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Philosophy of Counseling

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I believe that the ultimate goal of counseling is to help people be healthy, functioning members of society who are able to effectively cope with life experiences, both good and bad. I believe that this goal can be achieved through the process of education. Counselors should be prepared to provide resources to clients that include, but are not limited to, coping strategies, life skills, and the ability to identify and understand feelings. This also involves providing alternative ways of thinking or behaving that might help the client better function in their daily lives. Counseling also involves a genuine, empathic relationship. This is necessary in order to fully understand the perspective and lifestyle of the client. Understanding their view point and frame of reference helps both the client and the counselor to understand the cognitions and belief system that has made the client who they are. Once the client and counselor have engaged in this process of reflection and interpretation, I believe the client should become actively involved in therapy by understanding and taking control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This process can be empowering, but also challenging, so the counselor should be very encouraging throughout the counseling experience. Finally, I also believe counseling should involve concrete goals. Counseling is most effective when the clients have chosen these goals themselves, or the counselor and client have decided upon together. After reflecting on my personal views as a counselor and studying various theories that have developed in the field of counseling and psychotherapy, I have found that my values and beliefs best align with Adlerian Theory and Cognitive-Behavior Theory. In the pages to come, I will do my best to describe my personal theory of counseling and how it aligns with Adlerian and Cognitive-Behavioral

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