Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Treatment Planning in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

During your master’s program, you have had several opportunities to review the main theories of counseling and to consider the key interventions used by therapists who employ each of these theoretical approaches. You have also completed discussions, exercises, and assignments that have asked you to describe your own current approach to counseling and to align it within the main theories being used by mental health professionals.

For this discussion, reflect upon how one’s theoretical approach may influence how he or she develops a treatment plan. For example, a counselor using a strengths-based, solution-oriented approach may think about a client’s presenting issues, goals, and choice of interventions very differently from a counselor who identifies as a psychodynamically oriented therapist. To begin, review the main elements of a treatment plan described in the unit introduction and consider how a counselor’s particular theoretical approach would influence the way in which each element is presented. What would be emphasized or omitted based on the theoretical approach being used? How might the language used be different in each element, based on the key assumptions and concepts included within the theoretical approach?

Complete the following:

· Briefly describe your own theoretical approach to counseling or the approach used in your current fieldwork setting. This should be no longer than 1–2 sentences.

· Write a brief entry for each of the following items that demonstrates how you would present the treatment plan from the theoretical approach you are using. For this, use one of the clients with whom you are currently working. You may use bullet points to keep your information concise. Important: Be sure the language you use matches your chosen theory. Include the following in your entry:

o A one-paragraph description of the client. Please omit any information that would identify this client, such as the client’s name.

o The main presenting issues. Be succinct. How would you describe each issue in a few words?

o Two immediate goals, such as those for counseling sessions 1–4. Just one sentence is needed for each goal.

o Two specific interventions used to reach these immediate goals. Each intervention should be 1–3 sentences. Be sure the intervention is consistent with the theoretical approach.

o Two short-term goals, such as those for counseling sessions 5–12.

o Two specific interventions used to reach these short-term goals.

o A brief description of the methods you would use to document the client’s progress. How would you document this? For example, would you rely on your observations of the client during the sessions or on specific behaviors that the client reports to you? Would you use any self-report instruments or other assessments to document change?

Support your discussion with APA-formatted references to the course texts and at least one current article from the professional literature.

Note: In addition to answering the questions for this discussion, you are also required to complete a paragraph in which you reflect on the group supervision meeting this week.

Response Guidelines

Review and respond to the post of at least one learner. In each response, include any feedback you have about the treatment plan items and how they reflect your peer’s stated theoretical approach.