In the middle 1950’s he came up with his approach, which was called Rational Therapy, which then at a later date became know as Rational Emotive Therapy. Finally in 1993 Ellis recognised that behaviour was a strong element of his approach as well as emotions and cognitions and the name of this got changed once again to REBT1, this is how we know it today.
In the hand out on Counselling Skills for Professionals, Nelson-Jones (1995) stated that Ellis’s theoretical assumptions of REBT1 recognises that humans seek pleasure and what brings happiness varies from one to another. People tend to hardly ever act or feel without thinking first. REBT1 places emphasis on the role of cognition, rational and irrational tendencies are also apparent.
“In Ellis’ terms, rational means feeling, thinking and behaving in ways which help a person to achieve their goals (personal fulfilment) and irrational means feeling, thinking and behaving in ways which frustrate or prevent a person from achieving their goals.”
(Counselling Skills for Professionals – Advanced Level Pg 2.46)
The handout goes on to summarise that rational beliefs are expressed as wants, desires or preferences based in reality. Feelings like this are healthy and ok as they do not get in the way of the pursuit of pleasure. Where as irrational beliefs are normally expressed as demands such as the words ‘must’ and ‘should’ etc. This belief is sometimes rigid, unrealistic and can be self-defeating. Feeling like this result in negative emotions such as depression, guilt or anger and could result in self-defeating behaviour and actions as well as stopping them from achieving and pursuing their goals.
As humans we have a inclination to personalise events that happen in our lives, as well as generalising our experience from a particular event. It is these tendencies, which causes ‘disturbance’ within our lives. In Ellis’s theories he believed that there was a potential to bring about change in irrational thinking and recognised that individuals can develop and practice their capacity for rational choice.
REBT1 is a practical, acton-oriented approach in order to help cope with problems and enhance the client’s growth. The goal of this therapy is to help the client recognise the irrational thoughts that lead to unhealthy emotions and to learn and develop new more rational thought patterns that will lead to healthier emotions.
Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis (TA2) is claimed to be: -
“a theory of personality and a systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and personal change”
(Stewart & Joines, 1987, Pg 3)
Stewart & Joines (1987) states that TA2 attempts to give a picture of how people are structured psychologically. This helps to understand how people function throughout their lives, and how they express their personality in terms of behaviour. Taking in to account the theory of communication and of child development. It explains how present life patterns have originated from childhood, and shows how we can re-play childhood strategies in our life.
“In the area of practical applications, TA does indeed offer us a system of psychopathology. It is used in the treatment of all types of psychological disorders, from everyday living problems to severe psychosis. It provides a method of therapy for use with individuals, groups, couples and families.”
(Stewart & Joines, 1987, Pg 3)
The ego state This is a set of related behaviours, such as thoughts and feelings, which presents itself as part of our personality at a given time. There are three stages of the ego- state, which are Parent, Adult and Child. The ego model is alternatively known as P-A-C model. The process of analysing terms of ego-state is known as structural analysis.
Parent ego-state
Behaviours, thoughts and feelings copied from parents or parent figures
Adult ego-state
Behaviours, thoughts and feelings which are direct responses to the here and now
Child ego-state
Behaviours, thoughts and feelings replayed from childhood
(Stewart & Joines, 1987, Pg12)
Transactions When talking to someone you can be in any of the ego states, when the person replies again they can do so from any ego state, this is then known as transaction. The act of recognition is called a stroke. All people need strokes to maintain their physical and psychological well being.
Strokes A stroke is defined as a unit of recognition. Different strokes are: -
- Verbal or non-verbal – ‘greeting or a wave’
- Positive or negative – ‘pleasant or painful’
- Conditional or unconditional – ‘’what you do or what you are’ – this stroke is made up of four conditions such as: -
- Positive conditional ie ‘that’s a good work’
- Positive unconditional ie ‘glad you are here’
- Negative conditional ie ‘I don’t like that work’
- Negative unconditional ie ‘I don’t like you’
Children test out behaviours in order to find out which gives them the attention they want. Therefore when certain behaviour give them the stroke (attention) they want they are likely to repeat that behaviour getting further strokes and will recognise that this type of behaviour will get them the attention they want.
Throughout our lives we need strokes to enable us to function. Therefore any kind of stroke is better than none. If enough positive strokes are not given to fulfil needs then negative ones will be sort out. If more negative strokes are given in child state then as that child grows up then they will only react on the negative strokes, thus behave in accordance to receive these. In the theory of TA2 this helps us to understand behaviour-patterns. In understanding this we are able to try to change the stroke we give developing more from a negative aspect to the positive one.
In understanding strokes we need to recognise the individuals and take into account their stroke filter.
“When someone gets a stroke that doesn’t fit in with her preferred stroke quotient, she is likely to ignore it or belittle it.”
(Stewart & Joines, 1987, Pg 76)
The way in which people receive the stroke you give them can be an indication as to how they value the stroke by their body language and reactions.
Rackets and stamps In families certain feelings are encouraged while others are prohibited. To get strokes there is a tendency to feel only the ones permitted, this is usually done without conscious awareness. As that person grows up they have a tendency to cover up authentic feelings with the feelings that were allowed as a child, these feelings are know as racket feelings. As we store these feelings then they become stamps on our lives, which sometimes we store up until we have to let them go.
Games A game is a sequence of transactions in which parties involved experience racket feelings. It usually includes a moment when the parties experience that something unexpected and uncomfortable has happened. Some people play games without being aware that they are doing so.
Stewart, Joines and Berne declare in their book that there are different degrees of intensity of games. A first-degree game has the outcome, which the player is willing to share with their social circle. Second-degree games bring heavier outcomes and are not normally made public in the social circle. Finally Third-degree games are ones that are played for keeps and could end up in a form of fatality for the players.
When people start to play games they step into one of three script roles, Persecutor, Rescuer or Victim.
- Persecutor is someone who puts others down
- Rescuer responds by offering help
-
Victim is normally in search or a Persecutor to push them around or a Rescuer to help them
It is important to be aware of the drama triangle and not to take a part, as it can easily be reversed and the Rescuer can become the Victim or the Persecutor within the game.
There are many other different types of theories involved in counselling such as, A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping founded by Gerard Egan and The Gestalt Theory founded by Fritz Perls, to just name a few. It is important that we understand the basics behind all these theories when looking at developing an understanding within our profession as teachers. In the development of our understanding we are able to use some of the basic knowledge to help us to relate to issues and incidents which can develop within the classroom.
The Uses of Counselling Theories within Education
In gaining understanding of counselling theories in the above models, this enables us to put into practice our knowledge to benefit our students and other members of the staff within our profession of a teacher by recognising some of the issues raised.
The theory of Person-Centred Counselling is important within the teaching profession by ensuring that the classes we teach develop a safe growth environment for the student in the form of encouragement and gently delivery of the taught subject. It is also important to build up a trust between student to teacher as well as student to student. In doing this the student is able to understand capabilities and take control of their learning, encouraging them to want to develop their knowledge and understand more, thus making them become a self functioning person able to cope in the working environment when the time comes.
REBT1 is apparent within the teaching profession by encouraging rational feelings by encouraging and praising the students’ abilities to help them to want to achieve there goals of completing successfully the qualification and discourage irrational feeling by building on what a student can do and develop their understanding from there. In regards to students on foundation courses we need to understand that they might have had bad experiences of education within school, from possibly bullying to lack of encouragement and understanding. It is important to make these student understand that they have the ability to learn and gain knowledge, if they want to, but only they can decide to want to achieve their goals. Therefore it is important that we take this in to consideration when setting targets and aims, that we give them the knowledge to make them achievable. This will build up confidence and enable them to want to move forward and develop their lives.
Although all the theories covered are important I feel that TA2 can play a large part within developing the use of counselling models within the educational system.
‘TA is used in educational settings. It helps teachers and learners to stay in clear communication and avoid setting up unproductive confrontations. It is particularly suitable for use in counselling…..TA can be used in any field where there is a need for understanding of individuals, relationships and communication.’
(Stewart & Joines, 1987, Pg 3)
What is important in the teaching profession is that we can control and recognise the ego-state we are in and also that of our students. We need to be aware that we should not always talk down to them from Parent to Child, but respect them and respond in a Adult to Adult state, where appropriate.
Another important factor to consider is that students from a low achieving background in education sometimes suffer from behaviour problem. This could have developed from the expectation of receiving attention in the form of negative strokes given when behaving badly as a child or at school. In recognising some of these aspect in our students we need to enhance positive strokes by praising them and giving them positive feedback, but also being honest without deflating their ego. In doing this we may be able to turn them round from wanting and desiring negative stroke to positive one’s. This is important if we are to build up their self-esteem. There is a need to recognise our students and take into account their stroke filter.
Another aspect in TA2 that goes on within the educational sector is the game that students can try to play with the teacher. Some of the game that teacher can get involve with and need to recognise are: -
Yes, But A student who is playing the Yes, But game does so to maintain a position such as “nobody’s going to tell me what to do” or “people are stupid”.
Eric Berne wrote in his book ‘Games People Play’ that the ‘Yes But’ game holds a special place in game analysis he wrote: -
“It was the first game to be dissected out of its social context, and since it is the oldest subject of game analysis, it is one of the best understood. It is also the game most commonly played”
(Berne, 1968, Pg101)
This is one of the most common games played by student as they use it to find all sorts of excuses as to why they have not done their work, can not do their work or have not been able to handed in their assignment. No matter what solution you are able to come up with they can find another ‘Yes But’.
Wooden Leg A student who is playing this game will try to play on pity – for example “surely you can’t expect much from me when I have such a handicap”
See how hard I tried This is another common game played with students as well as work colleagues. The person playing this game may in class work hard and volunteer to do task, show every one that they are working hard to complete all the work and they know what they are doing. Then on the day they have to produce the work go off sick. They think that this is ok because they have tried hard and proved to everyone that they can do it but unfortunately its not their fault that they can not complete because they are sick. This in normally very apparent with student that are struggling with the work it is a way of trying to keep face with the teachers and others in the peer group.
Harried This is common within teaches and students. It is someone who says yes to everything, volunteers to go to work early and leave late, works at weekends and takes work home to finish. For a period of time this act can be carried out. After a time the load begins to show and the person is unable to finish work and their physical and mental health starts to deteriorate until they finally collapse and are unable to function.
The game of Harried is one as teachers we need to be aware of for we all do extra work in order to maintain the professionalism of our job and achieve our goal as well as helping our students. We understand the importance of keeping abreast with the new technology, teaching methods and styles in order to stay one step ahead. What also we need to understand is the constraints that the educational system and organisation puts upon us and realise that we are only able to do so much in a given time.
There are many other games played within the educational system not only from student but managers and other work colleagues, such as Lunch Bag, Kick Me, I’m only trying to help, and as teachers we might want to play the game of blemish with other work colleagues.
Not only is it important to recognise when we are involved in a game, but also that we understand how to break out of it. The first step is to recognise that we are in a game and try to understand why it is being played. Then take responsibilities for the part you are playing and make it clear that you intend to stop playing. It is important that we avoid taking a particular role such as Victim, Rescuer or Persecutor and where possible use humour to close the game down ensuring that the receiver is given positive strokes rather than negative ones. Berne (1968) states that, games are foiled by refusing to play the expected hand, or give the payoff wanted by the other party.
Conclusion
By developing our understanding we are able to fully listen and understand the needs of our students from reading their body language to how they behave in class. In studying this module I have understood the importance of really listening to what is going on and what student are trying to say in their own ways, but also recognise that there are many constraints that run along side our lives both personal and professional.
Although we need to take these issues and theories in to consideration within our profession, it is also important that we understand the constraints placed upon us. Therefore we need to consider when a student asks if they can talk to us, the location that would best meet the needs of the student, ie is the matter they wish to discuss private, if so is there an appropriate place to go. It is also important that we know when to refer the student on to someone more qualified to help with the situation.
As teachers we are always busy from preparing our lessons to getting to the next class on time, thus timing can also appear be a constraint and boundary, which would need to be addressed. Other boundaries that could stop us listening properly are, our own agendas and problems, differences and personal feelings, hunger, temperature, noise and the different barrier to good listening that could arise. All these issues would need to be addressed and eliminated if we were to listen properly and hear fully what the student wanted to tell us.
As we live and work within a multinational environment it is also important that we understand our student culture and their way of life as well as there needs. With the development of integration of student with extra learning need it is important that we understand the difficulties and problems they have, so that we are able to adapt our teaching to meet their requirements without singling them out within the group.
We may have a tendency to look at a deaf person and think of them as just not being able to hear, but other issues need to be considered. For example deaf people also have difficulty in understanding and reading. This was brought to my attention when a deaf student enrolled within my class. I had to be aware of issues such as where I stood when giving instructions and directions to the group as well as the language I used within the handouts, these were thing that I never had thought about in the past. As a result of this I tend to use my hands a lot when talking, this I have found help the student to understand what I am trying to tell them. When the student speaks to me I have to listen very carefully to understand. This has become easier as the class has developed and my knowledge of his disability with it.
As a teacher I believe that all my students have the ability to achieve their full potential no matter who they are, where they are from or what disabilities they have, this is encouraged within all my classes and on an individual basis.
Through the development of the knowledge gained in this unit I have been able to recognise issues and understand these by developing the theories learnt within my teaching and professional position within the education sector. This has helped me to advance my abilities to listen to what is going on and understand how some of my student feel, act and behave. I am now able to understand when people are trying to involve me in their games and have the ability and knowledge to stop them. This I hope in the long run will reflect on the student, enabling them to progress and develop to achieve their goal in life and become a full functional person in society.
“Helping relationships are influenced by whether the helper is a trained counsellor or is using counselling skills as part of performing another role. Helping relationships take place in the head and in the heart as well as face to face. Ultimately all helping relationships need to become client self helping relationships.”
(Nelson-Jones, 1999, Pg 118)
This relates to the teaching profession fully as we can only try to help guide and assist the student by learning to understand them, but if they do not want to progress and learn there will be nothing we can do to make them. We just have to be there to guide them and hope that they want to help themselves just as much.
1 Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
2 Transactional Analysis
