Time Out technique

The time out technique stems from the operant conditioning principle of punishment and it removes any type of positive reinforcement after the client has displayed a maladaptive behavior. This is most commonly used with children. There are three types of time outs, which are seclusionary time out, exclusionary time out, and non-seclusionary time out. Seclusionary time out is when the child is placed in a different room, usually referred to as the time out room. Exclusionary time out is when the child is removed from the environment of which the behavior was occurring and placed in a different location. Non-seclusionary time out is when the child remains in that same environment where the behavior took place, but is not allowed to participate in that activity. When any of these types of time outs are occurring, it is important for the counselor to explain to the child why they are being put in time out. Time out usually takes place for 5 minutes, but can vary. Once time out is over, the counselor should not reprimand the child in any way. A variation of this technique is "sit and watch" and this is when the child must watch an hourglass for 3 minutes, until the sand flows through to the bottom, and then they can return to the classroom activity. I think this technique is very effective for young children.

Premack Principle

The premack principle is based upon the operant conditioning theory and was nicknamed "Grandma's Rules" because it requires the client to accomplish the target behavior before being allowed to do the preferred activity. There is no partial credit permitted for this technique. The client must complete the target behavior before being permitted to do the preferred activity, which comes at the end. It was nicknamed "Grandma's Rules" because Grandmothers are said to make sure their grandchildren eat their vegetables before allowing them to have cookies. This technique can intertwine with a token economy. I like the idea of this technique but it may be difficult to implement in a school counseling session.

Deep Breathing technique

Deep breathing is a technique that has been used in Eastern cultures for a long time, but is still fairly new in Western cultures. This is used to help relax the body, which then helps manage stress. The counselor should start by explaining exactly how deep breathing is performed. The client should inhale through their nose and exhale through their nose or mouth. They should exhale twice as long as they inhale. They should also be breathing from their abdomen, rather than their chest. This can take some time to get accustomed to. The counselor can suggest that the client places their hand on their chest and if the hand rises as they're breathing, then they are breathing from their chest and must alter the technique. Once the client can apply the technique correctly, the counselor can explain the deep breathing process step by step.  This process basically consists of relaxing the body, practicing deep breathing for 5-10 minutes at a time, and scanning your body for any tension after this is complete. The client can then do this on their own once the counselor knows they are doing it correctly. I think this would be very helpful for stress and anxiety and can be done in a school setting.

Bibliotherapy technique

Bibliotherapy takes place when a client can relate to a character in a book, movie, play, etc. The client and the character have a similar issue and the client is able to learn how to solve this problem indirectly by watching it unfold in the book or film. The answer may not be exactly straightforward, but it could provide the client with alternate directions and other options. The four stages to take when implementing this technique are identification, selection, presentation, and follow-up. Counselors may encourage using a journal so the client can take notes as they read the book. Some of the variations include interactive bibliotherapy, clinical bibliotherapy, and cognitive bibliotherapy. There are a variety of issues as to why counselors may recommend this technique, such as self-destructive behaviors and relationships issues. I think this is a unique technique and can be effective if applied correctly.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therepy (REBT)

REBT's three main goals are to help clients have a better understanding of their self-talk, help them evaluate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and to explain to the clients the principles of REBT. The primary concept of REBT is the ABCDE model, which has a goal of eliminating irrational thoughts and replacing them with rational ones. This model shows that events do not cause consequences and reactions, but rather the beliefs we hold about the events cause the consequence. So, the activating event (A) takes places, then our beliefs (B) about this event come into play, and then the consequence (C) occurs. These are the main points of the model. However, two more steps were added to the model, D and E. D represents debating, discriminating, and defining and E represents evaluating the effects. I find this technique interesting and would use it as a school counselor. I think it is important to assess our thoughts and beliefs and know that they have a great impact on our behavior and how we interpret situations.  It is also important to replace irrational beliefs with rational ones in order to live a more realistic and fulfilling life.

Overcorrection technique

Overcorrection is composed of two components, which are restitution and positive practice. Restitution is when the client restores a previous situation to the same or better condition than what it was. Positive practice is when the client repeats a desired behavior for that same situation. This technique is a form of punishment that incorporates aspects from different theories. Basically, the counselor instructs the client to stop whenever the unwanted behavior occurs. Then, restitution and positive practice take place. A variation of this technique is just using restitution or positive practice, rather than both, throughout the process because there has been research to support that just one of these can be effective when used alone. I think this can be an effective technique, but not for school counselors because it seems as though it would be time consuming and it is a form of punishment.

