Chapter 35 - Stress Inoculation Training

Chapter 35 addresses the stress inoculation training technique. This technique is designed to help clients cope with mild stressors that will hopefully allow them to develop tolerance for more severe forms of distress. This technique has several goals. The first is to help clients to see their stress as a normal reaction. Clients then discover the nature of stress and their own role in maintaining their stress level, and then learn to manage stress by changing their conceptualization of it and understanding what is changeable about their stressful situation. This technique can be used both in individual sessions as well as during group counseling settings. When applying this technique, the counselor first helps clients to conceptualize the nature of their stress, offers skills and coping mechanisms for dealing with that stress, and helps them to apply these skills to real world settings. The case described in the book that this technique was applied to dealt with a college student that was feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with a previous rape. This technique can be used for a variety of issues, such as speech or texting anxiety, anger, phobias, social problems, and depression. This can also be useful for all ages of clients from elementary students to older clients in the work force. I like that this technique is so versatile. I think because of that, it will be very helpful in future counseling situations.

Chapter 33 - Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This chapter discusses the technique called progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation is designed to help clients identify what it feels like when muscles are tensed and when they are relaxed. This will hopefully help clients learn to relax. This technique is most commonly used to manage stress. However, it can also be used with clients who are complaining from physical tension, relieving anxiety, as well as problems resulting from stress such as high blood pressure. I really like this technique and think it can be extremely useful. The one thing that would be a little bit tricky is preventing clients from falling asleep while they are in the session. The book addresses this – the counselor could help the client by making the room brighter or developing a signal for the client to use to let the counselor know he/she is relaxed but awake. I can see myself using this technique for myself to help relieve daily stress that may build up over time. I will definitely use this technique with or explain this technique to students who may be having issues with anxiety or stress management throughout their high school careers.

Chapter 32 - Deep Breathing

Chapter 32 describes the process of the deep breathing technique. This technique can be linked to yoga and the concept of by controlling one’s breathing, you can control your life energy. When implementing this technique, the exhalation process should be longer than the inhalation and the client should make sure to breathe from the abdomen. The client should make his/her self as comfortable as possible, preferably lying on their back to begin this technique. The book briefly describes this technique being used with a client in which the counselor talks the client through the technique and then assigns this as homework. This technique can be used in a variety of situations and in a variety of ways. For instance it can be used to control anxiety or to manage stress. This can also be used to reduce anxiety disorders, panic attacks, depression, irritability, headaches, anger, etc. I believe that this technique is incredibly useful and can be used as frequently as needed. It certainly helps to put clients at ease and help them to be able to deal with a situation that might be causing them a great deal of stress much more effectively.

Chapter 30 - Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy

This chapter outlines the technique rational-emotive behavior therapy. During this technique, the counselor’s goal is to help clients to understand that their feelings are not caused by events, other people, or the past, but by the thoughts the person has developed surrounding a given situation. There are three goals of this technique: to help clients gain insight into their self-talk, to help clients assess their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and to train clients in the principals of this technique so that they can function without the aid of the counselor. The core concept behind this technique is the ABCDE model in which the counselor can fully outline and understand the client’s thought process and help them to reach a more positive approach to a solution for their problem. The book describes the use of this technique in dealing with a female teacher and mother who had struggled with perfectionism since childhood. The counselor helped her to identify the activating event (A) and how the events effect her (C). The counselor then helped her identify her underlying belief (B), which is what is actually causing her feelings (C). Then the counselor disputes the beliefs and feelings (D) and helps the client to move to the evaluation (E) phase by exploring how the process worked. I believe that this technique is incredibly helpful to clients because it give them a technique that they can use without the aid of the counselor. By having the client practice and evaluate this technique, the client becomes empowered and takes responsibility and ownership for their thoughts and feelings.

Chapter 26 - Extinction

This chapter was based on the technique of extinction, which is a technique based on punishment that involves withholding reinforcements in order to reduce the frequency of a certain behavior. This can be more effective when combined with positive reinforcement of an alternative behavior. The case described in this book dealt with a 5 year old boy who frequently displayed tantrum behavior. The counselor used this technique in the form of “planned ignoring” of the child’s behavior. This technique can be used to deal with any situation where there is an undesirable behavior. As long as the counselor has control over the reinforcers of the target positive behavior before using this technique, then the outcome should be positive. Initially when I read this section of the book, I didn’t think that the best method of counseling would be methods that centered on some type of punishment. I didn’t see how this would be helpful to students. However, because this technique utilizes the concept of reinforcement of a positive alternative behavior to replace the undesirable behavior I can see how the results of using this technique could be positive when dealing with certain students. Because I do not really think that concept of “punishments” are the most effective methods of counseling students all the time, I am undecided whether I will use this technique in the future.

Chapter 23 - Behavior Chart

This chapter discusses the importance and the usefulness of behavior charts. The purpose of behavior charts is to target specific behaviors that are evaluated at set points throughout the day. The behavior is then reinforced on some sort of schedule. The first step for implementing behavior charts is to define the target behaviors in positive and specific terms and then decide on the frequency and type of rating system to be used. After this is determined, design the behavior chart stating the desired behavior and when it will be monitored, and how the individual will earn positive or negative consequences. This technique is a very effective and simple way to provide feedback to the individual being monitored and others involved with that person. I believe this technique can be used in interventions that require shaping of specific behaviors. This technique, although it appears used more commonly with elementary students, can also be used with middle and high school aged students. It can be used to identify and eliminate any undesirable behaviors, such as aggression or inappropriate language. It can also be used to reinforce more positive behaviors, such as completing homework assignments. I have personally seen this technique being used – I believe it to be a commonly used and very helpful technique in any school setting.

Chapter 21 - Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is a technique that emerged from cognitive therapy and is typically used with clients who need help replacing negative thoughts and interpretations with more positive thoughts and actions. There is a seven step process to follow when implementing this technique: gather background information about how client handled past problems, assist the client in becoming aware of their thought process, examine the process of rational thinking, provide assistance to the client, help the client to learn how to change internal beliefs and assumptions, go over the rational thought process again, and combine thought stopping with relaxation until logical patterns become set. The book portrays the cognitive restructuring technique being used for a client who was having relationship issues. The counselor first helped the client to identify where her anger toward her partner was coming from. The counselor then helped her to identify that there might be other ways she could perceive her partner’s behaviors and that her negative reactions might have been a little extreme. This technique can also be used with clients who may have fear or anxiety in certain situations, such as with tests, social situations, or public speaking. I felt like this technique was very similar to thought stopping and reframing. All three techniques deal with identifying negative thought processes and restructuring them into positive thoughts. I can see how all three techniques can be incredibly useful in a variety of counseling situations. They can be used with any negative thought processes ranging from cases of worry about a certain situation to more extreme cases like phobias or even depression.