NCMHCE Theories and Techniques

Emotionally Focused Therapy-Restructing the Bond

When using this technique, the client and therapist will identify attachment needs and facilitate a change in interactions based on the identified needs to stop old patterns and engage in healthy ways.

Feminist-Bibliotherapy

When using this technique, the counselor encourages reading on gender issues, gender role stereotypes, gender inequality, how sexism is promoted, topical issues (i.e. obsession with thinness, obsession with specific types of beauty markers), power differentials between the sexes, assertiveness, coping skills, and more. Reading empowers the client and allows the client to make informed choices.

Feminist-Gender Analysis and Intervention

When using this technique, the counselor will explore with the client to assist the client in understanding the impact of gender role expectations in his/or her life and how social issues impact his/or her personal issues.

Gestalt Therapy-Exaggerating a Behavior

When using this technique, the counselor will have the client exaggerate specific movements to aid in understanding feelings. For example, if the client is talking about his teenage son, have him move like he does, which will intensify the client's awareness and feelings about the son.

Gestalt Therapy-Reversal Technique

When using this technique, the therapist will ask the client to do the opposite of his/or her behavior, acting out a scenario in the opposite to gain insight and understanding in the here-and-now.

CBT-Decatastrophizing (sometimes called "what if")

When using this technique, the therapist would have the client state his/or her feared consequence of a situation and then identify strategies for coping.

Person-Centered Therapy-Reflect the Feeling/Paraphrasing Nonverbals

With this technique, the therapist moves from the content of what the client is saying and focuses on the underlying feeling in the client's message without judgment. For example, Brian says, "My roommate is always late with his part of the rent, never cleans up after himself, and thinks he can just eat my food without replacing anything. What a pig!" The therapist responds, "You sound exasperated because he does not respect your boundaries or take his responsibilities seriously."

Jungian Therapy-Analysis of Transference

With this theory, four stages are addressed, including: 1) the client's personal history projections onto the therapist, 2) the client differentiates his/or her own unconscious from the collective, 3) the therapist's reality is differentiated from the superimposed images, 4) the achievement of greater knowledge and insight within the self having worked through the transference and into an authentic relationship with the therapist.

Play Therapy-Sand Trays

Sand trays may be used wet or dry, and children are offered miniatures in several categories to create a "world" or "scene." Categories include: Symbolic Objects (i.e. treasure chests, wishing wells), Natural Objects (i.e. shells, bones), Structures (i.e. bridges, gates), Vegetation (i.e. shrubs, trees), Animals (i.e. wild, domestic, prehistoric), Vehicles (land, space, war), People (i.e. fantasy, domestic, military), and Buildings (i.e. castles, schools, high rise). Sand play may or may not be directed.

Behavioral Therapy-Modeling

The demonstration of a behavior either live, in books, television or recorded source for an individual to emulate or imitate.

Solution Focused Therapy-Exception Question

The therapist asks for a time when the problems were not problematic, discovering a time before the problem, a time the situation had less power, or perhaps a time of remission. This allows for discovery of strengths, skills, or tools the client may have deployed already to manage the situation, or assists the client in seeing the problem is not all-powerful and has not existed for all time

Adlerian Therapy-Reporting of the earliest recollections

The therapist asks the client to describe their earliest recollections, which often provide insight into the patterns or interpretations the client has made in developing their life style.

REBT-Bibliotherapy

The therapist assigns any number of self-help books to enhance the specific issue being addressed to immerse the client in information and to aid the client in re-education.

Narrative Therapy-Unique Outcomes - Altering the Dominate Negative Story

The therapist assists the client to focus on a life story that is divergent from the problem-saturated story narrative. For example, the client's dominant story is about marital issues, and the therapist says, "Tell me about a time when today's issues did not impact your marriage, like how did you fall in love?"

Brief Therapy-Invite the Client to Do More of What is Working

The therapist builds upon the client's strengths and invites the client to engage in more of what has previously worked, or encourages the client to try something the client has raised as a consideration, sometimes referred to as "as experiment."

Family Systems Therapy-I-Positions

The therapist continuously uses "I" messages to differentiate himself or herself from the individual, couple, or family. The purpose is to demonstrate the responsible vs. irresponsible use of "I," the first of which differentiates by defining one's own beliefs and values, and the second of which makes demands (i.e. "I deserve" or "My right").

Humanistic Therapy-Engaged Curiosity

The therapist engages genuine curiosity to draw the client out, encouraging the client to describe experiences of various life facets, such as employment, relationships, or hobbies. The therapist may wonder about what the client likes/does not like, how the client keeps moving forward, or what is held back in communications with a relationship.

Person-Centered Therapy-Empathy

The therapist engages the client by understanding and sharing the feelings of the client, expressed through body language, eye contact, and general sensitivity.

Humanistic Therapy-Emphasis on Transparency and Authenticity

The therapist is real and exists as a person in session, is open, honest, direct, and clear, within the context of the therapeutic relationship and in line with the client's goals. For example, the therapist may share appreciation for the client's strength and courage to stay with difficult feelings, or share the experience of feeling detached from the client, as though not making a strong contact or connecting on the issue at hand.

Humanistic Therapy-Emphasis on Mutuality

The therapist maintains a client-centered approach and forges a connection along a human journey together, empowering the client through mutuality. This is opposed to a hierarchical relationship in which the client is evaluated, has treatment prescribed, and is considered successful when the treatment is followed.