Extinction technique

Extinction is applied by eliminating reinforcements that were previously used unknowingly, which encouraged a particular behavior. This is more effective when combined with positive reinforcement. It is said that the unwanted behavior typically increases before showing any improvement and reduction. So, the counselor must withhold all reinforcers in order for this technique to be successful. Only the new alternative behavior can be positively reinforced.  A variation of this technique is covert extinction and this is when the client is asked to imagine a scene where the reinforcement does not take place. The client continues to replay this scene in their mind until the behavior no longer exists. I do not believe this technique would work without positive reinforcement. I think positive reinforcement is the key to many techniques.

Token Economy technique

This technique is used a positive reinforcement. Clients are given a token every time they perform the desired behavior. After earning a certain amount, these tokens are then turned in for a reinforcer. The reinforcer is viewed as something to work towards by the client. First, specific behaviors are discussed. Next, rules are created and discussed. Then, the counselor and client discuss the tokens, reinforcers, and how they are earned. A variation of this technique is a response cost system and this is where the client not only receive tokens for positive behaviors, but they also get tokens taken away when they behave inappropriately.  This strategy is different because it is based upon punishment. I think this would work well in counseling sessions outside of a school setting. I think this would be getting into too much for school counselors.

Behavior Chart

Behavior charts focus on correcting specific behaviors by using positive and/or negative reinforcement. First, the specific behaviors must be understood and discussed. Next, the counselor and client must come up with a rating scale and clearly state the desired behaviors and when monitoring will occur on the behavior chart.  After creating the chart, then the counselor and client decide what the consequences will be and how the client will earn them. I think this technique would be effective when trying to diminish negative behaviors in a classroom setting, such as students speaking without raising their hands. This is a great way to reinforce positive behavior.

Thought stopping technique

This technique is used with clients who have persisting thoughts that are unwanted. The counselor must teach them to interrupt these thoughts while they are occurring, which will then lead to fewer occurrences. This process also allows the client to gain control what their thoughts. There are four steps that take place in this process: (1) deciding which thoughts are going to be stopped; (2) the clients closes his eyes and imagines a situation in which this thought is likely to take place; (3) once the thought comes to the client's mind, the client uses the command "stop"; (4) the client replaces the unwanted thought with a more positive thought. A variation of this technique is used when the command "stop" does not work for the client. In this case, the client can use another form that will help deter the thought, such as a loud buzzer or pinching themselves. This technique can be applied in cases dealing with obsession, phobias, or fears.  I think this technique could be helpful, but it most be practiced repeatedly before seeing significant results.

Self-talk technique

When counselors propose the self-talk technique, they encourage the client to use positive affirmations and supportive language in order to help them through a difficult situation. However, self-talk can be both positive or negative, depending on the client's influencers in his/her life. Negative self-talk is usually self-defeating and can weigh a person down emotionally. This can then interfere with the client's life by keeping him/her from reaching their full potential and goals. Positive self-talk helps motivate the client by diminishing self-defeating thoughts and replacing them with positive thoughts that will provide encouragement. The two variations of this technique are the P and Q method and instant replay. Before a client is taught this technique, they must be open to the idea of self-talk and developing a positive self-concept. This technique is commonly seen in cases of perfectionism, self esteem, and anger management.  I could see this technique being applied with clients who contain unrealistic thoughts of themselves or their abilities.

Role Play Technique

Role play takes place in the present and does not focus on the past or future. This begins with acting out roles that are simple, and then procedes to roles that are more difficult to act out. The four elements within role playing, which are the encounter, the stage, and doubling. The three phases found within role playing are warm-up, action, and sharing and analysis. Variations of role play are behavioral rehearsal and the empty chair technique. I would imagine this technique to be useful with family relationships, romantic relationships, and friendships. It helps someone see another's perspective and can help them better relate to one another. Some people may feel uncomfortable acting something out, but that can also be effective in breaking them out of their shell. When working with children, it can be helpful for them to dress in costumes in order to portray a role more accurately. This technique could be applied when working with both individuals and groups. Counselors most often apply this technique when they have clients who would like to change something about themselves. I think role play is a great way to gain a different perspective and change a certain way of thinking.

Behavioral Rehearsal Technique

Clients are taught behavioral rehearsal when they are in need of learning a new type of behavior. When this is being taught, the behavior is modeled, the counselor gives feedback, and the new behavior is practiced often. Typically this process includes the counselor playing the role of someone in the client's life who produces stress and anxiety for the client.  The client then role plays appropriate actions and practices how to communicate his/her thoughts and feelings effectively. By practicing this technique, the client is more likely to incorporate his/her newly learned behavior into his/her everyday life. This technique is commonly applied with clients who are dealing with anger, anxiety, and depression. Some variations of this technique include encouraging the client to practice in front of a mirror and encouraging the client to videotape himself/herself while practicing. Changing a behavior that you have become accustomed to can be very difficult, so I think this technique is a great way to get the client on the right track.

