Okay, I have had writers block. I haven’t written in a while. Here goes…
PARADIGMS:
A MILLION AND ONE WAYS TO LOOK AT THE WORLD
YET I WILL BOIL IT DOWN TO ONLY
TWO FUNDAMENTAL PARADIGMS:
Problem Focused or Solution Focused
What is a paradigm?
According to Merriam-Webster :
A: par·a·digm noun \ˈper-ə-ˌdīm, ˈpa-rə- also -ˌdim\
B: a model or pattern for something that may be copied
C: a theory or a group of ideas about how something should be done, made, or thought about
1: example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
2: an example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms
3: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind.
Other words used to describe paradigm are: Example, pattern standard archetype, exemplar, and prototype.
So what does this have to do with counseling? There are a million and one ways to theorize about how human beings function, think, live, and process their emotions; and a million and one techniques to go with them. The Arkansas Board of Counseling mentions just a few listed below.
Individual Therapy Focus
Cognitive Behavioral
Reframing exercises
Self-talk
Self-analysis/self-evaluation/self-assessment
Homework therapy
Relaxation techniques
Muscle relaxation
Deep breathing
Cognitive imagery
Guided imagery
Systematic desensitization
Problem-solving skills training
Self-monitoring
Cognitive restructuring
Role playing social problem-solving situations
Self-reinforcement
Self-instruction
Modeling
Positive incentives
Behavioral rehearsal
Monitoring negative thoughts
Restructuring negative or maladaptive thoughts
Person-Centered
Active listening
Reflection of feelings
Clarification
Empathy
Unconditional Positive Regard
Congruence
Adlerian
Gathering life history (genogram, family constellation, early recollections) ·
Therapeutic contracts
Homework assignments
Paradoxical intention
Suggestions
Confrontation
Interpretation
Providing encouragement
Paraphrasing
“Aha” experience
Catching Oneself
Acting “as if”
Gestalt
Reliving /re-experiencing unfinished business
Confrontation
Staying with feelings
Role playing
Empty chair
Creative expression (art, poetry, writing, movement)
Psychodrama
Putting feelings or thoughts into action
Body awareness (breathing awareness)
Guided imagery
Focusing on the here and now
Behavior
Reinforcement techniques
Relaxation methods
Modeling
Assertion/social skills training
Self-management programs
Behavioral rehearsal
Coaching
Contracts
Homework assignments
Reality
Evaluation of present behavior
Willingness to change
Development of specific plan to change
Awareness of how life would be different
Commitment to follow through with plan
Psychoanalytic
Interpretation
Dream analysis
Free association
Analysis of resistance
Analysis of transference
Questioning to develop case history
Existential
Identification of responsibility avoidance
Confronting irresponsibility
Owning of feelings, statements and actions
Attacking “wish” avoidance
Attacking affect avoidance
Unblocking decision-making
Family Therapy Focus
From General Systems Theory:
Transgenerational/Bowenian/Contextual
Boundary making
Family sculpting
Genogram
Family reconstruction
Therapeutic contract
Going home assignments
Differentiation assignments
Family ledger
Structural
Enactments
Unbalancing
Tracking
Assess family structure
Assess family rules/roles
Reframing
Draw-A-Person
Kinetic Family Drawings
Family play
Strategic
Assess hierarchy/power
Circular questioning
Miracle question
Scaling questions
Exception questions
“As-if” assignments
Homework assignments
“Go slow” messages
Experiential
Positive connotations
Paradoxical interventions
Rituals
Ordeal assignments
Prescribing the symptom
Behavioral parent training
Restraining techniques
Identifying self-defeating patterns
Invariant prescription
2nd order changes
Family Sculpting
Family drawings
Hypnosis/trance
Here-and-now techniques
There-and-then techniques
Narrative
Questioning (opening space, meaning, future)
Deconstruction
Co-construction
Re-storying
Externalizing
Mapping influence of problem
Find Exceptions to Problem
Therapist’s letter-writing
Preferred view of self/from others
Psychoanalytic Family Therapy/Object Relations
Participant observation
Listening
Avoid reassuring, advising, confronting ·
Interpretation
Avoid counter transference
Integrative Family Therapy
Language of parts
Internal conversations
Micro/Macro lenses
Solution focus
WOW ! ARE YOU CONFUSED YET ?
MANY THEORIES HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT AND
MORE THEORIES COME EVERYDAY.
Okay, I will help you get off the Merry Go Round. I try to keep things simple. Everything listed above have been thought over and discussed thoroughly over the ages. They serve their purpose and help people. Yet even within the before mentioned paradigms, points of view, theories, techniques and approaches…
Therapy can be either
“PROBLEM FOCUSED”
or
“SOLUTION FOCUSED”
Over the years of practice, I have done both approaches and have eventually come to prefer the “SOLUTION FOCUSED” approach. After using and watching both in action, I gravitated to the one, which seemed to me, proved more successful.
Here, let me give a brief synopsis. PROBLEM FOCUSED:
“You are sad. You are so sad. How sad are you? So sad you couldn’t get out of bed for a week. So sad you couldn’t take a shower. So sad you couldn’t wash you hair or brush your teeth. So sad you couldn’t get up and let the dog out…..So sad the dog has now pooped on the floor…..”
Down……
Down…
Down…
Down….
Even I got depressed!
(The focus was on the problem of sadness.)
SOLUTION FOCUSED:
“You are sad. Okay…But I see you got yourself up…neat and clean, make up on…you got yourself here…Where did you get the energy and wisdom to come to a counselor?”
“Oh…you have known for a while you wanted to see a therapist and you finally made up you mind and made the phone call.”
“Yes, seeing a therapist is scary. But you know what? Most people do not even make the first phone call. Just the fact you made the call then showed up today, tells me a lot about how intelligent you are, your determination, and your willingness to do better in life. Congratulations…you are ahead of most people.”
(The focus is on strengths.)
Solution focus does not deny problems. On the other hand, why should strengths be denied? To me Solution focused is more balanced and healthier.