Caption: Man-Athletic-Disability
Goal setting is an important aspect of the therapeutic process,
and according to Young (2017), counselors should help clients set goals which
are positively focused. Sometimes when clients focus on not doing the something, the unwanted thought or behavior seems
more powerful than ever (Young, 2017). While it is important to acknowledge and
understand problems, therapeutic goals should be aimed at achieving a positive
outcome rather than removing problems or symptoms (Young, 2017). For example, a
client may wish to stop viewing pornography. A positive-focused goal for this
client may be improving intimacy with his partner or finding companionship in a
healthy group of friends.
Some researchers are exploring strengths-based therapeutic
approaches such as positive empathy and positive family therapy (Conoley, Plumb,
Hawley, Spaventa-Vancil, & Hernandez, 2015; Conoley, Pontrelli, Fern ‘andez
Oromendia, Del Carmen Bello, and Nagata, 2015). Some counselors believe that
focusing on a family’s strengths through positive family therapy works
especially well in cultures where exposing family problems to a counselor is
seen as shameful (Conoley, Plumb et al., 2015). Like traditional empathy,
positive empathy goes a step further and strives to understand not only what
the client is experiencing but discover the experiences that the client desires
in the future (Conoley, Pontrelli et al., 2015). The gentleman shown in the
photo above may say, “I love athletics, but I feel like I don’t have a chance
at success because of my disability.” A traditional empathy approach may be “it
sounds like you feel discouraged.” A positive empathy approach may be, “it
sounds like you long to feel athletic success.” Some scholars believe that this
positive approach may have greater benefits than traditional empathy, though
this research is in early stages (Conoley, Pontrelli et al., 2015).
References
Conoley, C. W.,
Plumb, E. W., Hawley, K. J., Spaventa-Vancil, K. Z., & Hernandez, R. J.
(2015). Integrating positive psychology into family therapy: Positive family
therapy. The Counseling Psychologist, 43(5),
703-733. Doi:10.1177/0011000015575392
Conoley, C. W., Pontrelli,
M. E., Fern ‘andez Oromendia, M., Del Carmen Bello, B., & Nagata, C. M. (2015).
Positive empathy: A therapeutic skill inspired by positive psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 71(6),
575-583. Doi:10.1002/jclp.22175
Young, M. E. (2017). Learning the Art of Helping: Building Blocks and Techniques (6th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Amber,
ReplyDeleteI agree that as future counselors, it is imperative for us to work with our clients to come up with positive goals. Instead of focusing on the present problems of a situation and dwelling on the negatives, we can teach our clients to focus on the positives. I think this translates into a change of thought patterns that occurs inside the client’s mind. We want our clients to feel encouraged about moving forward instead of staying stuck in the undesirable situation they are in. I really like the idea of strengths-based therapeutic techniques that you mentioned in your post. I agree that it is important to acknowledge problems or negatives in a situation, but we should focus more on the strengths and positive resources we do have. Through approaching our clients with this type of strategy, we assist them in setting positive goals and working towards moving forwards.
Kaitlin Troutman
Great post Amber! This topic really hits home for me as someone who has a parent involved in positive psychology, I am all to familiar with the benefits of setting positive goals and the confidence it can create for the counslee to achieve them. It is our job as counselors to implement these strategies to best benefit the counselee and help them move in a positive direction. There is also a important focus on positive empathy, this will help the counselee focus on the future and the goals they seek to achieve.
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