Modeling Technique

Modeling occurs when one person observes another and then imitates what he has just observed. There are three types of modeling: overt modeling, symbolic modeling, and covert modeling. There are three types of responses that are produced from modeling: an observation learning effect, inhibitory effects or disinhibitory effects, and response facilitation effects. There are four subprocesses that must exist prior to modeling being demonstrated: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.  Before implementing this technique, the counselor and client must agree on a different behavior to take the place of the current one. The counselor explains the steps along the way and may assign homework for the client to practice. This technique is used to eliminate self-defeating thoughts. After reading about this technique, I thought it would be very helpful in cases of reducing stress and practicing social skills.

Role Reversal Technique

Role reversal is used by counselors when they believe that the client is acting in a manner that is opposite of underlying feelings. This causes them to appear disconnected. The counselor asks the client to get into the role in which they feel the anxiety of the situation. The client will then speak about how they're feeling, along with their attitudes and beliefs. The client looks at both roles and both sides of the conflict he is facing. He is then able to see all sides of the issue more clearly. A variation of this is where the client plays the role of another person who is involved with the situation. This allows the client to view different perspectives. Some clients may struggle or even refuse this at first because some roles may be very difficult to take on.

Body Movement and Exaggeration

Body movement and exaggeration is applied when a client needs to become more conscious of their nonverbal gestures. The first step to this is having the counselor observe the client's language and behavior. The counselor may observe numerous gestures being displayed, such as shaking legs, clenched fists, tapping of the foot, etc. The counselor then points out this gesture to the client and asks him/her to exaggerate it. So, if the client was tapping his foot, then he would begin tapping it even harder or faster. Bringing awareness of this unintentional movement to the client's attention is supposed to diminish it in the future. A variation of this is if the client states something of importance, but does not realize it.  The counselor would then ask them to repeat the statement, but repeating it with more enthusiasm. This continues until the client realizes the importance of the statement. Gestalt approaches have been said to make some clients feel attacked and/or unimportant. However, this technique has been found useful with clients who have emotional issues, such as depression and personality disorders.

Spitting in the Soup Technique

The purpose of this technique is for the counselor to point out the client's irrational or maladaptive behavior and make them aware of why they are doing it. The counselor's goal is to make this behavior appear less appealing to the client, which will then, hopefully, decrease the occurrence. First, the counselor must develop a rapport with the client and find the benefits of the client's behavior. The counselor has to understand the motives of the behavior before it can be corrected. Once these motives are understood, then the counselor can point them out to the client and show him/her how unappealing the behavior actually is. They can then work on effective behaviors that can replace this present behavior. This technique is commonly used with other Adlerian techniques and has been applied in cases of post-traumatic stress and abuse. I think this technique seems to be a bit aggressive, but can effective in the right setting.

Empty Chair Technique

Originally, this technique implemented by the counselor asking the client to imagine someone they have difficulty speaking to sitting in the chair across from them. This would typically occur in a session when a client has something on their mind but cannot get their thoughts across for whatever reason. The counselor then sets up a counseling session that allows the client to practice expressing their thoughts and feelings out loud. However, this technique is also used to represent opposite sides of an issue. In this case, the counselor would set up two chairs across from each other, each representing a different side or point of view. The client sits on one chair first and discusses this point of view. When the counselor feels that they have completely expressed everything needed before moving on, then the counselor will ask them to sit in the other chair and do the same from that point of view. This allows the client to become aware of both sides of the issue.

Acting As If Technique

The acting as if technique eliminates  the excuse "If only I could...", which is commonly used by clients during counseling sessions. When applying this technique, the counselor asks the client to act as though  they possess the skills or whatever it is they need to overcome a difficult situation in a positive, productive manner. Prior to acting this out, it may be helpful for clients to imagine a person who is capable of doing whatever this may be. Throughout this process, the counselor asks the client reflective questions, which are meant to generate different thoughts, feelings, and/or actions towards the problematic situation. I would imagine this technique to work well with clients who have a difficult time speaking their minds. This provides them with an opportunity to practice acting differently prior to being in the actual situation.

I-messages

           I-messages can be very helpful when trying to get a client to take responsibility for their behavior. This technique requires clients to say “I”, rather than “it”, “you”, or “we” when they are talking about themselves. The client is then able to recognize that placing blame on others does not create change. However, accepting responsibility can help in creating change. I-messages can also help the client communicate with others. This takes the negativity out of the conversation and the other person doesn’t feel as though they are being accused or blamed for anything.  You-statements can be interpreted as accusing and judgmental, which can lead to conflict. The most important aspect of this technique is getting the client to realize this and alter the way they speak to others. For example, instead of saying “It will not happen again,” the client can reword it by saying “I will not let it happen again.” This could be a bit more difficult when counseling children and adolescents because they could mistake emotions with behaviors. Statements should follow this sequence to help eliminate confusion between emotions and behaviors: behavior, effect, and then feeling. This demonstrates how the feeling is caused by the effect, rather than the behavior.