Strategic Therapy-Symptom Prescription

The therapist prescribes the symptom, and what the individual or family may describe as "uncontrollable" is now encouraged by prescribing the problematic behavior as the only one allowed, encouraging the behavior by seeing how much it can be expanded (i.e. how many more tantrums the child can do and how the parents can provide a separate space for the child to do tantrums in a place where they will be safe), or giving the behavior a time and space (i.e. worry from three to four times daily). Power and control structures are discovered within families when this technique is applied.

Gestalt Therapy-Playing the Projection

The therapist will ask the client to play the role of the individual with whom they are not connecting. This can be done with a dialogue, Empty Chair, drama, or any creative medium to assist in dropping defenses and allowing the client to connect with the here-and-now experience.

Feminist-Reframing

The therapist will assist the client in altering the client's frame of reference for the his/or her own behavior, shifting from intrapersonal to interpersonal focus to define his/or her issues.

REBT-Paradoxical Behavior/Stepping out of Character

The therapist will assist the client in changing a dysfunctional tendency by behaving in a contradictory manner. For example, a perfectionist is asked to do something less than their usual standard three times between sessions.

General Systems Theory-Ecomap

The therapist will draw this with the client to discover the social environment (conditions, circumstances, and interactions) surrounding the client, which will enable the therapist to see the interactions with multiple systems (friends, politics, religious, educational, vocational) that the client engages inputs and outputs. Draw the family household membership in the center circle, then engage the connecting systems with appropriate lines, which will indicate strength and direction of the relationship (i.e. strong, tenuous, conflicted, one way).

General Systems Theory-Advocacy

The therapist will engage necessary supports or assist the client when stuck points cannot be overcome and present as a hindrance to the central work, including advocacy regarding unfair or outdated policies.

REBT-Tape Recording Sessions

The therapist will have the client record the therapy session (tape record or on a smart phone) and listen to the session at least one time before the following session to reinforce learning, gain insight, or analyze his/or her own level of awareness and change.

Gestalt Therapy-Fantasy Approaches

The therapist will walk the client through a guided imagery of a triggering event and encourage the client to share what is felt in the moment, increasing awareness of feelings through the triggering event.

Strategic Therapy-Paradoxical Intervention

The therapist works to get the family to alter behavior by encouraging the problematic behavior, creating awareness of control over the behavior or defiance to it, leading to improvement.

Family Systems Therapy-Detriangling

The triangle is the smallest, stable relationship systems, but paradoxically is the most difficult for an individual to tolerate because there is always one person who is "on the outside." Bowen talked about "putting the other with the other," meaning linking individuals directly with one another rather than having the 3rd present to absorb the tension. It is imperative the therapist do the same with the therapist's presence, specifically not taking sides.

Brief Therapy-Coping Questions

These are questions that serve as powerful reminders of how the client engages useful skills and tools, even when overwhelmed. Example: "How have you managed through this time?" This is an alternative means of accessing the client's resiliency and level of determination.

Play Therapy-Puppets

These may be used by clients to reenact scenes, play out feelings, practice new behaviors, facilitate decision-making, develop communication skills, decrease isolation, play out fantasies, address thoughts, and express strong emotions.

Existential Therapy-Using all Techniques

These therapists "Borrow from Whatever". This technique is required to facilitate empowerment of the individual within the context of the individual's cultural reality. If there is a sense of disempowerment, techniques from Feminist Theory may be used (e.g. Power Analysis, Reframing), and if there is a strong extended family presence, elements of Bowen, Family System's Theory, or General System's Theory may be used (e.g. Genogram, Ecogram, "I" Position).

Behavioral Therapy-Graded Task Assignment

This Technique breaks larger tasks down into smaller, 'baby steps' and may be easily combined with Activity Scheduling. This is particularly useful for clients who have complex or complicated tasks with deadlines that are important for the client to achieve (i.e. for work, disability rating).

Systemic Family Therapy-Odd/Even Day Ritual

This encourages irreverence or a more flexible view of the family as the family is given a directive that on odd days one set of rules or rituals holds true, and on even days another. For example, on odd days, the family is to act as if they need treatment, on even days as if they do not, or on odd days mom does the parenting and on even days dad does the parenting.

Gestalt Therapy-Making the Rounds

This exercise assists the client in learning confrontation skills, taking risks, and self-disclosure. The client either engages with a group of people or it may be done in a formal therapy group, and the client is to speak with each member or do something with each member, such as ask about weekend plans, give a compliment, or ask for the time.

CBT-Redefining

This involves assisting the client in making the problem more specific, concrete, and individual to the client's behavior. An example is restating "nobody notices me" to "I need to reach out to others."

Transactional Analysis Therapy-Structure Analysis

This involves conducting first and second order analysis on the ego states expressed by the client (Parent, Adult, and Child), as well as the transactions between them as they act and interact with others in the client's life.

Family Systems Therapy-Genogram

This involves drawing a complete genogram (sometimes called the Family Map), which looks like a family tree, but is comprised of additional information, such as emotional dynamics (marriages, divorces, significant events, over involved relationships, distance, conflict, and cutoffs). It is a snapshot representation of the family for the client, enabling hypotheses and insights, and the purpose and principles of the model are not withheld from the client.

CBT-Cognitive Restructuring

This involves identifying, challenging, and changing faulty beliefs and distortions in thinking through examining logic, testing the truth of the thought or belief, and finding alternative explanations. This commonly involves "looking for the evidence" of whether the thought or belief is true or false, with a logical analysis of "evidence for" and "evidence against."

Gestalt Therapy-Body Awareness (Body Work)

This involves raising awareness of where in the body feelings are associated through breathing techniques or reflecting inconsistencies between verbal reports and body language. For example, the therapist may notice the client tense his shoulders each time he talks about his spouse, so the therapist assists the client in a breathing technique and enhances the client's awareness of his body functions to gain greater awareness and control.

