Personality and Counseling Theory

It is true that each person marches to the beat of a different drum. Meaning, each one of us possesses a thought process, motivation, and personality that it exact to no one. As this class reaches it’s end, I have had the time to reflect upon what will ultimately become “my” counseling style and theory. The class presented numerous counseling theories and practices. In each concept, I have found a piece which will become part of my whole theory. Like that of a simmering soup, the ingredients are thrown together to produce a final product. The ingredients alone are not worth mention, but when placed together with the others, it makes a wonderful soup. My theory is a combination of many ingredients I found in the Psychoanalysis, Jungian, Adlerian, Existential, Person-Centered, Behavior, Rational Emotive, Cognitive, Reality, Family Systems, and Gestalt recipes for counseling.

The MacDonald Theory, as it shall be called, is something that I feel will enable me to be a better guidance counselor. It incorporates not only the theories attached to each concept, but also the appropriate therapeutic techniques associated with the concept. The recipe for an effective guidance counselor is my own. It is the beat of the drum that I march to. It is the counseling approach I will use in my career. It is the counseling where I have the opportunity to reach children and hope will remember and benefit greatly.

“MacDonald Theory of Counseling”
RECIPE
½ cup Psychoanalysis (Structure of Personality)
¼ cup Jungian Analysis (Personality Functions: thinking & feeling)
¼ cup Existential Therapy (Living & Dying)
3 cups Adlerian Therapy (Birth Order)
1 cup Person-Centered Therapy (Relationships & Self-Regard)
1 tsp. Gestalt Therapy (Awareness)
1 cup Behavior Therapy (Positive Reinforcement)
½ cup Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Humanism)
1 tsp. Cognitive Therapy (Selective Abstractions)
3 cups Reality Therapy (Psychological needs: belonging, power, freedom, & fun)
1 cup Family Systems Therapy (Communication)