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.