CBT-Systematic Desensitization

This involves the pairing of relaxation with exposure to something the client reports as stressful. The client is taught to relax in response to the anxiety-producing situation, altering the previously paired response.

Behavioral Therapy-Assertiveness and Social Skills Training

This involves the teaching of specific skills and tools to enable the client to act and interact with greater success. The mechanism for this is often modeling, role-playing, and behavioral rehearsal.

Behavioral Therapy-Shaping

This is a basic operant in which behaviors that approximate or move toward the desired behavior are reinforced.

Transactional Analysis Therapy-Script Analysis

This is a checklist designed to explore early injunctions, decisions, games, and life positions. Script analysis is the process of uncovering the unconscious early decisions about how life shall be lived.

Adlerian Therapy-"Acting As If"

This is a form of encouraging and motivating clients to be the way they desire to be, "acting as if" the transition has already occurred.

Solution Focused Therapy-Miracle Question

This is a means of questioning the client to assist in envisioning a future in which the problem is no longer present. Depending on the client and clinician, the question may be asked in a variety of formats, but in general the following elements are present: "If a miracle occurred tonight while you slept that solved this problem, only no one including yourself knew it was solved, what would be different, and how would you come to know the miracle occurred?"

Solution Focused Therapy-Coping Question

This is a question designed to underscore resources the client has not noticed. For example, the client may be overwhelmed by daily life and reporting significant depressive or anxious symptomology. In response, the therapist reflects, "I hear you say things are overwhelming, yet I am struck by how you get up each day and do all that is required to get the kids off to school and get to work. How do you do that?" with genuine curiosity, providing truth, validating the client's story (difficult feelings), and providing hope (drawing out coping skills).

Brief Therapy-Miracle Question

This is a specific question designed to generate the initial steps of solutions - ones that can be acted upon in short order, perhaps the next day. The question proposes that a miracle occurs while the client sleeps, no one knows the miracle has occurred, the miracle is that the client's problem is solved, and the client is to consider the initial signs they would know the miracle occurred.

Behavioral Therapy-Guided Imagery

This is a symbolic recreation of the problematic situation, rather than simply talking about the issue. While imagining the situation is occurring, the client verbalizes thoughts that arise.

Systemic Family Therapy-Circular Questioning

This is a technique for interviewing and hypothesis validation in which each family member comments on the behavior and interactions of other family members.

Gestalt Therapy-Game of Dialogue

This is a technique in which the therapist joins with the client in a discussion, not by controlling the discussion, but by participating in the same manner as the client, consistent with Phenomenological Philosophy. The goal is to be fully present, commit to the dialogue, and to live the dialogue, such as in psychodrama, making the experience "come alive" with emotion, thoughts, beliefs, and anything the client might bring internally to the encounter if it were real.

Gestalt Therapy-Internal Dialogue Exercise

This is a technique in which the therapist joins with the client in a discussion, not by controlling the discussion, but by participating in the same manner as the client, consistent with Phenomenological Philosophy. The goal is to be fully present, commit to the dialogue, and to live the dialogue, such as in psychodrama, making the experience "come alive" with emotion, thoughts, beliefs, and anything the client might bring internally to the encounter if it were real.

Behavioral Therapy-Exposure Therapy

This is a technique targeted for anxiety disorders involving exposure of the client to the feared object or the feared situation without any danger and for the purpose of overcoming their anxiety response.

Behavioral Therapy-Self-Control Procedures (biofeedback, progressive relaxation, specific goals)

This is a useful technique for addressing issues like impulsivity, excessive anger, insomnia, tension headaches, pain and stress, and encouraging the individual to maintain a new behavior through self-reinforcement.

Behavioral Therapy-Role Playing/Rehearsal

This is an artificial engagement of a situation to allow for observation of the problem behavior as well as better assessment of the interpersonal issue. It may also be used to prepare for a situation, as in rehearsal.

Transactional Analysis Therapy-Contract

This is an essential element with all clients, individual and group, establishing the structure of the relationship, from the Child Ego state perspective of how the client will be different as a result of work done. The contract is concrete, specific, and measurable.

Systemic Family Therapy-Invariant Prescription

This is an unchanging prescription given to all families that have symptomatic children, asking that parents spend time with each other, not with the children. The purpose is to create clearer generational boundaries and to break the pattern of destructive games.

Adlerian Therapy-Push - Button Technique

This is designed to help the client see they are responsible for how they feel, both good and bad feelings. The client is asked to visualize a happy event, re - experience the associated feelings, then an unhappy event and the associated feelings, and finally to return to the happy event, re - experiencing the happier feelings.

CBT-Decentering

This is helpful with anxious clients who believe they are the focus of others. The technique is to set up experiments to challenge the client's belief and assist them to see that others are not focused upon the client, but rather daydream, attend to children, drive, bite their nails, or whatever the situation discloses.

CBT-Self-Monitoring

This is sometimes called "diary work" and is used to document the degree and amount of targeted thoughts and behaviors occurring between sessions or during a given event or timeframe.

Adlerian Therapy-Confrontation

This is used by therapists to encourage client responsibility, looking at issues of taking responsibility for how others respond ("Why does my child yell at me?" "Because you allow him to. It is easier to give into a tantruming 8 year old than to bet the parent."), presenting existing alternatives ("You don't have to work 3 jobs to bankroll your capable 28 - year - old. You can set limits and refuse to be taken advantage of. What do you want to do about it?"), taking responsibility for change ("Shall we continue to talk about this or do you want to take action?"), and considering time ("Knowing what you know now, how long to you plan to wait to take action? Five years?")

