Students will write a 10-page paper, not including the title page, abstract, and references in APA style (6th edition). The purpose of this paper is to aid you in developing your own evolving personal counseling style and theoretical orientation. When writing this paper, consider the (or those) counseling theories that fit best with your own characteristics, experiences, values, and beliefs.

Component #1: Personal Beliefs About Human Nature

Briefly address each of the following:

• Deterministic vs. free will
• Unconscious (unaware) vs. conscious (aware)
• Reactive vs. proactive
• Subjective vs. objective
• Negative human nature vs. positive human nature
• Helpless vs. responsible
• Holistic vs. elementalistic

Component #2: Personal Beliefs About Change

• Can personality and behavior change?

• What needs to occur in order for people to change?

• Is knowing what and how to change behavior enough for change to occur (insight vs. action and rational process vs. affective process).

Component #3: Personal Theoretical Orientation

• What theory(ies) best fits your own values and beliefs about human nature, change?

• How does you background influence your theoretical preference (include the following in your response: your parents' parenting styles, past and present relationships, early experiences, environmental factors, and religious beliefs).

• How would you go about establishing a positive therapeutic relationship?

• How would you go about establishing goals in relation to wellness and prevention?

• How would you go about assessing client needs and therapeutic progress?

Component #4: Application of Theoretical Orientation: Crisis and Consultation

• Compare and contrast two crisis intervention models and discuss their compatibility with your personal counseling orientation (provide research support and an example of application)

• Discuss the role of psychological first aid with regard to crisis counseling and discuss its compatibility with your personal counseling style (provide research support and an example of application)

• Identify a suicide prevention model and discuss the compatibility of that model with your personal counseling orientation (provide research support and an example of application)

• Identify a framework/model for practicing consultation and describe how your theoretical orientation fits with this framework for providing consultation services

Component #5: Biblical Integration

• Discuss how your personal theoretical orientation blends with your Christian values and how you might integrate Biblical principles as a counselor

• What professional ethical principles need to be considered

Scholarly Writing:

Statements/suppositions are supported with research, examples, and personal experiences/observations (at least five peer-reviewed journal articles required). APA style (6th edition is used).

Writing:

Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are used. Please seek the assistance of Liberty's writing center as needed.