Advantages of Integrated Counseling in Psychology

Integrated counseling has applies to numerous psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders. To define the therapy, it is said to be a progressive form of psychotherapy combining different tools and approaches the fit the needs of clients. To do these things in a Christian setting, there are many approaches one could take. With having the opportunity to have group and individual settings, this opens up the door for many therapeutic approaches. This integrated counseling model will be held in Christian settings, having Christian approaches to ensure that clients will be healed of their illnesses mentally, but also through faith.

To begin with, mental disorders are at an all-time high in America. America is also at a point where Christian values and a Christian standpoint is almost shunned to an extent. This two points seem to be very connected. Individuals in today’s world are ashamed of showing their faith to the world, leading them to be confused in regards to one’s faith. This confusion tends to lead to other issues in an individual’s mental health potentially leading to depression and/or anxiety.

The most important therapeutic goal would be to cure the patient of all mental illnesses. Some functional goals in the therapies include, reconstructing personality, uncovering the unconscious, creating social interest, finding the meaning in life, curing an emotional disturbance, examining old decisions and making news ones, developing trust in oneself, becoming more self-actualizing, reducing anxiety, reducing maladaptive behavior and learning adaptive patterns, becoming grounded in the present moment, managing intense emotions, gaining more effective control of one’s life and re-authoring the story of one’s life. (Corey 2017) Like stated, there are many goals that professionals will seek in order to free the patients of all there internal issues that they might not be able to handle. If the professional does not put the client is first in these practices, then it is most definitely a failed system.

The client is the most important part in this entire game plan. Ones goals can be long term, short term, specific, or very wide ranged. The client and professional will have screenings together to attempt to get a better feel for each other. After this process, that is where the professional will propose all types of goals depending on the severity of the patient’s mental illness.

Types of therapies used in order to achieve the clients goals: Psychoanalytic therapy, Adlerian therapy, existential therapy, person-centered therapy, gestalt therapy, behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, reality therapy, feminist therapy, postmodern approaches and family systems therapy. (Corey 2017)

The four main therapies being used in this Integrated Counseling model will be: Psychoanalytic Therapy, Existential Therapy, Behavior therapy and Feminist therapy. All these therapies are connected in such a way that it will benefit each and every patient in different ways all for the better. Each one of these therapies work internally to hone in on the suppressed and unconscious emotions of the patient. The only different approach that is included would be feminist therapy. This is included in the therapies being used because more times than not, female or male adolescents feel as if the opposite sex is sort of ‘out to get them’ and this will stem other disorders and other suppressed emotions.

Having this therapy included gives patients a different side of things that will hopefully help patients really open up their minds to new outlooks on the world. The main therapy will be the Psychoanalytic therapy, and from there, it is a trickledown effect hitting the other therapies. Psychoanalytic therapy focuses on the early development of the patient and what was their first trigger to their disorder. By touching this therapy first it will help the professionals assess other issues, which will also send them into new therapies and new settings to better the patient.

Previously stated, the client is the most important aspect in this model. If the client is not first, then the practice is a failed project and facility. All the therapies stated base the results on relationship focused therapies. By building the relationships with clients, this ensures trust, security by the client, acceptance, and a better understanding of what is in front of them and why it will work to better their health.

One thing that should be stressed to professionals is that they should never change their personalities in order to reach the relationship with the patient. Not every counselor is going to fit perfectly with every client, and that is completely okay. There is a reason that there is a very diverse group of professionals working at practices, to ensure that there is at least one professional that can click with the most outlandish clients. Another major thing stressed to professionals is that they need to understand the client’s world and respect them and all their issues. By showing clients a form of respect that their problems are not as out of the ordinary as they think, gives the client that sense of trust which will also open them up more making therapies slightly easier.

Clients will want to ultimately find a source of comfort or support, more times than not practices will use spiritual resources to do so. Some clients will response rather well to this approach, and others will not. “Spirituality or religious beliefs can be a major sustaining power that supports clients when all else fails.” (Corey 2017) The professionals cannot ignore a client’s spiritual and religious perspective if they want to continue to practice in a culturally sensitive and ethical manner. Understanding a patient’s religious background goes a long way in this practice. This enables professionals to take more spiritual approach if needed, or vice versa.

There are many different therapies that this model will be taking in order to do the best for each and every patient. Spiritual approaches will also be taken if the professional feels as if it is needed. The number one goal of professionals in this field will always be the patients best interest, anything else will cause things to fail and not better the practice. 

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