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.