Behavioral Therapy-Activity Scheduling

This is useful in the treatment of depression. This is done with a chart using short word descriptions (one to three words), according to a hierarchy of easiest to hardest, including both necessary and enjoyable tasks. The client is to follow the planned activities and document any activities that were not pre-planned each week, rating the activities according to level of pleasure, until the client has resumed his/or her normal schedule.

Psychoanalytic Therapy-Free Association

This method is engaged by encouraging the client to talk about whatever comes to mind as the therapist reads a list of words (i.e. father, school). Through this process, repressed memory fragments are to emerge unless the client has resistance. However, resistance may be evidence there is important information requiring further probing.

Psychoanalytic Therapy-Transference

This naturally occurs when the client responds to the therapist as though he/or she were someone significant from the client's past (i.e. a parent). Working through the memories, attitudes, motives, perceptions feelings, fantasies, or other issues in the here-and-now gives the client a new experience.

Jungian Therapy-Individuation

This process involves the development of the individual's personality via making conscious the individual's unconscious and the collective unconscious tendencies. It is considered to be both a goal and something to develop throughout the lifespan.

CBT-Psychoeducation

This provides the client with information, education or skills training on specific areas to facilitate change, such as parenting, obesity, smoking, or medication management.

Jungian Therapy-Shadow Work

This technique addresses the qualities that do not fit our image of ourselves - anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, lust, and shame. It also address behaviors that are not culturally acceptable such as aggression, addiction and dependency. The goal is to integrate parts of ourselves that we try to hide from.

Jungian Therapy-Journaling

This technique allows the client to keep track of thoughts, feelings and behaviors so they can see their progress during therapy.

REBT-Risk Taking

This technique assists the client in challenging beliefs. Have the client engage in a task where there is a reasonable chance of not meeting his/or her expectations or of failing. For example, a person that fears rejection is asked to speak with a person to whom they are attracted or a perfectionist starts a task at which they are not proficient.

CBT-Stress-Innoculation

This technique combines relaxation skills with self-talk, role playing, rehearsal, and/or systematic desensitization to help individuals master highly stressful events or circumstances. The primary categories are 1) preparation for the stressor, 2) confrontation and direct management of the stressor, 3) coping with the stressor, and 4) reinforcement.

General Systems Theory-Tap into All Systems

This technique considers informal or naturally occurring systems (i.e. family, friends), formal systems (i.e. governmental agencies), and societal systems (i.e. schools, churches). Do they currently (or did they historically) exist within the system? Is the client engaging them appropriately? The therapist is temporary, but the client system is permanent.

Gestalt Therapy-Dream Work

This technique does not involve the therapist interpreting or analyzing the dream, rather it assists the client in bringing the dream to life as if it were happening now with the client as part of the dream. The client details the dream with each entity, event, and mood, and then becomes each part (or parts are selected), and the client acts each as fully as he or she can, engaging dialogue with the parts. The dream is assumed to be a projection, with individual parts as the individuals own contradictory and inconsistent elements, and engaging each allows for unfinished business to be addressed and resolved.

Behavioral Therapy-Thought-Stopping

This technique forces the self to stop thinking in an unproductive way, such as wearing a rubber band on one's wrist and popping the band as a method to assist in redirection of thoughts, a means of telling one's self to "stop!" and ultimately to retrain the way one thinks and is able to redirect thinking patterns.

REBT-Reframing

This technique has more than one application. The bad event can be re-evaluated from an 'awful', 'impossible', or 'intolerable' irrational belief to a 'disappointing', 'difficult', or 'uncomfortable' (i.e. in perspective) one. Another option is to assist the client in identifying the positives that result from the negative event by listing them. It is important that the client does not conceive the therapist is implying that the bad event is a good event.

Narrative Therapy-Deconstruction

This technique helps others understand what the problem means to the client. For example, the therapist might say, "Tell us what you see when the problem is present and what we will see when it goes away."

Jungian Therapy-Rituals

This technique involves a series of actions involving the entire family in a sequence of steps, forming a play that is to be enacted under specific circumstances. An example of a ritual is a family sitting together daily, each getting equal time to speak well of the family, with no negative opinions allowed.

Systemic Family Therapy-Rituals

This technique involves a series of actions involving the entire family in a sequence of steps, forming a play that is to be enacted under specific circumstances. An example of a ritual is a family sitting together daily, each getting equal time to speak well of the family, with no negative opinions allowed.

Reality Therapy-Plans of Action

This technique involves assisting the client in making a specific, attainable, beneficial, time-limited plan of action. The client must be clear on what he/or she wants and what he/or she is taking responsibility for before success can be attained.

Feminist-Power Analysis and Power Intervention

This technique involves assisting the client in the discovery of the power differences between the sexes in society, understanding the power the client possesses, and understanding how all individuals exercise power.

CBT-Modeling

This technique involves demonstrating something for the client and having the client replicate the desired behavior. Subsequent role-play may be appropriate, depending on the desired behavior.

Behavioral Therapy-Behavioral Observation

This technique involves objectifying a specific behavior and observing the behavior in the client's natural environment. This is most common in institutional settings, such as hospitals, schools, or treatment centers, where the clinician or others who can be trained as observers (i.e. parents, teachers, aids, nurses) are present and can count or objectively observe and analyze the data.

Contextual-Multi-directed Partiality

This technique involves sequentially turning toward each member, including those who are absent for whatever reason, and providing acknowledgment and examining the expectations of each person.

Jungian Therapy-Sandplay

This technique involves the use of a tray of sand for free expression, often used with a figures, symbols, avatars, or other miniature objects. This engages both children and adults in free expression and has been used successfully in a variety of trauma work.

