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EDPS 602 Counselling Theories and Professional Practice

Post Assignment
By Jacqueline Munroe
December 2, 2013













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Adlerian Theory
September 25 - October 1 2013
Question 2- What issues or concepts do you find most troubling about this theory? Most useful?
Quality of Contribution: In reading the response of a fellow student, it made me reflect upon the
importance of community feeling for me personally, after having spent the past five years living in many
different communities (4 total) pursuing a teaching career. Adlers emphasis on social interest was the
predominant contribution that I would consider in my own view of counselling, due to having
experienced feelings of distress for a period of time, due to social isolation. I actually did feel as though I
was in a better place to help my students, once a sense of belonging within the community was
established. Interestingly, this realization was only brought into awareness over the course of my readings
on Adlerian psychotherapy. My ability to accurately incorporate and connect personal experiences into
community feeling aspect of Adlerian psychology, utilize correct theoretical concepts, and demonstrate
personal growth makes this response post of good quality and reflects 3 aspects of post criteria.


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Quality of Contribution: Initially, this response was a difficult one to conceptualize in relation to my
own emerging theoretical framework of counselling. I really struggled between placing the importance of
social interest over self-interest, as Adlers emphasis on community really struck a chord personally.
However, I eventually settled on self-interest as being the weightier contributor to overall mental health in
my own theory of change, and provided an example of why I believed this to be so. I feel as though
individuals must have a healthy sense of self, before they can positively influence their community and
ultimately better mankind. This post was of good quality and reflected 2 elements of criteria; personal
attitudes and values, as well as self-awareness regarding my own philosophy of counselling and change.

Quality of Contribution: The ideographic orientation is one which I have also incorporated into my own
personal view of counselling when planning therapeutic interventions. I believe that although we may
work from a medical model (as school psychologists), interventions must be tailored to the particular
symptoms of the client. Clients may present differently, even with the same diagnostic label. In terms of
criteria, this response demonstrates accurate understanding and description of one of the 12 core
constructs of Adlerian psychotherapy as well as relevant research supporting differences found in the
presentation of depression in men compared to women. Lastly, I raised a new perception of the technique
of spitting in the soup, as being manipulative, which, based on the discussion generated, seemed to be a
unique perception. This was a quality post which reflected 4 elements of necessary criteria.

Quality of Contribution: This response was to a fellow student. It summarized her idea of adding client
input and perception, to what we both considered to be a manipulative technique of Adlerian therapy. I
feel as though this post also applied a related perception of her proposed change (spitting in the soup) in
that, while it is a valid suggestion, if the negative perception is client generated, would it really result in
the same effect? This post reflected 1 of the required post criteria.
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Question 5- Adler's theory implies that human behaviour is functional, meaning that what we
choose to do serves a specific purpose. From an Adlerian view, can addiction be seen as a form
of functional behaviour? Could it be said that Anne's addiction was serving some specific
purpose for her? If so, what might that have been?

Quality of Contribution: This post reflected my understanding of the importance of purpose behind
behaviour in Adlerian therapy. I proposed that therapy may discover early factors (sexual abuse) which
led to the development of Annes drug use, in an effort to feel powerful. I also identified how incongruent
self-concept, self-ideals, and world view, were temporarily relieved by drug use. This post demonstrates
an ability to accurately apply learning material from Wedding and Corsini (2014) and Adlerian
psychotherapy into a case study and treatment format and reflects 1 of the necessary post criteria.

Overall Assessment of Adlerian Psychotherapy Posts

Extent of Participation

10/10

Wednesday to Saturday: 2
posts
Sunday to Tuesday: 3 posts

5 posts total: Appropriately
posted on required weekdays


Quality of Comments

9/10

Covered nearly all of the
required criteria, within the
week. However, failed to
integrate psychoanalysis
(previous materials studied)
into any posting.






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Behavioural Theory
October 9- October 15 2013
Question 1- Behavior therapy incorporates many techniques such as behavioral assessment,
exposure-based strategies, operant conditioning modeling and social skills training. Reflect on
your own personal counseling theory. Which behavioral strategies would you use or not use?
Explain.

Quality of Contribution: This post was in response to a fellow student who had posed a question for
discussion. I incorporated personal experiences and reflections from classroom teaching. While I did offer
up a tentative response to the original question, my post was mainly about how one may adapt a system to
serve a specific purpose (behaviour management) and result in temporary behavioural change. Similarly, I
correctly identified a real life application of the token economy construct, and applied it to one particular
environment to which it was effective. Furthermore, I maintained respectful awareness of previous posts
as there were some who strongly discouraged this system in a counselling perspective to facilitate lasting
change. This post reflects 3 elements of post criteria.

Quality of Contribution: This question (question 1) and the post which followed led to me developing
further self-awareness. While counsellors and educators may both be attempting to facilitate behavioural
change, and employ the same techniques to do so, the end goal of the counsellor in creating lasting
change, (as opposed to temporary for teaching purposes) is far greater reaching. Similarly, this post
demonstrated an ability to synthesize learning into my own developing view of counselling, through an
incorporation of what has worked in the past (token economy, reinforcement based systems) to techniques
currently learned from behavioural theory (abc, target behaviour for change, monitoring, developing skills
of self-monitoring). This post reflects 2 elements of post criteria.
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Question 2- Our case study outlines the story of Ty, an 8-year-old boy engaging in various
challenging behaviors. From a behavioral approach, how would you initiate therapy with
Ty? What would be the focus of your sessions?

Quality of Contributions: This post demonstrates an understanding of exactly how information is
collected in behavioural therapy, and to what aim. I revealed the ability to accurately identify a core
construct, which in BT, would focus on changing environmental contingencies. Similarly, I was able to
provide examples of particular methods relevant and appropriate for change in a child of that age. My
post incorporates relevant and supplemental readings through the many techniques mentioned, which
would be employed during the information gathering stage, for the purpose of treatment planning. This
post reflects 2 elements of post criteria.

Quality of Contributions: This post was meant as a response to the question of a fellow student. It
essentially summarizes my previous post in terms of techniques, and also offers up a related perception of
the homework issue which is how applicable is this crucial mechanism of home practice (common in all
behaviour therapies) to young children undergoing BT. This post reflects 2 elements of post criteria.
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Quality of Contribution: This post was inspired by an integration of previous posts as well as the case
study, regarding the importance of family involvement in BT. Here; I identified a new perception of the
issue raised of family involvement, specific to the case study and treatment of RAD (the consideration of
a parents mental health in involving them in the therapeutic process). To support this, I utilized
supplemental research to identify in what cases (RAD) it may be best to consider if parental involvement
(parental mental health) will really assist the child in behavioural change. This post reflects 3 elements of
post criteria.
Overall Assessment of Behavioural Psychotherapy Posts:


Extent of Participation

10/10

Wednesday to Saturday: 3
posts
Sunday to Tuesday: 2 posts

5 posts total: Appropriately
posted on required weekdays


Quality of Comments

9/10

Covered nearly all of the
required criteria, within the
week. However, failed to
integrate previous theories
materials studied into
postings.