Critically evaluate the role counseling and psychotherapy theory and Essay

Critically evaluate the role counseling and psychotherapy theory and practice in the application of adventure therapy - Essay Example It is important to note the appropriate role and use of counseling in the context of society and in relation to abnormal psychology. For example, the counselor is primarily dealing with normal, functioning children and adults that may at some point during their life develop psychological or emotional problems with which they benefit from personal and professional assistance. Generally, between 5% to 10% of the population at any time can be expected to display the signs and symptoms of major mental illness as defined in abnormal psychology, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, manias, psychosis, etc., though less than 1% will require clinical hospitalization. (NIMH, 2008, See: Appendix) This leaves counseling as a profession tasked with first separating cases of abnormal psychology from problems of normal development of individuals, and secondly, assisting in the provision of effective treatment to the individuals who are seeking counseling. It is in this context that Adventure T herapy should be understood, as well as its application, for there may be human development problems that are caused by the individual’s relation to modern society that can better be solved by treatments fostering social relationships and exercise activities as opposed to pharmaceuticals or institutionalization. Nevertheless, there may also be instances where a combination of medication and Adventure Therapy can also assist in the treatment of those afflicted with psychological problems and mental illness. Creating the ability to distinguish the causes and treatments for patients is an important aspect of training that the counselor must undertake, including research in a multiplicity of methods and a willingness to experiment in finding the treatment that best suits the unique nature of every individual and effectively promotes positive mental health recoveries. The life of an individual can be viewed on a continuum of functionality related to self-realization with normality at the center, functioning at the highest levels of individual mental and physical operations at one extreme, and the psychoses and neuroses of severe mental illness or insanity at the other extreme. The counselor can expect the range of behavior for most people to stay within the realm of normal operations on usual occasions, straying into psychological crisis through challenges, problems, and obstacles in life or relationship issues that occasionally need to be addressed by the individual. Viewing the counselor’s office as a mixture between a general practitioner’s office and an emergency room highlights the manner that the counselor must prepare for all of the contingencies of not only mental illness, but also for mental health, in the population he or she is tasked with serving. Counseling in this regard can be seen as a tool to help maintain or restore normalcy to individuals based upon their own self-definition of importance and accepted societal standards of fu nctioning. In being able to distinguish between the critical and clinical symptoms of severe mental illness and the factors that are required to build a stronger sense of well-being and mental health, the counselor can begin to serve the diversity of needs that he or she will encounter within a given population, as well as to understand some of the causes that lead people to psycho-spiritual crisis and life

The Bus :: essays research papers

The Bus I have this friend named Ted. Ted has an old school bus all spray-painted and beat up looking. This in and of itself is not that big a matter. What makes this bus different is he attached the top half of a Volkswagon van on top of the bus. This bus has been around for around fifteen years or so and has looked about the same if not worse the whole time. See, Ted used to live in this bus. It's a project he has been working on for some time now. Numerous people have asked him why he won't get rid of the ugly thing. His parents don't ask him to, they tell him to get rid of it. I have wondered myself why he has a bus such as he does and why he bothers putting so much money into it. I do notice a slight difference in Ted's eyes when he is working on it though, so there must be something about it worth saving. Ted Jensen was born December 29, 1969 right here in Vancouver, Washington at the old Memorial Hospital (now a clinic I have been told.) His parents are still alive and kicking along with his brother and sister. I met Ted as my neighbor when I first moved to my current home. He has a strong sense of what’s right and fair, as I feel I do. This must be the biggest reason why I like Ted. That and he would not intentionally hurt anybody without them deserving it completely. He may be a little headstrong at times, but he is very easy going most of the time. If I ever need anything, and I do mean anything, Ted is the guy I go to. If he does not already have it, or have access to the item or information I want, he can usually tell me who does. The year is 1986 and the location is a Grateful Dead concert. As Ted was enjoying the festivities of such a concert he came across a vehicle that pulled him to examine it closer. It was an old school bus that had been rebuilt and remodeled into a motor home of sorts. Ted knew then that he had to have one and proceeded to investigate his options. As luck would have it one of his friends needed some cash flow for a lawyer and had a 1976 school bus for sale to get it.