CBT-Socratic Dialogue

This technique involves the use of questions to point out the client's maladaptive thoughts and stuck points. Primary categories of questions are: clarification (i.e. "Can you give me an example of what you mean?"), probing assumptions, probing reasons, or evidence (i.e. "What evidence supports your position?"), questioning viewpoints or perspectives (i.e. "What are the pros and cons of this path?"), analyzing outcomes (i.e. "What are the implications of making this change?"), and questions about questions (i.e. "what would getting an answer, regardless of the outcome, mean to you?").

Adlerian Therapy-"Analysis and Assessment"

This technique is about exploration of the family constellation (sociogram of the individuals at home during the client's formative years) and early recollections and is not about interpretations to the client.

Behavioral Therapy-Systematic Desensitization

This technique is sometimes referred to as exposure therapy and is commonly used to address phobias and anxiety-related issues. It establishes a hierarchy of increasingly anxiety producing stimuli, teaches relaxation or other coping skills, and the individual begins with the least difficult situations and works toward the most anxiety-producing over time, with the goal of neutralizing the reaction to the stimulus.

REBT-Catastrophe Scale

This technique is used to address awfulizing. Have the client write a scale from 0% to 100% in 10% intervals, then ask the individual to rate whatever the issue is he/or she is catastrophizing about and insert it into the scale in the appropriate place. Afterwards, fill in the other levels with what the client believes is applicable to each level. For example, at 0% might be sipping tea the backyard, 20% is recording a sporting event instead of watching it live, 70% is being mugged, 90% is having a heart attack, and 100% is being sucked up into an F4 tornado. Have the client progressively alter their concerning item to fit into perspective of the other items.

Transactional Analysis Therapy-Role-Playing

This technique is viewed as a "time out" from reality in which the client draws closer to the self, engaging in an intimacy and spontaneity of the "here-and-now" vs. the intellect of discussing what has occurred or consideration of what may happen. The focus is to engage the intellectual, physical, spiritual, and emotional self in an active way in session using psychodrama, allowing the individual to learn from the moment.

Strategic Therapy-Reframing

This technique provides a positive rationale for treatment, whether or not the therapist believes it, so that it is logical to the individual or family to induce compliance for treatment. An example: Older brother Ben is not bossy, he is protective of his little sister Sally.

Feminist-Assertiveness Training

This technique provides specific training and insight to raise women's awareness of their interpersonal rights, assist in transcending stereotyped sex roles, and alter negative belief systems to change daily patterns, actions, and interactions.

CBT-Reattribution

This technique takes a situation and examines the automatic thought by considering alternatives for the events under consideration. For example, the client may see themselves as the cause of an event (i.e. why he did not call, why the marriage failed) when in fact, this is an unreasonable assumption because a single person is rarely the only reason for an event occurring.

Jungian Therapy-Dream Analysis

This theory believes that images are a reflection of something within the person, and that the dream world could allow the individual access to the unconscious within the self, specific to the dreamer.

Psychoanalytic Therapy-Dream Analysis/Interpretation

This theory considers analysis of dreams to be the pathway to the unconscious. Examining dreams assists in discovering psychic content - latent ideas full of repressed drives and emotions within the unconscious mind.

Brief Therapy-Scaling Questions

This type of question assists the client in assessing his/or her situation and tracks progress, asking how a client rates an item based on a scale (i.e. 1 to 10). It can also assist with clients who struggle with verbal skills. Any number of items can be measured, such as motivation, hopefulness, confidence, progress, anxiety, and depression.

Behavioral Therapy-Token Economy

Three elements are present, including 1) tokens (a symbol) for a valued item 2) the back-up reinforcer (i.e. material item such as candy, services such as going to a sporting event, or privileges such as to get video game time) 3) a target or desired behavior being shaped or reinforced. Additional elements to the token economy may include social reinforcement, shaping, immediacy of reinforcement (token now for reward later), planning ahead (i.e. saving tokens for a larger reward), and group contingencies (a reward for the entire ward or class if the entire group achieves at a particular level)

REBT-Postponing Gratification

To combat low frustration tolerance, ask a client to deliberately delay gratification (eating sweets, smoking, responding to his/or her spouse when angry) for a period of time.

CBT-Homework

To enable cognitive restructuring, clients are given this to reinforce learning through monitoring automatic thoughts and/or behavioral activation, reviewing the previous therapy session or preparing for the next session.

REBT-Skills Training

Using this technique, the therapist provides education, in vivo demonstration and practice of social skills, relaxation training (e.g. progressive relaxation, guided imagery), breathing exercises, etc.

Narrative Therapy-Deconstruct the Problem

Using this technique, the therapist will assist the client in making the problem specific and manageable. For example, if the client reports, "My wife hen-pecks me, and I'm angry!" then there is no clear solution and the client's emotional needs are not certain. The therapist helps the client be more specific: "When my wife gives me a list of things that have to be done when I walk through the door, I feel unimportant as a husband, like I am only a handyman who hasn't just worked 10 hours to make our family bills meet," and the therapist could offer, "So you want your spouse to empathize with the stress you're bring home from working all day, recognizing you as a person, to give you a break?"

Emotionally Focused Therapy-Expand the Emotional Experience

When the client makes an emotional statement (i.e. "I feel out of control!"), the therapist will respond by asking the client to stay with the feeling, asking what it is like for them to be out of control, what it is like as they speak of it in the moment, how they feel as they speak, how they frame the experience, how they protect the self (if they did not, then what would occur), and finally validate the client's responses of his/or her experience (i.e. "It must be hard to feel scared") and then direct the partner/family members to engage as indicated (i.e. "And you feel she cannot protect you, tell her what that is like" "You cannot feel safe when he hits walls"), with the ultimate goal of pulling emotional expression that engages compassion and connection, meeting unmet attachment needs.

