When responding to posts of other learners, please ensure that those responses are substantive. Add to the discussion, offer examples, rather than posting an “I agree” statement. Tell why you agree. Augment your thinking to the critical level. Ask any questions that will help you better understand each post. Make suggestions that will provide food for thought.

Student paper down below:

In terms of the therapeutic aspect within the human services models, they are a variety of approaches that can be applied to assist the client or individual’s needs, while building rapport throughout the therapeutic process. According to Burger (2018), these characteristics, attitudes, and skills have been identified mainly by a humanistic psychologist, who has done a great deal of research on the nature of the helping relationship. The contribution towards specific therapeutic approaches can implement different goals and put emphasis therapeutically on building a rapport between client and therapist.

Giving the opportunity to choose between the two models, I will definitely use the approach of the behavioral and humanistic approach. The behavioral approach is based on the theories of classical and operant conditioning. The premise of these theories is that all behaviors are learned; faulty learning (conditioning) which can be the cause of abnormal behaviors. Therefore, throughout the therapeutic treatments, the client will learn how to implement the correct or acceptable behaviors within situations. One of the important features of the behavioral approach is its focus on the current issues and behaviors being displayed; the attempts to remove inappropriate behaviors the client finds to be disturbing. This approach is in contrast to the psychodynamic therapy, where the primary focus is on trying to uncover unresolved issues that occur from within childhood, that can cause abnormal behaviors.

The humanistic approach I believe is a positive approach to psychotherapy as it focuses on the client’s individual nature, rather than categorizing people with similar characteristics presenting the same issues. The approach views the client holistically, and not from the therapist’s views but from their individual observation of their own behaviors. The emphasis is placed on the client’s positive traits and behaviors, as well as the ability to use their own personal instincts to find growth, healing, and wisdom within themselves. Assessing the humanistic approach, it is more of a talk therapy that encompasses the gestalt approach while exploring how the client if feeling in the here and now moment, rather than exploring previous events that led up to the presenting emotions. In practice both approaches within my area of expertise, I more gravitate to the humanistic approach as it provides an atmosphere of empathy, support, and trust that allows the client to express their feelings within a nonjudgmental zone. This particular approach does not make the therapist act as an authoritative figure, rather, the client and therapist relationship is one of the equals.