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Block 1 Psychological Interventions: Major Modalities

Unit 2 Insight And Short Term Counseling

1. Define insight.

Insight is self-knowledge, which includes understanding the significance and purpose of one's motives or behaviour, as well as the ability to recognise inappropriateness and irrationality. It involves stepping outside of one's immediate experience and thinking about oneself from the perspective of an observer.

2. Define insight counseling.

Insight counselling is a process where the client makes connections between new information generated in therapy and their present circumstances. It is considered an integral part of both individual and group processes.

3. What is the relationship between insight and counseling?

The relationship between insight and counselling is that insight is a major goal of both psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy. The first step to solving any problem is asking the right questions, and psychologists help clients become aware of factors affecting their well-being to plan a suitable treatment program. Insight promotes mental health by generating an awareness into clients' own conflicts and problems and how they were caused. Counselling is an attempt to uncover the deep causes of the individual’s problem and to help eliminate defense mechanisms. A counsellor may provide a comment early in treatment to assess a client’s readiness for insight.

4. Describe psychoanalysis as insight therapy.

Psychoanalysis as insight therapy, developed by Freud, aims to uncover repressed materials from the unconscious mind through techniques such as free association, dream analysis, and transference. This process helps clients gain insight into the root causes of their behaviour and symptoms, allowing them to face the problem and understand their actions. Through transference, the psychoanalyst gains insight into the childhood origins of repressed conflicts. Psychoanalysis is based on the belief that personal development is based on inborn drives.

5. Elucidate humanistic approach as insight therapy.

The humanistic approach as insight therapy emphasises a person's freedom of choice and their belief in free will. It assumes that disordered behaviour can be overcome by increasing the client’s awareness of their motivations and needs. They focus on a person's freedom of choice, believing that free will is a person's most valuable trait.

6. Explain psychodynamic approach as insight counseling.

The psychodynamic approach as insight counselling is derived from psychoanalysis and uses concepts such as psychosexual development, defence mechanisms, free association, and interpretation of transference, defences, and dreams. It emphasizes the influence of past experiences on current behaviour, mediated through unconscious processes, and is influenced by object relations theory.

7. Describe Adlerian psychology and indicate how it is insight therapy.

Adlerian psychology as insight therapy focuses on exploring a client's basic life assumptions and achieving a broader understanding of lifestyle.

8. Elucidate existential therapy approach as part of insight therapy.

Existential therapy as insight therapy aims to maximise a client's self-awareness and help them discover the meaning of their life.

9. How does person centered approach an insight therapy?

The person-centred approach as insight therapy emphasises the therapeutic relationship and the client's potential for growth. It is based on humanistic psychology and encourages the client's self-exploration and self-understanding to foster insight.

10. Explain Gestalt approach as an insight therapy

Gestalt therapy as an insight therapy focuses on the client's awareness of their own thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions and emotions, and aims to help them understand reality in a holistic way.

11. Describe short term counseling.

Short-term counselling is a form of therapy that focuses on a specific problem and finding a solution within a limited time frame. It is based on the principle of focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on problems. It usually involves 4-6 sessions.

12. What are the conditions for success of short term counseling?

The conditions for success of short-term counselling are:

• A focus on a specific solution that the client wants to achieve
• A willingness to change
• A limited time frame
• A commitment to spiritual development
• A mutual goal directedness
• Quick problem identification
• Awareness of the limited number of sessions
• Making an appropriate referral
• Confidentiality
• Open communication
• Follow up

13. What is meant by commitment to spiritual development?

Commitment to spiritual development means that a person’s spiritual life is related to all aspects of human existence and is not separate from them. The main goal of counselling is the facilitation of psychological growth which involves helping people to understand their problems and their lives in light of their relationships with others and the counsellor.

14. Describe the meaning and definition of brief therapy

Brief therapy is a type of therapy that is characterised by making time an explicit defining element of the therapeutic contract. The meaning of "brief" is relative to what is considered "long", and is defined by having a clear starting and ending point, and the pathway that will lead from one to the other.

15. Discuss the STC modalities.

STC modalities are:

1. Mutual goal directedness
2. Quick problem identification
3. Reminder of finiteness of sessions
4. Making an appropriate referral
5. Confidentiality
6. Open communication
7. Follow up

16. What are the client concerns in STC?

Client concerns in STC include sharing and amplifying their reasons for seeking counselling. They will also want to cooperate in the assessment of both the problem and themselves.

17. How is insight counseling useful?

Insight counselling is useful because it helps clients understand the nature of their problems and the meaning of their behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. It helps people become aware of why they behave as they do.

18. Is there and specific problem for which these modalities are more appropriate.

Appropriate problems for these modalities include:

• Psychodynamic psychotherapy is suitable for treating unresolved conflicts in early life.
• Short-term counselling is suitable for couples with specific issues, and in occupational health settings. It can be used to help with a variety of individual problems and concerns. It is effective for people who abuse drugs, tobacco, or alcohol, people with disabilities, women, victims of abuse and older adults.

19. What are the various developments that influenced brief therapies?

The developments that influenced brief therapies include:

• Much of the identifiable change in psychotherapy occurred within the first 10 sessions.
• There was an increasing interest in making psychotherapy available to larger segments of society.
• Economic incentives favoured briefer therapies.
• There was an increased interest in "symptomatic treatments" that focus on specific goals rather than changing basic personality patterns.
• Managed care strongly encouraged briefer treatments.
• Highly structured, "manualized" treatments became a focus of psychotherapy outcome research.
• Empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief therapies accumulated.
• Virtually all therapeutic models have offered brief therapy alternatives.

20. Describe the common aspects of all brief therapies

The common aspects of brief therapies include:

• A problem/solution focus rather than a pathology/understanding focus.
• An active and involved therapist rather than a passive and reserved one.
• An active and experimental client rather than a passive and receptive one.
• Sharply focused and delimited therapeutic goals.
• An emphasis on the power of thought/image and language for change.
• The utilization of life beyond the therapy session in the process of change.

21. When do we use short term counseling?

Short-term counselling is used:

• When clients have specific problems that need a focused solution.
• In occupational health settings.
• For a variety of individual problems and concerns.
• For individuals experiencing crises.

22. Who are the beneficiaries of short term counselling?

The beneficiaries of short-term counselling are:

• People who abuse drugs, tobacco, or alcohol.
• People with disabilities.
• Women.
• Victims of abuse.
• Older adults.
• Couples who need help resolving marital issues.
• People in occupational health settings.