Carl Roger’s quote: –
People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don’t find myself saying, ‘Soften the orange a bit on the right-hand corner.’ I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds