Question

QUESTION 4
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various types of counseling relationships.

Explain at least 5 advantages and 5 disadvantages for each types which are Transference(psychodynamic) and Facilitative(Humanistic).

Answer 1

The counseling relationship is defined as the relationship that develops between the counselor and the client. It is a feeling and attitude towards one another and the way it is expressed.

It is an advantage if there is a good relationship between the counselor and the client, it makes the job easier for the counselor to understand the case and make the client understand his point of view. It helps in improving communication skill and help in improving self-defeating behaviors/habits. It helps the client in managing emotions and anger.

The research also indicates that counseling is not always helpful. The client can go worst after therapy. Certain clients develop liking towards the counselor and it makes the therapy difficult if there is no feeling from the counselor.

The second reason for the disadvantage of therapy can arise if the counselor does not understand the reason for clients suffering.

In the case of the Transference(psychodynamic) theory, the clients develop a feeling attraction of someone else who he/she had encountered before and started searching that person in the counselor.

It can result in the client's falling in love with the therapist. Or it can be taking out somebody else's anger or rage on the counselor.

Commonly there are three types of transference these are 1. Positive, 2. Negative, or 3. Sexualized.

The psychodynamic approach focuses more on interpreting the mental and emotional condition of the client than the behavior. He helps clients to have control on the emotions, negative thoughts, and belief have self-confidence.

The advantages of the theory are 1. The client feels happy and enjoys the therapy when he recollects the past happy event and connects it to the therapist.

2. It has a positive effect because the client feels the therapist is caring and empathetic.

3. It develops a positive relationship where the counselor has to keep the autonomy of the client and get the causes of the depression.

4. The client looks at the counselor as all-knowing Guru and that helps the counselor in educating the person in treatment to identify various situations and how to handle it.

5. In borderline personality, Transference is often useful because it makes the client recognize and gain insight into his behavior and thought patterns.

The disadvantages of the Transference are 1. When the client gets emotionally attached to the counselor it creates problems in dealing with the client.

2. The client can have a feeling that can be negative and full of rage and revenge that can harm the counselor.

3. If Transference develops the client will have problems in dealing with the counselor and other people.

4. After the treatment ended or revoked the patient feel distracted and down, and the therapy instead of helping the patient get well, make him worst.

5. If the client does not get the required result they develop hopelessness and distress.

Facilitative (Humanistic) theory was developed by Carl Rogers and his colleagues. The perspective of the theory says that learning will occur by the counselor who is an educator in the therapy and facilitate the client to feel comfortable and not threatened by the external stimuli. The basic assumption is that human beings have the instinct to learn and that learning can be done when the person realizes himself and change his understanding of his internal thoughts in a positive way.

The humanistic approach based on human nature that we have the innate motivating drive to move from simple to complex and this complex makes one vulnerable.

The advantages of effective humanities they are 1.It make one realize that everyone has the ability to learn.

2. Everyone has the ability to alter and understand his self concept and change the behavior to get positive outcome.

3. It provides freedom and responsibility to make choices, by valuing the uniqueness of his behavior.

4. Under this perspective, it teaches one to value human relationship love, creativity, and self.

5. It makes one realize his potential and strive for self-actualization.

The disadvantages are 1. Most of the humanistic approach is focused on achievement than cure.

2. It is not possible that one may attain the self-actualization and realize his potential in the same manner.

3. Most of the humanistic approach thinks that the problem is much deeper than what the client feels.

4. Most of the humanistic approach is based on open-ended sessions to reach to the depth of the problems; it makes the client uneasy and would feel like leaving the session.

5. It is criticized that humanistic theory does not do well with severe mental problems, because they reject certain psychoanalytic behaviors.