Types of Counseling Therapy and Its Definition

Counseling therapy is an activity carried out by a psychiatrist to help others in managing and solving psychological problems. Such as emotional problems, behavior, life development, relationships with others, education, and other personal problems. At its core, counseling therapy involves the formal application of empirically supported psychological, developmental, and learning principles to facilitate desired change or growth. These principles are implemented through cognitive, affective, and behavioral research activities that are all specially designed.

Counseling is a profession dedicated to helping people who are experiencing situational problems and generally have a long term life. When you think of this psychological counseling, do you imagine a long couch and a doctor who is quietly writing notes in his book? This may have been true if you were in the days of Sigmund Freud's famous psychoanalysis, but not today. Counseling, often referred to as therapy, has evolved significantly through research and treatment by psychiatrists. Treatment methods and techniques have been developed through the ever-evolving theory of counseling.

Counseling Theory and Therapy

Since Freud's time, psychologists have developed many theories about how best to help others in counseling activities. Most of these theories are based on a combination of the views of the psychologist who researched them and generally accepted psychological theories. Some of the main current counseling therapy theories and techniques include the following:

Psychoanalytic theory

As we all know, Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalytic counseling is still used today. These theories have developed significantly since the time of Freud, but are still used in counseling activities today. This type of therapy often focuses on childhood memories, subconscious thoughts and feelings and explores the client's resistance to therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most used therapies by therapist widely today. The theory based on an idea that all problematic behaviors are learned. Then the person's thoughts and behavior can be modified in counseling therapy. The therapist who uses this cognitive behavioral theory is client-oriented aiming to modify a behavior that causes emotional difficulties and problems for the client.

Existential therapy

This counseling method uses existential therapy that focuses on the client's personal experiences and the client's personal thoughts about the meaning of life. Therapists who use existential theory believe in the freedom of clients to choose their own lifestyle so that they are free from anxiety.

Character-based therapy

We save this client-centred or character-centered therapy as a last resort. This therapy is also known as humanistic therapy, where this method is easy to remember because it focuses on the uniqueness of each client. Because each client is unique, therapists using this method can easily apply to whatever the client's situation. This person-centered therapy emphasizes that humans are naturally kind, positive and trustworthy. Because of this view, these therapists focus on self-exploration with their clients.

Licensed therapists are required to know this and all other theories of counseling therapy. Most counselors today use a combination of different types of therapy. However, due to the limitations imposed by many insurance companies on the number of counseling sessions for insurance clients, cognitive behavioral therapy is very popular. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be focused on a specific short-term behavioral goals. So, you should really consider where and to whom you are going to do the counseling.

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