Flagging the Minefield

           The technique, flagging the minefield, got its name because the process that the client and counselor go through resembles that of coalminers marking mines in fields to avoid explosions. The counselor helps the client prepare for future problematic situations that may arise by discussing positive ways to react to these situations. Counselors create scenarios and the clients respond in whatever way they find fitting. Counselors then expand on this and introduce them to more positive ways of responding, which may lead to more favorable outcomes. In time, the client should be able to do this independently. This can then be applied in the future, and the client should be able to avoid and correct most issues on their own. The counselor should show encouragement and acknowledge progress that is being made. This technique can be applied in a variety of situations, including dietary change, stress reduction, and social skills training.

The Miracle Question

            In order to understand the miracle question technique, it is helpful to have an understanding of Erikson’s crystal ball technique. The crystal ball technique takes place when a client imagines his/her future as problem-free and then generates ideas on how to make this possible. The miracle question is similar to this because it also encourages the client to think about different ways in which they can avoid and resolve issues. By looking into the future, the client is given a glimpse of how their life could be better. The miracle question stresses that the client should focus on what they want, rather than what they do not want. This technique places responsibility on the client and concentrates on what they can do to create change. This is a great way to set goals for the future. The client envisions aspects of his/her life in which change would be beneficial, and then they work towards that goal. Even small changes in the client’s behavior can be productive and lead to more changes. When counseling children, it is most effective to have them pretend they are holding a magic wand or magic lamp in order to make it more concrete and easier to comprehend.

Problem-free Talk

           The problem-free talk technique focuses on the client’s strengths and positive attributes. This technique is usually demonstrated when the counselor is first introduced to the client. It may appear to the client that the counselor is just making small talk to become better acquainted, but this process holds much more importance to the counselor than just chitchat. The primary goals of problem-free talk are to (a) develop rapport with the client; (b) diminish nervousness; (c) create a sense of equality between the counselor and client; (d) recognize the client’s strengths, which may then assist the counselor in resolving issues. In order to reach these goals, the counselor must initiate a conversation that will lead to the client disclosing positive characteristics and other positive aspects of his/her life. Once these positive characteristics and aspects have been revealed, the counselor can then use this information later in the session to remind the client of what is going well for them and the strengths that they possess. Counselors can also use this information to encourage clients to work towards a goal. The counselor can suggest to the client to focus on an activity that they enjoy or try something that they have always wanted to experience. This approach can help raise a client’s self-esteem and reduce feelings of hopelessness.

            In my opinion, this technique is a great way to become better acquainted with the client and break down barriers that may exist between the counselor and client. I believe that effective results are more likely to be produced from a counseling session if the counselor takes the time to become acquainted with the client prior to counseling them. Taking the time to get to know someone, rather than just listening to the issues they are dealing with, provides greater insight for the counselor. Problem-free talk also makes the client feel more at ease throughout the session.

Exceptions Technique

            When using the exceptions technique, counselors must listen for any exceptions to complaints that are unrecognized by the client. Clients may not realize something positive that is taking place in their life because they are preoccupied with negative occurrences, so it is the counselor’s role to point out the positive aspects that are not being acknowledged. Once an exception has been noticed by the counselor, he/she can ask direct questions pertaining to it and ask the client to elaborate on what had occurred up until that point. Along with acknowledging the exception, the counselor should also encourage the client to speak about what takes place when this exception is occurring. This points out the positive behavior, which has gone unnoticed, to the client. This may sound like a basic technique, but the key is staying in tune with every detail that the client is reporting, because there is a good chance that they have overlooked some of the details that will help lead to a solution. 

Scaling Technique

Scaling is a technique that makes abstract concepts easier to comprehend. This technique is commonly applied by the counselor asking the client to rate how they are feeling on a scale of 1 to 10. It is difficult to know exactly how a client is feeling, but this provides the counselor with a more accurate depiction. This is also helpful for creating goals for the client to accomplish. They may report a low number on the scale, but the counselor can suggest trying to work their way up to a higher number before their next session. For children, pictures could be used in place of numbers.  Scaling can be effective in a variety of situations, including motivating a client, measuring their self-esteem, and determining the seriousness of an issue. I believe this would be an excellent method to use when a client’s description of something isn’t clear or if there is some grey area in a story they’re telling. When using this is terms of motivation, the counselor can designate 10 as the positive status that they will try to achieve.