Feminist-Self-Disclosure

Disclosing to the client assists in equalizing the therapeutic relationship and provides modeling.

Contextual-Genogram

Draw this to determine the viewpoint of each family member - both those who are present and those who are not present - to discover legacies, loyalties, entitlement, and indebtedness issues

Reality Therapy-Confrontation

Because setting specific plans are a key element in this theory, when a client does not follow through on something, confrontation is not avoidable. The therapist cannot accept excuses, but works to be positive and may attempt to engage humor to address the issue. A question the therapist might ask is, "What impact will not taking steps have on you?"

Play Therapy-Drama

Have the client draw who he/or she would like to be, asking reflective questions about what is drawn, identifying behaviors that the person has that could assist in problems/goals, then invite the client to engage in the behaviors (i.e. young children may select superheroes and act as if they are the superhero). Variants may be having clients take on an unfamiliar role to change perspectives or practice a new behavior, or act as themselves in a situation or as a symbolic character or family member .

REBT-Blow-Up Technique

Have the client imagine the worst case scenario of what he/or she fears occurring, then blow the event out of proportion until the client cannot help but find amusement in it.

Adlerian Therapy-Encouragment

Having the client be an active participant in treatment helps the individual begin to see themselves as capable.

Play Therapy-Sculpting

In a group, divide the members into two parts, one that will be the "artists" and one that will be the "clay," and have the "artists" sculpt the "clay" with ground rules of not touching the "clay." Once the sculptures are completed, the leader can tour the exhibit of sculptures, listening to the creator share about the creation process and how it is significant. Then have the members change roles. This can also be done in family therapy or with a sibling group to explore the impact of members on one another.

Psychoanalytic Therapy-Analysis of Resistance and Defenses

Interpreting how the patient avoids or manages pain is key to Psychoanalytic Therapy. Pointing out any behaviors the patient uses to resist exploring specific issues or therapy in general (i.e. silence, lateness, deflecting) assist the patient in gaining insight about these issues.

Play Therapy-Story Telling

Invite the client to record a make-believe show with the therapist as the guest of honor. Make an introduction of the client, noting important elements and content. Once complete, ask if there is a lesson or moral and whether any details are needed, and make positive comments (i.e. powerful, exciting, unusual, captivating). Turn off the recording device to gather any additional information needed (i.e. symbols, important actors, themes, emotional reactions), then tell the therapist's version of the story (i.e. same characters, situation, setting) only revised for improved resolution to conflicts or adding in coping or behavior changes.

Behavioral Therapy-Response Cost

Involves giving a negative consequence for a behavior that in not wanted.

Behavioral Therapy-Chaining

Involves the series of smaller behaviors that are linked to the desired complex behavior. Each step is prompted and reinforced, strengthening all of the parts of the chain that move toward the desired behavior.

Play Therapy-Clay

Clay can be used as art, or tied to other therapeutic goals, such as rolling it into a ball and smashing it, squeezing it through the fingers, or placing it in varying amounts to represent values of something, someone, or a decision.

Brief Therapy-Looking for Previous Solutions

Clients often have solved similar issues or have ideas about the current issue. Questions such as, "Has this ever been less of a problem?" or "What have you done that helped?" elicit strengths and ideas on which to build.

Behavioral Therapy-Self-Monitoring

A client may be asked to keep detailed accounts of a specific event or reaction, such as noting all caloric intake or amount of time spent studying.

Behavioral Therapy-Behavioral Extinction

A therapy technique where the client's rewards are removed to stop an undesirable behavior

Brief Therapy-Compliments

An essential part of this therapeutic style is seeking to validate clients for what they are already doing well and to reinforce what the client is doing that is working. These may come in the form of a question such as asking how the client did something, thereby inviting the client to provide the compliment by answering the question.

Behavioral Therapy-Physiological Recording

An instrument monitors psychophysiological reactions to objectively measure any number of problems.

Play Therapy-Art

Art is tied directly to the unconscious and brings out tangible symbols of emotions to the surface, and also allows the client to become more self-aware in a non-threatening medium. Traditional materials (crayons, paper, finger paint, markers, paints, clay, Play Doh, paste, glitter, clue, scissors, string, stickers) may be used, or electronic media may be incorporated. Art may be used alone or with other techniques.

Humanistic Therapy-Check Feelings, Thoughts, and Bodily Sensations Behind Their Story

Ask the client to describe what he/or she is feeling as he/or she describes something, or conversely what the client is thinking as he/or she is feeling something. Having the client check for a sensation in his/or her body may be helpful to remain in the present, fully aware. For example, the client may say he/or she is feeling tension in the shoulders as he/or she describes marital issues at this point, the therapist may say "allow yourself to breathe into the feeling in your shoulders and open up whatever associations come up and share what emerges."

REBT-Time Projection

Ask the client to visualize the feared or difficult event occurring. Then ask the client to imagine himself/or herself one week after the event, then one month, then six months, then one year, and so forth. At each time point, ask how the client envision himself/or herself feeling and being at each point.

REBT-Exposure

Assist with coping skills (e.g. breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, positive self-talk), then have the client enter the feared situation that he/or she avoids in a planned, deliberate way using applicable coping skills. Exposure assists the client in learning that the fear may be survived, builds confidence in coping, and increases tolerance for discomfort.

