Mental Health Counseling Theories

Mental Health Counseling Theories

Mental health theories are used to provide the framework for counselors or mental health therapists to analyze the behavior of their client so that they can determine ways to help them. Some of this helps include assistance throughout the diagnosis process until post-treatment period. These theories are part of the therapeutic process and cannot be ignored.

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These theories are numerous, and a counselor would have to choose which one to apply depending on the needs or what therapists feel fits the clients’ situation(Carlier et al. 2012). These essays will discuss some of the experience encountered with the client and how specific theories were applied as well as the therapeutic process was handled.

Part I: Client information

The case is about a client who was suffering from depression after the loss of loved ones in a road accident. Depression can be described as a feeling of severe dejection always associated with a mood disorder.

It makes a person develop a feeling of worthlessness, fatigue, hopelessness among others. Those who suffer from depression also feel pessimistic in life and do not see any reason to live and thus some commit suicide if not helped in time.

The client in this study was a 20-year-old boy, Rick, from Ohio State. He was from African America community and a traditionalist as far as religion is concerned.  He was suffering from depression and he reached a point of self-destruction whereby he could use anything around him to harm himself. He is heterosexual or commonly referred to as straight.

Rick wanted to commit suicide.  The reason for his situation was due to the loss of both parents in a tragic road accident leaving him two young siblings to take care of.

To make matters worse, they were poor could not afford most of the basic needs. Their parents were out of work and were struggling to see them through school.

Now since they are no more and with no one to help them, the boy could not live to see the suffering him and the siblings are going through. This situation was depressing him, and thus he wanted to commit suicide to escape the world’s sufferings according to him.

Currently, they have been thrown out of their rented apartment and now living on the streets. The siblings are young and cannot bear the cold in the streets and go days without food. Rick being the first born, he opted to look for a job to take care of his siblings but with no success. Rick thought now he is left with no other choice. His health is deteriorating, lost appetite, lost weight among other health complications. Rick is in the hospital currently under recovery support system.

Part II: Theoretical Approaches

To help Rick, there was a need to develop a theoretical approach towards his condition and came up with the best way to change his behavior. With regards to this condition, the cognitive theory was used to develop ways of counseling him. Cognitive theory is a counseling theory that focuses on the behavior of people based on their thinking and feeling. The aim of cognitive theory is to alter their thinking and behavior to normal(Hofmannetal.2012) It pays more attention to the current situation of the client and leaning towards problem-solving.

A cognitive theory of counseling was found by researchers to be as effective as antidepressant medicines.  In using the cognitive approach, the first step was to determine the problem as the client sees it.

Then the focus switches to his thoughts about the problem as well as the emotions surrounding the problem.  The next step is to determine the client’s actions before the problem, during the problem and after the problem occurred(Marchand, 2012).

The cognitive approach helps the patient t disassemble into various parts and then dealing with each part at a time. The client was taught cognitive tools that can help overcome depression. During the sessions, the client was given more homework mostly based on how to apply these tools to overcome depression.

The client was guided in making small changes in his thinking every day so as to improve is mood over time(Marsella& White, 2012). The client was taken through an educational process. He was to monitor his nega……………………………………………

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