Theoretical Orientations In The Theories Of Counseling

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Theory is of the utmost importance as it pertains to counseling. Theory provide the basis for understanding the human condition. Each theory has been validated by research conducted by subject matter experts in the profession. Some theories have been researched more than others, and several of the eleven theories have been supported by empirical research. It is important for the counselor to have a profound knowledge of theory, as well as themselves in order to establish their theoretical orientation. There are three core issues that influence our theoretical orientation (Halbur and Halbur, 2015). Our personalities, mentors and clients will influence our choice in the theories that we choose to incorporate in to our theoretical approach (Halbur …show more content…
I have been fascinated by the study of behaviorism since I first learned about conditioning in my undergraduate program. The research that was conducted by the pioneers of behaviorism was so revolutionary for their time. Three of my intellectual heroes help to pioneer the study of human and animal behavior and they are Dr B.F Skinner, Dr. John B. Watson, and Dr. Ivan Pavlov. The behavioral trend began in the 1950s and early sixties, marking a radical departure from the traditional psychoanalytic perspective (Corey, 2018). The development of behavior therapy includes four major phases, which include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, social cognitive theory and cognitive behavior therapy (Corey, 2018). These four phases have been empirically researched which is very important in the tradition of behaviorism studies (Corey 2017). The basic philosophy of behavior therapy is that individuals are the product of learning (Corey, 2017). We are capable of creating our own environment (Corey, 2017), The behavioral school of thought is that human behavior is shaped and determined by sociocultural conditioning (Halbur and Halbur, 2015). The behavior theory is essentially a model that is deterministic because it deduces that all behavior is the product of learning through conditioning and reinforcement (Halbur and Halbur. 2015), effective and ineffective behaviors are developed as the result of learned or anticipated consequences (Halbur and Halbur, 2015). Traditionalists will employ a more scientific process using empirical data to focus on concrete behavior, goals and techniques (Halbur and Halbur,