Explore your own theory of counseling. Your theory will be based on your own family and religious background, assumptions about people and how you conceptualize growth, development, and psychopathology. Although it is not required that you reference all your ideas in APA format, I do require that you indicate from which theories you are drawing your ideas. Evaluation will be based on: 1. how well thought out your ideas are. 2. how well you have tied them into the various theories. 3. the consistency of your ideas and. 4. your knowledge of theories. In writing your paper I would like you to reflect on the following issues: (It is not expected that you will be able to address every one of these issues but do hit the main areas.) I. What is your view of human nature? a. Free will/determinism: to what extent do people direct their own actions or are governed by other forces? b. Nature/nurture: To what extent are people influenced by heredity (nature) and/or by their environment (nurture)? c. Past/present: To what extent are people fixed by early events in their lives and/or affected by experiences later in life? What is the relationship between the two? What is the importance of the past, present, and future in governing behaviors? d. Uniqueness/universality: To what degree is each person unique and/or are there broad personality patterns that fit large numbers of people? If so what? e. Equilibrium/growth: to what extent are people motivated simply to maintain a physiological balance or state of equilibrium or does the urge to grow and develop shape peoples’ behavior? f. Are people basically rational or irrational? g. Motivation: What basically motivates people? II. How do you view counseling and the counseling process? a. What constitutes a problem? b. What is/are the goal(s) of counseling? c. What are effective counselor behaviors? d. Describe the counseling process. e. What internal and external blocks are there to a person’s changing? f. How does the counselor deal with blocks? g. What are the outcome measures (how do you know the problem has been solved)? h. Who should establish the goals in counseling? i. What is the counselor’s role? j. What is the counselor’s role in structuring the therapeutic process? k. What differentiates a mediocre counselor from a highly effective one?
