Developmental eclecticism
Developmental eclecticism or systematic eclecticism is an eclectic psychotherapy framework that was developed by Gerard Egan beginning in the 1970s.[1][2][3] It is also referred to as the skilled helper model, after the title of Egan's book The Skilled Helper.[4][5]
Development
[edit]Egan's eclectic model was developed amid the shift in the field of counselling and psychotherapy away from the adherence to distinct schools of therapy and toward an integration of therapies that appear to be universally effective.[6] The framework was also influenced by the works of Carl Rogers and Robert Carkhuff, particularly these authors' theories on person-centered values and principles.[3][4] Egan introduced his approach through the book The Skilled Helper, which was published in 1975.[1] In this book, Egan explained that the framework aims to help clients to: 1) identify and explore problems and opportunities; 2) determine their needs and wants; 3) discover for themselves how to obtain them; and, 4) act based on what they learned.[7]
Model
[edit]Egan's eclectic model was first proposed as a humanistic framework but it increasingly adopted a more action-oriented form of therapy later on.[1] Egan likened the model to the browser in the sense that, like a web browser, it can be used to mine, organize, and evaluate concepts and techniques that work for clients regardless of their background.[7] Its eclectic orientation also means that the framework makes use of techniques regardless of their theoretical origin.[8]
The developmental process involves three stages—exploration, understanding, and action—and each of these entails a set of associated skills.[1] The first stage is focused on the client as the therapist attempts to build a rapport and to understanding the client's experiences and goals in the process.[9] The stage of understanding or interpretation requires the therapist to formulate the problem using techniques such as psychodynamic and cognitive approaches.[9] Finally, the action stage uses behavioral strategies such as homework assignments.[9] Egan's three stages were later renamed: present scenario, preferred scenario, and getting there.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Rollanders, Henry (2003). "The eclectic and integrative approach". In Woolfe, Ray; Dryden, Windy; Strawbridge, Sheelagh (eds.). Handbook of Counselling Psychology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. pp. 277–300 (282). ISBN 978-0-7619-7207-5. OCLC 52594976.
- ^ Sanders, Pete (2011). First Steps in Counselling: A Students' Companion for Introductory Courses. Steps in Counselling Series (4th ed.). Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books. pp. 41, 52. ISBN 9781906254414. OCLC 750165248.
- ^ a b Inskipp, Francesca; Johns, Hazel (1984). "Developmental eclecticism: Egan's skills model of helping". In Dryden, Windy (ed.). Individual Therapy in Britain. London: Harper & Row. pp. 364–389. ISBN 9780063182981. OCLC 12941745.
- ^ a b Wosket, Val (2006). "The skilled helper model". In Feltham, Colin; Horton, Ian (eds.). The Sage Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. pp. 334–337. ISBN 1412902754. OCLC 61879103.
- ^ Jenkins, Peter (2000). "Gerard Egan's skilled helper model". In Woolfe, Ray; Palmer, Stephen (eds.). Integrative and Eclectic Counselling and Psychotherapy. London; Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. pp. 163–180. ISBN 0761957987. OCLC 47217023.
- ^ Wosket, Val (2006). Egan's Skilled Helper Model: Developments and Implications in Counselling. New York: Routledge. p. 1. doi:10.4324/9780203965153. ISBN 978-1-58391-203-4. OCLC 63245357.
- ^ a b Egan, Gerard (2014). The Skilled Helper: A Problem-Management and Opportunity-Development Approach to Helping (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. pp. 22–23, 29–31. ISBN 9781285065717. OCLC 847245712.
- ^ Lindsay, Trevor (2013). "Bringing it all together: integrative and eclectic models". In Lindsay, Trevor (ed.). Social Work Intervention. Transforming Social Work Practice (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Learning Matters, SAGE Publications. pp. 185–193. ISBN 978-1-4462-6664-9. OCLC 821700455.
- ^ a b c Joseph, Stephen (2010). Theories of Counselling and Psychotherapy: An Introduction to the Different Approaches (2nd ed.). London: Red Globe Press, Palgrave Macmillan. p. 153. ISBN 9780230576377. OCLC 473445904.