You have trained to be an eclectic counsellor, which means you have an understanding of many different models and approaches
to help you choose the right way of interacting with your clients to meet their own specific needs. Client A has presented a
difficult history of interactions with his parents which resulted in him leaving home in his late teens. He has had little contact with
them since then and has gradually become more dependent on the use of alcohol to help him cope with his feelings of loneliness,
worthlessness, depression and increasing isolation from his other family members and friends.
Q1. Describe the key elements of psychodynamic theory, including the range of skills you would use when working in this way.
How will this help Client A to understand the impact of his past on his current feelings and behaviour?
Psychodynamic theory focuses on the psychological drives and forces within individuals that explain both their behaviour and
personality. The theory advocates that human behaviour is determined by past experiences and genetic inheritance, as well as
the present moment, and that an individuals’ internal experiences directly relate to their relationships with other people.
Originating from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, psychodynamic theory places emphasis on the unconscious mind as the source
of psychological distress and dysfunction (Wright, 2015). Thus the aim of psychodynamic therapy is to bring unresolved issues,
developed during childhood, or repressed trauma buried within the unconscious, to the conscious mind. Only then can the client
begin to address these underlying psychological issues to achieve self-understanding and self-realisation (Sharf, 2016).
This process is often referred to by counsellors as ‘gaining insight’, and is achieved when the client comes to a realisation
regarding what is causing their distress. This is a vital step in the counselling process and clients will frequently experience a
sense of catharsis; a strong release of pent up emotions. As a result of this, arrival at insight must be managed carefully by the
counsellor because whilst insight can result in a great sense of relief, if arrived at too early, it can produce pain and distress.
Therefore, in order for psychodynamic therapy to be effective, it is necessary for them to feel safe discussing their thoughts and
feelings with the therapist (https://www.facebook.com/verywell, n.d.).
Various psychodynamic techniques are adopted by the counsellor in order to foster this trusting relationship and develop
positive strategies to help their client change their behaviour. Counsellors will actively listen to their clients by taking an interest
in what they have to say, providing support and understanding when necessary, and paying close attention to their clients body
language, tone, speed and pitch of voice. This ensures the client feels worthy, appreciated and respected, and thus encourages
them to continue talking. Clients who undergo psychodynamic therapy with a counsellor possessing efficient active listening
skills, tend to respond more positively by interacting on a deeper level and disclosing more personal information. It is therefore
the counsellors responsibility to observe and digest this information, and encourage their client to explore their feelings,
thoughts and emotions surrounding these past experiences.
While psychodynamic counsellors do not promote transference - the act of a client unconsciously projecting thoughts, feelings
and experiences of relationships, or interactions with previous significant figures onto the counsellor -, they are aware this can
happen and in such situations, they will acknowledge this is happening and help the client to discuss their feelings.
Psychodynamic therapists must therefore also be aware of countertransference, whereby the counsellors’ unconscious responds
to signals received from the client and they act out this particular role (Ruch, Turney and Ward, 2010).
In relation to Client A’s situation, psychodynamic therapy would be used to delve into his troubled relationship with his parents.
His counsellor would support him in exploring these past experiences in an attempt to get to the root cause of his current
emotional distress and subsequent alcohol misuse. The aim being to gain valuable insight into why he may struggling to maintain
his current relationships, and why he relies on alcohol to cope with the emotional distress this causes. Whilst psychodynamic
therapy is a slow and detailed process, the hope is that Client A will eventually be able to make positive changes to better
navigate these relationships and lessen his dependence on alcohol.
References
ttps://www.facebook.com/verywell (n.d.). What Is Insight-Oriented Therapy? [online] VeryWell Mind. Available at:
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https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-insight-oriented-therapy-5211137#:~:text=In%20order%20for%20insight%2Doriented.
Ruch, G., Turney, D. and Ward, A. (2010). Relationship-based social work : getting to the heart of practice. London ; Philadelphia:
Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Theories of Psychotherapy and Counselling : Concepts and Cases. 6th ed. Boston, Ma: Cengage Learning.
Wright, J.D. (2015). International Encyclopaedia of the Social & Behavioural Sciences. Elsevier.
Q2. Describe the key elements of person-centred theory considering what the main aims of the therapy are, as described by
Dr Carl Rogers (1986), and the skills you would use when working with Client A.
Developed by Carl Rogers, person-centred therapy is primarily based on the principle that individuals would be better helped if
they were encouraged by their counsellor to focus on their current subjective understanding, rather than on some unconscious
motive or someone else’s interpretation of the situation. Rogers’ believed that given the right conditions, any individual can
reach their full potential and become their true self, a concept which he termed ‘self-actualisation’ (BACP, 2021). This
actualisation process is innate and accessible to everyone, and person-centred therapy relies on this for therapeutic change.
