Practicum Journal Entry Assignment

Practicum Journal Entry Assignment
As a future advanced practice nurse, it is important that you are able to connect your classroom experience to your practicum experience. By applying the concepts you study in the classroom to clinical settings, you enhance your professional competency. Each week, you complete an Assignment that prompts you to reflect on your practicum experiences and relate them to the material presented in the classroom. This week, you begin documenting your practicum experiences in your Practicum Journal.
In preparation for this course’s practicum experience, address the following in your Practicum Journal:
· Select one nursing theory and one counseling theory to best guide your practice in psychotherapy.
Explain why you selected these theories. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.
· Develop at least three goals and at least three objectives for the practicum experience in this course.
· Create a timeline of practicum activities based on your practicum requirements.
Resources:
Describe how family systems theory can be applied to solicit changes in family members that, in turn, initiate positive changes to the overall family functions over time.
Cite at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly sources to complete this assignment. Sources should be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria.
Psychotherapy theories provide therapists and counselors with a framework for interpreting a client’s behavior, ideas, and feelings and guiding them through the client’s path from diagnosis to post-treatment.
Theoretical approaches are, without a doubt, an important component of the therapeutic process.
But how can you know which counseling method is right for you when there are so many options?
The following extensive descriptions will provide you a greater grasp of each counseling style, whether you’re a student learning about counseling theories or a client looking for the ideal therapist.
These theories are woven into the Counseling@Northwestern curriculum and are constructed on a psychodynamic foundation.
Psychodynamic Theory/Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud, who believed in unconscious forces driving behavior, founded psychoanalysis or psychodynamic theory, often known as the “historical perspective.”
Psychoanalysts still use the techniques he developed, such as free association (talking freely to the therapist about whatever comes up without being censored), dream analysis (examining dreams for important information about the unconscious), and transference (redirecting feelings about certain people in one’s life onto the therapist).
This idea is used to train counselors at Northwestern, and it is ingrained throughout the counselor training process.
Psychotherapists and counselors who utilize this technique devote a lot of their time and attention on studying prior connections, especially traumatic childhood experiences, in relevance to an individual’s current situation.
Treatment and healing are thought to be possible if these concerns are revealed and brought to the surface.
This idea has been thoroughly investigated, and as neuroscience progresses, counselors are discovering how psychodynamic theory can genuinely benefit a client’s brain.
Psychodynamic theory takes longer to implement than certain short-term theories since it entails modifying deeply rooted behaviors and a large amount of self-awareness.
Theory of Behaviour
The concept that behavior may be learnt underpins behavioral theory.
Classic conditioning is a sort of behavioral therapy that originated with the work of early theorist Ivan Pavlov.
Pavlov conducted a renowned dog study that looked at the effects of a stimulus on a trained response (e.g., a dog salivating when hearing a bell) (e.g., pairing the sound of a bell with food).
Another behavioral therapy strategy, operant conditioning, was developed by B. F. Skinner.
He believed in the power of rewards to raise the likelihood of a behavior and the power of penalties to reduce its occurrence.
Using behavior modification techniques such as positive or negative reinforcement, behavioral therapists work to change unwanted and destructive behaviors.
Theory of Mind
Aaron Beck, a psychotherapist, established cognitive theoryExternal link:open in new in the 1960s.
This counseling theory is concerned with how people’s thoughts influence their moods and behaviour.
Therapy based on cognitive theory, unlike psychodynamic theory, is brief and focused on problem solving.
Cognitive therapists are more concerned with their clients’ current condition and flawed thinking than with their history.
Counselors and therapists frequently mix cognitive and behavioral treatment into a single philosophy.
CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, has been shown in studies to help with a variety of mental illnesses, including anxiety, personality disorders, eating disorders, and substance addiction problems.
A Humanistic Perspective
Humanistic therapists are mainly concerned with the present moment and assisting their clients in reaching their full potential.
Humanists believe in the goodness of all individuals and emphasize self-growth and self-actualization rather than focusing on the past or negative actions.
Client-centered, gestalt, and existential therapies are examples of humanistic theories.
Client-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers, and it is based on the belief that clients have control over their own lives.
All therapists need to do, he believes, is show genuine concern and interest.
Gestalt therapists’ work is more concerned with what is happening in the present moment than with what is being said in therapy.
Existential therapists focus on free will, self-determination, and responsibility to help clients find meaning in their lives.
Integrative/Holistic Therapy
Holistic and integrated therapy is characterized by the incorporation of numerous components from many theories into the practice.
Holistic treatment may incorporate atypical techniques such as hypnosis or guided imagery in addition to regular talk therapy.
The key is to apply the approaches and psychotherapy tools that are most appropriate for the client and problem at hand.