Survivors: Conquering the Antarctica Rage

Organizations are in a constant need for a good leader – one who can stand out to deliver the desired ends and goals and in the process create leaders among its ranks as well. This is particularly true in our society today: driven by the increasing stress of competitiveness, material needs and wants as well as technological changes, an organization ceases to persist if it cannot develop and train a leader or a manager in every employee. The same is true in the health care industry where nurses and other health care providers have expanded responsibilities and now manages their own subordinates in order to deliver the best possible care that can be given to patients. Hence, within the framework of developing leaders and managers in every individual and surviving through challenges successfully, the story of Ernest Shackleton in Shackleton's Way and his conquest of the wrath of Antartica presents a valuable lesson in leadership, motivation and management. Consequently, his saga and heroism is not only contained in the literary and science journals but also in management, leadership, sociology and psychology as well. For one, his leadership style and the manner by which he managed his crew of 27 in a two-year ordeal, with every one going home safe is a classic and a remarkable display of character and organizational skills. This paper evaluates Shackleton’s Way written by Morell and Capparell (2002) in lieu with his leadership and management style particularly in choosing the right people for the job, creating camaraderie among the group, developing the strengths and overcoming the weaknesses of the individuals and forming groups to overcome obstacles and creating leaders in the process. Particularly, an analysis of Shackleton's leadership style, communication strategy, use of team management, conflict resolution and change innovation are explored in lieu with the ability of the whole crew to survive through the challenges of their Antarctica trip. This paper argues that meeting the desired goals/objectives of a group entails the commitment, the knowledge, skills and the positive attitude of individuals as directed by a good leader. Shackleton’s Way: Summary and Analysis Morrell and Capparell (2002) presented the dilemma of Shackleton's Way in this scenario: captured by the ice of Antarctica for two years with twenty (27) men in tow and very limited resources including gas, food, medicine and other resources, how can one man bargain to save their lives when negotiation with their captor is impossible? Morell and Capparell (2002) trace how the great Ernest Shackleton had turned this tragedy into a voyage that became a legend. In the first parts of the book, the authors traced the character and leadership style of Shackleton: amidst the rat race in the corporate world, he worked with respectful competitiveness and turned his bad experiences and weaknesses into lessons to make him a better person. Morrell and Capparell (2002) presented that the character that Shackleton would show in his voyage was shaped through his childhood years and were learned from his family. For instance, his exposure to different cultures made him realize the diversity of people and in learning different attitudes, behaviors and priorities. In succeeding chapters, we see Shackleton knowing the value of hiring the right people for the job. With his eye for optimism and talent, he gave the best renumeration possible to people he thought are the best in the job among those whom he interviewed. Knowing fully well that his people are competent, he abolished the traditional vertical hierarchy in organizations and instead created team management in order to make the crew realize their value in the whole expedition and the organization. This allowed him to get the best work done by each individual- making them realize their value and giving them importance through one-on-one talks. Through optimism and confidence, Shackleton was able to guide his people to the goal that he had laid down to achieve and resolving conflicts with justice and impartiality. More importantly, his team management and implementation of group dynamics- assigning teams, balancing them and ensuring that their tasks are proportional with their capabilities had been critical in their success. Furthermore, Shackleton in the process created leaders among his crew. After the expedition, he provided an invaluable insight to the group and how society can improve through his ways can still be applied today. As indicated, the primary strength of the book is how it provided the reader with a step-by-step account of how Shackleton's leadership was developed- including his personal history and extending into his business ventures and the Antarctic voyage. While several books have already provided us an account of Shackleton, no book has explored it using the leadership and management literature as much as how Morrell and Capparell (2002) traced and retraced the steps undertaken by Shackleton in succeeding Antarctica. For instance, in terms of Shackleton's leadership style, the authors started from his innate capacities as a leader and how he valued the process of recruitment using unique methods to determine character and in creating a group dynamics that allows for his talented crew members to provide their output. His leadership style is therefore democratic and he can be considered as a charismatic leader. Morrell and Capparell (2002) devoted a lengthy and informative showcase of how Shackleton can be considered as such- with confidence and optimism, he was able to facilitate and regroup his crew to attain the maximum possible output that he wants to attain. This was done first by showing them the overall picture and locating each crew from that plan. By doing so, Shackleton and the authors motivated the crew and showed how their plan will not work without one member. How could he have created such group coherence in the middle of so much conflict? The primary tool as aptly shown by the book is the manner by which Shackleton communicates with each crew member. He opted to resolve conflict through one-on-one discussions and through constructive conflict resolution. By trying to look for solutions instead of blaming, he was shown by the authors to be a good conflict negotiator. On this note, the authors have succeeded in showing the readers how communication can be done. In terms of team management, his group dynamics were clearly illlustrated by Morrell and Capparell (2002) when they examined how Shackleton divided his group into two- leaving 22 of his men in an island and bringing the others to find food. Choosing the ones who would be left behind due to illness and bringing the ones who can best deliver the goods showed how Shackleton maximizes their resources as well as in knowing who can best do the job. As a change innovator, Morrell and Capparell (2002) in the latter