Counseling a adolescent girl (theories of counseling) Essay

Counseling a adolescent girl (theories of counseling) - Essay Example , emotional and social environment while therapy based on Bowen’s theories draws its conclusions and therapeutic energy from the family of the client. By declaring that â€Å"only intelligence †¦.tends towards an all-embracing equilibrium† in human life, Jean Peaget had been one of the pioneers of cognitive behavioral theory (9). Kendall has described cognitive behavioral theory as â€Å"problem solving in its orientation, deals directly with the cognitive forces that impact social information processing, incorporates emotional and social domains, addresses matters associated with parenting and families, and emphasizes performance-based interventions† (4). The ability to identify a problem and arrive at possible solutions is a skill that a child has to acquire as she grows up (Kendall, 4). The psychological health of a growing child depends heavily on cognitive problem solving strategies, that is, her capacity to consider the full range of solutions, evaluate them properly and choose the best one applicable in a given situation (Kendall, 4). Cognitive behavioral theory, in its application, aims at enhancing the cognitive problem-solving strategies in the mind of a person (Kendall, 4). As the emotions of a person always meddles with the problem-solving process, this theory also helps one learn to understand one’s emotional experiences and modify them (Southam-Gerow and Kendall, 320). Social domain is included as another major factor in this theory because any psychological problem that arises out of the interaction of an individual with other individuals as well as the society as a whole (Kendall, 5). When it comes to a child or adolescent, naturally the parents and family become yet another influencing factor. Last but not least, the child or the adolescent has to be constantly encouraged to practice their problem-solving skills so as to strengthen their cognitive problem-solving strategies (Kendall, 6). While doing a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the