Introduction
Modern counseling is full of diverse methods and is generally flexible. Many people turn to counselors and psychotherapists for help, as society has recently come to normalize mental problems. People are less embarrassed to talk about their traumas, losses, and painful experiences, even if they happened long ago. Specialists in these areas try not to use didactic methods but methods that allow the patient to be included in the treatment process. At the moment, pluralistic, integrative and eclectic counseling methods are generally recognized as effective.
Pluralistic Approach
A pluralistic approach allows clients to take an active part in their care. This method is based on the personal experience of each patient, his upbringing, and habits. Clients can help themselves by keeping diaries, making lists, and planning their schedules. Consultants often advise an active and healthy lifestyle and frequent communication with friends with this approach. This approach aims to restore life balance, in general, after a traumatic event. Through unique hobbies, the client can support himself if the counselor considers this (What is the pluralistic approach, and how is it different from integrative and eclectic practices? 2019). For example, if a client likes knitting, this can be turned into a therapy that he will not resort to, breaking out of his life context. This approach allows the client to stay inside and saturate their everyday experience, looking for answers to questions in it, and not in complex theories, organized therapy inside a hospital or training center, or antidepressants.
Integrative Approach
The integrative approach is famous for its diverse techniques, such as psychoanalysis and humanistic psychotherapy. The role of the client in the process of such treatment remains very significant (Karatas et al. n.d.). Together with the consultant, the client goes through all stages of treatment. The consultant and the patient work through childhood issues and relationships with parents and then move on. We can say that this approach considers the contradictory nature of human emotions and thinking. In addition, this approach is suitable for situations where a person is coping with not one trauma but several and, in general, is at the intersection of conflicts.
Eclectic Approach
Eclectic consulting is tailored to the individual needs of each client. It draws its foundation from various psychological theories, which it successfully combines (Goldman, 2021). It allows such an approach to be adequate for almost all types of trauma or psychiatric disorders, including mild anxiety disorders or apathy tendencies and already diagnosed bipolar disorder. The client remains involved in his treatment process, and he is required to express his expectations from the treatment actively. The client and counselor communicate a lot about the future and what the patient expects from the counseling process.
Conclusion
These methods allow the consultant and the client to take joint responsibility for the treatment and its results. The role of the client in these approaches is significant; therefore, it will require considerable mental effort from him. Clients will have to face their traumas and learn how to talk through complex issues, most often associated with shame and guilt. After consultations, clients are expected to be able to build relationships with partners and friends successfully. Pluralistic counseling draws on each client’s personal experience and uses their unique habits to benefit the treatment. Integrative counseling is especially popular and is based on psychological practices and methods. Eclectic counseling is based on the personal needs of clients, and unique problems, according to which the consultant selects a program of joint theories.
References
Goldman, R. (2021). How eclectic therapy works. Verywell Mind.
Karatas, C., Gilding, E., & Bailey, T. (n.d.). Integrative counselling. Counselling Directory.
What is the pluralistic approach, and how is it different from integrative and eclectic practices? (2019). Pluralistic Practice.