part of the book had showcased how the crew members became leaders in their own right after learning from Shackleton. Primarily, the strength of the book is that it can serve as an informative as well as an academic resource for all organizations. Second, the manner by which the narratives were sewn together to fit how leadership is through Shackleton's way makes the readers appreciate the value of leadership and of the organization. Finally, the book is entertaining enough to be read and understoob by a wide range of audience. On the other hand, the book's primary weakness is its inability to provide comparisons with other legendary leaders. This could have given the readers the chance to compare the leadership style of Shackleton with others. Consequently, in today's modern organization, the lack of connection and the attempt to apply it amidst workers of today seems to be missing. Implication and Application to Nursing and Health Care Practice Leadership is universal in nature- regardless of the organization and its needs, leaders have common characteristics that make them effective. In the healthcare organization, leadership is no longer the strictly vertical hierarchy- more and more independence is given to nurses and other practitioners. For one, the emergence of positions such as Licensed Vocational Nursing, Licensed Practical Nursing, Nursing Assistants, etc. ompels nurses to develop their own leadership styles. For instance, as a provider of care to patients, the nurse delegates’ tasks, supervises their subordinates, reports to their superiors as well as plan the care of the patient to reach the goals of care. Therefore, gone are the days when nurses are dependent on their physicians for their actions. Simil ar to the experiences of Shackleton, nurses and health care practitioners can gain important insights on how team management can be organized in order to provide continuous patient care. In nursing for instance, nurses works in functional system where each shift would have a nurse and allied professionals, the ability to coordinate, collaborate, negotiate with the team, allocate resources to ensure that all patients are given care, and pursue both short-term and long-term goals are now the roles of nurses. Consequently, nurses are considered to be the primary caretaker among health care professionals because they are the ones who are with the patients most of time. Therefore, nurses’ serve as advocates to physicians and other health care professionals. In doing so, the lack of leadership of nurses can lead to inadequate provision of care. Accordingly, Shackleton provided a valuable lesson on how nurses can rise up to the ranks to be head nurses, supervisors and even administrators in the same way that Shackleton's crew became successful managers and leaders. For one, as shown in the book, a leader becomes a follower first. Leading without knowing how to follow is disastrous. This is because the value of respect as shown through good communication and motivation can only be shown by someone who had been through the process of following. Thus, while there are innate qualities for leadership, it is highly developed. Consequently, strength of character particularly confidence, optimism and willpower which were essential qualities in the success of Shackleton are important qualities for nurses- not only in direct patient care but also in managing other staff nurses. Essentially, Shackleton's Way provides an insightful manner by which leadership is connected to character and how it can be honed in an organization. For health care practitioners and nurses, this book provides a vivid and comprehensive display on how leaders are made and how they handle people. Ethical, Political and Social Consequences of Shackleton’s Way While far from being the best leader in the literature, Shackleton's Way was able to impart the simplicity of how leadership can be done: that is showing compassion to your people and your goals, as well as respecting the rights of each individual. In doing so, one becomes an ethical leader and in the process, gains the respect of their members. For one, it could have been easy for Shackleton to abandon his crew and save himself or just bring the strongest ones to help him escape Antarctica. However, he worked in a way that would bring the best in every individual and in the process save them all. In present organizations, we see leaders and managers using people for their own advancement. It is common that those in the top positions use politics to get ahead. This is also true in our society- whether the government or in private sectors. It is almost impossible to say that one got ahead without stepping on another's shoe. However, the ethics and politics of leadership in Shackleton's Way believed and showed otherwise. For one, we see the purpose of Shackleton- it is ethically and morally sound: for all of them to survive regardless if he risks his own life in doing so. Even in the healthcare industry and particularly in politics, turn coating and saving one's own face has been very common- to a point where the youth regards it as the status quo. However, Shackleton's Way proved that leaders in any organization can choose the harder and more complicated way but one that is just, humane and effective.

Analysis Of Walt Whitman s Poem A Noiseless Patient...

Few poets can craft a piece of work that is as simplistic as it is complex. Walt Whitman does just this in his poem â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider†. Although only two stanzas for a total of ten lines, the amount of thought and intention put into this work is innumerable. A close read could provide countless hours of discussion for even the most highly intelligent of minds. This simple beauty is what makes a poem like â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider† great. In the piece, an observer watches a spider begin to weave a web, and then the observer begins to question his own existence, inspired by the spider. This poem is bursting with evidence to support this theme of a questioned existence. Walt Whitman uses succinct diction and an extended metaphor emphasized by the poem’s structure to show the similarities between the spiders life and the speaker’s own inquiring of his existence. Only with intricate usage of these things can such an acute analogy be made. That is what makes this seemingly insignificant joining of lines so significant. The poem is separated into two stanzas separate in plot but the theme and format is almost identical. In such a short poem, word choice is crucial to fully explicating the intended meaning of the poem. The primary element the reader sees when they look at this poem is the title. â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider† does much to emphasize the impending metaphor before the poem even begins. Already, one can see that the poem is about a spider. The spider however