Daily stresses and past negative events can take up a lot of space in one's mind. It is no secret that what we do today has a direct link to what happened yesterday. Handling what is to come tomorrow then becomes the issue. That is just one aspect that counseling psychologists deal with. They can sometimes help you process your past to give you a better future. Some psychologists could care less about yesterday. Yes, some only want to help you make today better. Even more counselors will just focus on how you act, but those don't want to look at really why. Regardless of the method chosen, counseling psychologists are there to help you.
History
The history of psychology as a practice dates back to the late 1800's. Lightner Witmer established one of the first counseling clinics in 1896. Famed professor Sigmund Freud also opened his own practice in 1886. By 1896, he developed a way to talk to patients that were deemed hysterical. A large part of Freud's counseling style was centered on his ability to help a patient process current behaviors by dealing with his past. Freud's expertise was the key to counseling; this became known as psychoanalysis. Carl Rogers later developed counseling to be focused on the patient's experiences instead of his own elaborate expertise or method. His type of counseling became known as the Humanistic approach. This is mostly practiced by counselors today.
Function
The primary function of a counseling psychologist- a term that is interchangeable with psychotherapist-is to provide one-on-one or small group counseling engagement with people who feel a need for help in certain life situations. Counseling psychologists use research, education and communication skills to provide this relief. Counselors may use any number of techniques and therapy styles with one focus in mind: help the client reach their personal goals with concern for safety.
High school counselors were employed starting in the 1920s. Counselors were hired to promote moral and social development among students. The military even became involved later on. They used the counselors to prepare and train students as recruits for World War 2.
Counselors are especially functional in times of crisis. For example, many counselors were employed after the 9/11 attacks on America. People were struck with grief and even post traumatic stress disorders after watching 3,000 people die in such a tragedy. During the Columbine massacre when two students rampaged through the Columbine High School and killed several fellow students, the state of Colorado hired on-site grief counselors to comfort those left behind.
Types
Counseling psychologists can be trained in several different specialties, according to their preferences. Marriage and Family Therapists focus on simply marriage and family therapy. A Licensed Professional Counselor can counsel anyone from individuals to groups; they work mostly in hospitals or state settings. Other counseling psychologists may specialize in vocational counseling. Some of these professionals help people find the right occupation. Even Life Coaches, those who specialize in helping individuals achieve personal life success goals, can be considered counselors. There are even counseling fields tailored to religion. There are a growing number of Christian counselors that base all their techniques on Biblical principles.
Theories/Speculation
There are a few major theories or types of therapy that counseling psychologists subscribe to when speaking and helping clients. Among the most common type used is cognitive behavioral therapy. This is practiced when psychologists use a "logical" approach to helping a client reach a specific goal. They may write out on paper what the client's specific behaviors are, what goals they intend to reach and what behaviors may need to change or start in order to reach those goals.
Post modern therapy relies less on past behaviors and focuses more on present actions and how they fit into the person or family's system of living. Structural therapy focuses primarily on the family's structural setup. The psychoanalytical approach says that the past and past relationships, starting with childhood, have the most effect on present behaviors.
Benefits
Psychological counseling has many benefits. For one, an outside perspective is being brought into the situation at hand. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, and a counselor can give you a bird's eye view of what's going on. In terms of family communication, counselors can find ways to strengthen active listening and better communication skills among members. Counseling also helps individuals deal better with stress or past events that have never reached a satisfactory resolution for the client. A trained counselor will be able to study how you process the world around you. He can give you ways to interact with it better by offering specific techniques tailored to your personality and goals.
Tags: counseling psychologists, became known, client reach, communication skills, counselors were, counselors were employed