Humanistic Therapy-Everything is Everything

Assume coincidence does not exist, and what occurs in session is not an isolated, one-time event, but instead the client's way of being. For example, if the client confuses appointment times, the therapist can assume this is a behavior that occurs in other relationships and explore this at an appropriate time the therapist and client can explore thoughts and feelings about this way of being, the meaning made from it, or if change is desired, start a deeper discussion on how the client conducts life in general.

Adlerian Therapy-Exploration of Social Dynamics

At the core, the therapist believes the client's issues are primarily social in nature.

Brief Therapy-Present and Future - Focus Questions vs. Past Orientation Focus

Brief therapy maintains a future focus, always leading the client to the present moment and the future, remaining in the solution, and moving toward success, such as asking, "What will you do this week that will demonstrate you are making progress?"

Reality Therapy-Paradox

Cautioning the client to not follow through or encouraging the opposite behavior may be indicated to lower resistance. If a client does not elect to follow through on a goal or intervention, the therapist might say, "It seems we may have rushed that plan. You are not ready for that, but it is still a forward step because we know other issues need to be addressed first."

Humanistic Therapy-Emphasis on Intention and/or Resistance

Emphasis on Intention and/or Resistance With most client actions, you can focus attention on the intention or resistance toward wholeness, or both depending on the situation and current status of the therapeutic relationship. For example, if the client focuses on his anxiety, the therapist can focus on how that keeps him from engaging in more productive pursuits and in living a more inhibited life. On the contrary, the therapist could focus upon the client's tenaciously focusing on his health concern, and explore what would happen if he used that same intensity and strength in more productive ways. The therapist could ask about how he would be and what his life would look like, if he experiences his own tenacity and strength and if he can describe his tenacity and strength.

Narrative Therapy-Letters, Definitional Ceremonies, Reflection

Encouragement is needed by people in the larger community system to validate the new positive story line. Family members, the therapist, a support group, and trusted others can listen and speak openly (or write) to the client(s) about their perspective of how they view the new narrative coming and being alive in the client's life.

REBT-Shame Attacking

Expose the client to the fear of shame by acting in a way that anticipates disapproval while engaging cognitive, behavioral, and emotional coping skills. For example, have the client put on a jacket and misalign the buttons or switch his/or her shoes to the wrong feet then walk around the building for a few minutes while disputing the shame-induced thinking.

Reality Therapy-Humor

Humor is spontaneous, idiosyncratic, and only occurs in the here-and-now, so it is a natural fit for Reality Therapy. Therapists can engage friendly involvement with the client by laughing at themselves, modeling clients to do the same.

Brief Therapy-Looking for Exceptions

In evaluating the problem, there may not be previous solutions that have worked, but there may be an event or moment in which the issue was less of an issue. This technique seeks to find strengths and alternative experiences to build upon.

Adlerian Therapy-Exploration of the family constellation

In this theory, birth order, sibling interaction, parent interactions and the client's sense of their psychological position in the family are important to enhance insight about how the client has selected life-style. Family constellation is not limited to the immediate family, but rather to those present at home during the formative time of the client.In this theory, birth order, sibling interaction, parent interactions and the client's sense of their psychological position in the family are important to enhance insight about how the client has selected life-style. Family constellation is not limited to the immediate family, but rather to those present at home during the formative time of the client.

Play Therapy-Visualization

Many uses are available to this technique, with the purpose being to engage the imagination where there are no barriers to reality, allowing the client to alter his/or her view of problems, consider strengths, or reconsider expectations about others. For example, a client may be invited to imagine that he/or she is camping in the woods in any structure he/or she likes (i.e. a sleeping bag in the open air, pup tent, large tent, cabin, cave) when a terrible storm begins the client is asked what happens to him/or her and to draw a picture of himself/or herself before, during, and after the storm is over.

Narrative Therapy-Narration of a New Story

Once the problem is deconstructed and unique outcomes are realized, it is important that new solutions are identified and integrated as the individual or family moves forward. The client or client system needs a new positive story line in place that replaces the initial one presented when the client or client system entered treatment.

Jungian Therapy-Active Imagination

One identifies an entity (i.e. shadow figure, anima, maternal figure, male), through a dream or other scene, and activates attention to the figure through meditation. The client is invited to enter the scene and dialogue with the entity, usually one that has qualities opposite the ego, thereby accessing rejected elements and availing them to the conscious mind. This may be done in writing, art, sculpting, dance, or other medium.

Transactional Analysis Therapy-Empty Chair

The Empty Chair is used to represent the various ego states, with the client playing out the various states (Parent, Adult, and Child).

Gestalt Therapy-Rehearsal Exercise

The client will rehearse out loud with the therapist a specific task or dialogue. The client provides direction, and the work in the moment allows for mastery and building of confidence, eliminating the past feelings brought to present, thus allowing the future to unfold as the client desires.

Gestalt Therapy-Empty Chair

The client addresses an empty chair as if another person (typically someone significant to them) or aspect of themselves (i.e. feeling, personality element) were present. A role-playing format ensues allowing exploration of the self. The client may assume more than one role and may move back and forth between chairs, depending on the issue, situation, and context.

CBT-Behavioral Experiments

The client experiments with experiencing, reflecting, observing, planning, testing thoughts, and discovery to target specific thoughts or behaviors under consideration for change or challenge.

CBT-Behavioral Rehearsal and Role-Playing

The client imagines a target situation, and the therapist guides the client through a step-by-step process of successfully coping with the situation. The client then practices the steps in a mental rehearsal' in a variety of ways.

Narrative Therapy-Externalization Technique

The client is asked to add a preposition to the behavior or characteristic he/or she desires to change. For example, instead of "I am anxious," the client is encouraged to say, "I am currently living with anxiety," which is followed by the therapist asking, "when did you discover anxiety first entering your life?"

