Mental Health

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the distinction between two perspectives on therapy, both relating to general matters of mental health, patient counseling and psychotherapy. The paper notes that the psychotherapy-based discipline of reality therapy and person-based therapy are both involved in direct engagement between client and counselor in which the two work to probe the client's hidden issues. This paper explores the core philosophical and practical distinctions between these approaches.

From the Paper:

"The hope of this process is that by helping the individual to point directly to the factors in his or her development which have created the depression, trauma or emotional distress, that said individual might be empowered to reject previous assumptions of reality based on this context which have been damaging to the psyche and identity.
The core impetus which informed the development of the reality therapy school of thought would be expedience, which causes some degree of theoretical conflict in and of itself. Specifically, this is the case because one may be caused to question the persistence of resolutions or revelations achieved in so concise a manner as reality therapy appears to be. Indeed, one of the identifying characteristics of reality therapy is its basis in efficiency, with Glasser stressing this as an important aspect of the connection between therapy and lifestyle outcomes with some immediacy".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Corey, G. (2000). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy, 6th Edition. Wadsworth.
• Gabbard M.D., Glen O. & Jerald Kay M.D. (2001). The Fate of Integrated Treatment: Whatever Happened to the Biopsychosocial Psychiatrist. American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 158, p. 1956-1963.
• Glasser, W. (1975). Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry. Harper Collins Perennial.
• Rogers, C.R. (1951). Client Centered Therapy. Houghton Mifflin.
• Wikipedia. (2008). Person-Centered Psychotherapy. Wikimedia, Ltd. Inc.

More papers on Mental Health:

• Analytical Essay # 132584 : "Mental Health and the Therapeutic Relationship"
• Research Paper # 122067 : "Drug Abuse and Mental Health"
• Comparison Essay # 72231 : "Mental Health Programs"
• Essay # 88220 : "Infant Mental Health"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: