child and adolescent counseling chapter 1

Chapter ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to: •Discuss the state of children in the United States •Explain indicators of well-being •Outline the history of childre

Chapter 1

Introduction to a Child's

World

The honor of one is the honor of all

The hurt of one is the hurt of all

Creek Indian Creed

Chapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

•Discuss the state of children in the United States

•Explain indicators of well-being

•Outline the history of children’s rights

•Describe resilience

•List causes of children’s problems

•Define counseling and its possibilities

Children's Defense Fund

Calls for adults to leave no child behind by working to ensure

• Children as servants

• Childhood as a special part of life

• 18th century brought attention to mental health concerns

• Child labor laws and required schooling

• Dorothea Dix, Sigmund Freud ,Anna Freud

• In re Gault

What causes children's problems?

A changing world

•The American home

•Societal crises

•Changing values

A Changing World

The American Home

• Needed: warm, loving, stable home

• Varied family constellations

• Complex responsibilities of parents

• Less constructive parent-child time

A Changing World

Societal Crises

• Conflict-ridden society

• Tension, war, terrorism

• Poverty, job market

• Multiple risks factors = most vulnerable

• Most significant indicators of poor long-term outcomes:

o Not living with both parents

o Household headed by high school dropout

o Family income below poverty level

o Parents without steady job

o Family receiving welfare benefits

o No health insurance

World Initiative

Children are individuals.

They start life as totally dependent beings.

The actions, or inactions, of government impact children more strongly than any other group in society.

Children's views are rarely heard and rarely considered in the

political process yet many changes in society are having a

disproportionate, and often negative, impact on children

The healthy development of children is crucial to the future being of any society

well-Indicators of Well-Being

1 Continuing, nurturing relationships

2 Physical protection and safety with regulations to

safeguard those needs

3 Experiences tailored to individual differences for each

child’s optimal development

4 Developmentally appropriate opportunities as building

blocks for cognitive, motor, language, emotional, and social skills

5 Adults who set limits, provide structure, and guide by

having appropriate expectations

6 A community that is stable, supportive, and consistent

“What began as a quest to understand the extraordinary has revealed the power of the ordinary Resilience does not come from rare and special qualities, but from the everyday magic of ordinary,

normative human resources in the

minds, brains, and bodies of children, in their families and relationships, and in

Community Services

• Preventive

• Supportive

• Rehabilitative

Counseling versus Psychotherapy

Counseling is more for:

• Clients

• Mild Disorders

o Personal, social, vocational, educational, and decision-making problems

o Preventive and developmental concerns

o Educational and developmental settings

o Conscious concerns

o Teaching Methods

Counseling versus Psychotherapy

What is counseling?

The Practice of Professional Counseling:

The application of mental health,

psychological or human development

principles, through cognitive, affective, behavioral, or systemic intervention

strategies, that address wellness,

personal growth, or career development

as well as pathology.

• Counseling involves a relationship between two people so that one person can help the other resolve a problem.

• Counseling can work to create a healthy

environment

• Counseling can work to prevent “normal”

problems from becoming more serious

problems.

Counseling Process

• The client’s thoughts and feelings

about life at present

• Where the client would like to be in life

• Plans to reduce any discrepancy

between the first and second area

Categories of Problems

• Interpersonal conflict, or conflict with others

• Intrapersonal conflict, or conflict with self

• Lack of information about self

• Lack of information about the environment

• Lack of skill

Counseling Focus Scale

Finding meaning and purpose in living

No Problem

solving

5 4 3 2 1

-1 -2 -3 -4 -5

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5

Child A

Mental Health Professionals

Variety of professions such as:

• Counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, juvenile justice workers and others

Variety of duties such as:

• Individual counseling, group counseling,

consultation

• Helping with social, developmental, educational

or vocational concerns; collecting and analyzing data, evaluating

Help children by

• Providing comprehensive home- and

community-based services

• Creating family support and partnerships

• Offering culturally competent care and

eliminating disparities in access to resources

• Individualizing care for each child

Help children by

• Using evidence-based practices

• Coordinating services and designating

responsibility for wrap-around care

• Delivering multiple prevention activities for

groups at risk starting in early childhood

• Expanding mental health services in schools