Theoritical Approches to Counseling

The Counselor-Centered Approach

andExistential Counseling

The Counselor-Centered Approach

• Directive or Clinical Counseling• Developed by E.G Williamson (1996)• This approach often sees the counselor as a

teacher who directs the learning process. • Directive counselors stress assessment and

diagnosis as a fundamental counselor function.

• Certain techniques or responses are generally regarded as off limits to all counselors, irrespective orientation such as:

Moral judgmentUndue probingThreatening, badgering, and extracting promisesPromoting one’s one biasesExtolling the virtues of any POVs, or soliciting

interest has no place in counseling.

Existentialism

• People form their lives by the choices they make (Kemp,

1971).

• Existentialist focus on this freedom of choice and the action

that goes with it.

• They view people as the author of their lives.

“The meaning of life never changes but it never ceases to be.”-Frank

According to them, the meaning of life can be discovered in three ways:

A. By doing a deal

B. By experiencing a value

C.By suffering

• The relationship with the client is the most

powerful and effective techniques existential

counselors have.

• The emphasis in the

relationship is on

authenticity, honesty

and spontaneity.