Solution Focused Therapy-Scaling Question

The client is asked to assign a number, typically on a scale of 0 to 10, to help measure abstract concepts like self-esteem, self-confidence, or willingness to change, as well as to help set goals, measure progress, and identify resources (i.e. "Raise mood to a 7 on the weekends", "Decrease anxiety by 3 points", "What would help raise the scale one point?")

Behavioral Therapy-Biofeedback

The client is given feedback about what brain waves, sympathetic nervous system (i.e. heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension) are doing to engage a relaxation response by the client through providing feedback to the client through visual or auditory means.

Adlerian Therapy-Task-Setting

The client is given various tasks in their lives to assume responsibility for their own lives. Adler advised a client that he could be free of depression in 2 weeks if he followed the specific task plan of thinking daily of how to please another, with all of Adler's efforts aimed toward increasing the client's social interests.

Feminist-Relabeling

The client is to alter the evaluation or label given to a behavioral characteristic from a negative to a positive. For example: Jane begins to speak about herself as a strong, healthy woman with a great smile rather than inadequate in another way because she is not society's definition of "thin."

Play Therapy-Music

The client may be asked to bring in music that is meaningful, listen to it with the therapist, talk about the thoughts and feelings generated, and discuss how cognitions and emotions impact/and are impacted by the client's current circumstances. The client could also write a song.

REBT-Homework

The client must use what he/or she learns in sessions to find success. Sessions are viewed as training sessions. Homework is designed to try out new skills and to do self-analysis on beliefs and affective responses in context of the client's life. Worksheets are given to assist the client in analyzing activating events, consequences, beliefs, new preferred way to feel or behave, and disputing rational beliefs and further actions needed to fall into the same irrational beliefs.

Behavioral Therapy-Problem Identification and Assessment

The initial task is to have a clear understanding of the presenting problem, including initial occurrence, frequency, and severity. The therapist also needs information on what has been attempted to address the issue thus far, as well as any client thoughts about the problem.

General Systems Theory-Reframing

The issue or problem is removed from the identified client and assigned as a family issue and becomes the focal point of the intervention.

Emotionally Focused Therapy-Reframing the Problem

The problem is reframed into a cycle, so the players are no longer victims of the situation, but rather they are on the same side looking into the cycle.

Existential Therapy-Relationship

The role of the psychotherapist is primary in the therapy. Authentic integration of the interpersonal tensions is addressed through the primacy of experience, specifically by the therapist not manipulating the client by offering how to adjust, overcome culture, or otherwise adapt, which would deprive the client of genuine growth. Rather, the role is to guide through demonstration, to be a humble model of what is possible, and provide a sense of assurance that the quest the client seeks is worthwhile.

Person-Centered Therapy-Unconditional Positive Regard

The therapist accepts the client without judgment. The therapeutic relationship is primary. To accomplish this task, the therapist must listen without interrupting, listen actively, and avoid giving advice.

Person-Centered Therapy-Congruence

The therapist acts as a role model for the client, and models the human struggle toward greater realness and a space in which the "real" self and "ideal" self are the same.

REBT-Devil's Advocate

The therapist adopts the client's belief and adamantly argues for the position while the client works to convince the therapist why the belief is dysfunctional. It is most useful when the client can see that his/or her position is irrational, but is struggling with understanding.

Behavioral Therapy-Hypothesis Testing

The therapist and client identify an issue and set up an experiment to test the situation, as exceptions to the hypothesis nullify the hypothesis. For example, if an individual believes they are unlovable and will always be rejected, the individual is encouraged to go out and speak with people, after being given specific skills and tools for coping with stressful situations.

Reality Therapy-Metaphors

When a client speaks in metaphors, the therapist may choose to respond to the metaphor rather than the apparent content.

Behavioral Therapy-Diversion

When anxious, a classic technique is to help divert one's attention from anxiety, both in the short -term and in the long-term. Longer term examples are things like physical activity and hobbies, and shorter term examples are focusing on the immediate worlds around you (counting the bricks in the wall, looking for individuals wearing green or with red hair, inventing stories about the people around you), or working a puzzle.

Strategic Therapy-Restraining Technique/"One Down" Position

When the client begins to explain that he/or she cannot engage a new skill or behavior due to anxiety or other excuse, encourage the client to not do too much too soon, that clearly he/or she has only enough strength to show up for therapy.

REBT-Double-Standard Dispute

When the client is self-downing or holding a 'should' statement about his/or her own behavior, ask whether the client would hold another person (e.g. best friend, sister) to the same standard or label for doing the same thing, or recommend that the client hold the demanding belief for that person.

Person-Centered Therapy-Active Listening

When the client makes a statement, rephrase it back. This can be done verbatim, to ask for additional information, or clarify the emotional state. For example: Joan says, "I had an argument with my mom and we haven't spoken in two weeks." The therapist replies, "You had an argument and you guys are not talking." Joan says, "Yes, we fought because I want her to come to my house for Thanksgiving, but she says it is just much better at her house because it's always been there. I was angry when it happened, but now I feel almost sad because things are changing for her since dad died." The therapist says, "You were arguing about how to spend the time together as a family, but now with some thought about what the holiday has always meant to your mom, you feel sad."

CBT-Problem Solving

With this technique, the counselor teaches the client problem-solving skills, and an identified problem (described in clear, concrete, goal-oriented terms) is explored by generating solutions to the situation, evaluating each potential alternative for short and long-term consequences, and finally selecting a course of action and following up on that course of action after implementation.