Carl Rogers the Ideal Self and Animal Therapy

Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
Part 1: Define and Refine
Evidence-Based Theories
Evidence-based programs are defined as a prevention or treatment practice, that is based on consistent scientific evidence providing proof that the practice improves client/patient outcomes. The practice should be supported by sufficient documentation and peer-reviewed research that shows its effectiveness (Operational Definition for Evidence-Based Practices Addictions and Mental Health Division, 2017).
Programs draw from theory in that the theoretical framework developed by researchers and professionals serve as a set of parameters or guidelines for how to interpret evidence and how to implement the recommendations based on the evidence into one’s practice. Theories serve as the lens through which to look at the evidence. Just as a microscope has a lens and a focus so that one can see all the details of the subject, the theory allows the data to be put into perspective, and that perspective is defined by the theory or theories that are used in the research.
In the field of addiction, there are numerous evidence based theories: behavioral theories, pharmacological theories, psychotherapeutic theories, and so on. Each theory has been tested in research and examined from multiple dimensions. There is not always agreement on theories, as many studies can be contested based on the findings, the way the studies were conducted, how the sample was selected, and what methods of analysis were used. However, the important point when it comes to evidence-based theories is that the findings are consistent and the case can be made over time that the theoretical approach has benefits.
Questions Researchers Asked
One of the big questions researchers ask is how to integrate or implement evidence-based programs into their practices (Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology, 2006). Guidance for practice is typically developed based on evidence from studies that support the findings. Studies can be exploratory or experimental, but when the researcher is seeking to obtain evidence using a test that can be duplicated to verify the results that researcher is focused on contributing to the field’s understanding of the subject so that practice can be influenced and shaped by the evidence.
In the field of addiction, researchers ask, “What strategies or approaches are beneficial for clients or patients suffering from addiction?” For example, one approach that is currently being studied by researchers is animal therapy, wherein a person suffering from substance abuse or addiction is paired with an animal so as to learn what it means to care for another living creature outside oneself. The evidence has shown that animal-assisted therapy can help addicts develop greater self-esteem and learn self-management skills so that they can overcome their addictions (Muela, Balluerka, Amiano,Caldentey &Aliri, 2017). It can be a dog that one takes care of or a horse that one rides at a ranch. The important thing is that there is another living creature that the individual is to some degree responsible for. Without researchers analyzing the effects of the therapy on a representative sample, there would be no evidence to support the practice. But doing the research is the point: it gives the foundation for why the practice should be initiated, what good it can do, and what other therapies it can be coupled with. In the case of animal therapy, researchers recommend that it be used in a facilitative or supporting role, with cognitive behavioral therapy being the main therapeutic approach and pharmacological therapy being used if necessary, depending on the severity of the addiction (Muela et al., 2017).
How the Topic is Reinterpreted from These Theories
The topic of addiction is reinterpreted from the theories used by researchers in the sense that the theories frame the questions, guide the research, and dictate the type of data that is collected. Or the theories will simply be used to interpret the analysis of the data once it is collected. Theories can be applied in research in numerous ways. They can be present from the beginning, shaping the entire research project. Or they can enter in at the end when the data is obtained and ready to be discussed.
When it comes to shaping evidence-based practice, theory is used to create a signpost. As Operational Definition for Evidence-Based Practices Addictions and Mental Health Division (2017) puts it, “Expertise develops from clinical and scientific training, theoretical understanding, experience, self-reflection, knowledge of research, and continuing professional education and training” (p. 276). Theory is necessary for creating the foundation for practice. It determines the extent of the practice, the rationale for the practice, and how the practice should be implemented.
In the field of addiction, treatment and understanding of patients with addiction have been shaped and reinterpreted from the theories of psychotherapy, behaviorism, cognitive therapy, drug therapy, and more. Each theory helps to provide an alternative perspective on how to approach patients. But since no two patients are the same, there is a lot of variation in terms of what approach will work best with what patient and how it should be applied.
References
Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology. (2006). American Psychologist, May-June, 271-285.
Muela, A., Balluerka, N., Amiano, N., Caldentey, M. A., &Aliri, J. (2017). Animal-assisted psychotherapy for young people with behavioural problems in residential care. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 24(6), O1485-O1494. doi:http://fir.tesu.edu:2074/10.1002/cpp.2112
Operational Definition for Evidence-Based Practices Addictions and Mental Health Division. (2017). Week 4 material.
Part 2: Critique Evidence-Based Programs
One study that looks at evidence-based practice in addressing addiction is the study by Kern-Godal, Arnevik, Walderhaug and Ravndal (2015). This study found positive correlation between equine therapy (animal-assisted therapy using horses) and patient commitment to completing substance abuse treatment. Participants who received equine therapy in a complementary role with cognitive therapy went on to have more commitment to completing their drug rehabilitation program overall.
The theoretical framework used in the study consists of a “biopsychosocial model with emphasis on mentalization-based theory and practice” (Kern-Godal et al., 2015, p. 21). This theory is based on the work of Asen and Fonagy, who describe how mentalization along with a biopsychosocial model can help individuals to obtain their best selves. It is a way of working towards self-actualization, similar to the theory of Carl Rogers. Rogers’ theory was that a fully functioning person demonstrates five characteristics: he is open to experience, meaning he welcomes both positive and negative emotions; he avoids prejudging and lives in the present without preconceptions; he trusts his instincts and gut reactions and trusts himself to make the right decisions; he is creative and seeks new experiences; and he is satisfied with life and is always seeking new challenges. Congruence, according to Rogers (1951), is about bringing the self-image into an overlapping position with one’s self-ideal. These may overlap a little in an incongruent state, but the more they overlap the more one’s whole self will be more congruent.
The question asked by Kern-Godal et al. (2015) was what is the impact of horse assisted therapy on the duration and completion of treatment for young substance users. This main question drove the researcher to the theories of Rogers and mentalization because animal assisted therapy is about focusing on how an animal can change the attitudes and mental perspective of the individual who is abusing drugs. By asking how animal assisted therapy could impact the mindset of a person who is addicted to drugs, the theoretical frameworks that could help to answer the question were those of Rogers and mentalization.
Rogers’ theory of congruence was essentially founded on the idea that people need motivation to change their ways. The theoretical framework used for this study is thus the theory of Rogers (1951) regarding the congruent self—the idea that unless the self-image and the self-ideal overlap significantly there will be no congruence within the individual. Individuals lacking congruence cannot become self-actualizing, and individuals who are not self-actualizing will rely upon external motivators to help them achieve success.
Using the theory of Rogers to understand the relationship between external environments and the internal state of mind, the researcher was able to interpret the findings of the study to show how the therapy could effect a change in the person’s manner and mental state. Rogers (1951) stated that “psychological maladjustment…[is the result of a person] denying awareness of significant sensory and visceral experiences” and that “the best vantage point for understanding behavior is from the internal frame of reference of the individual” (p. 495). To fully understand a person, one has to take a person-centered approach. One has to see their self-worth, self-image and self-ideal, and this self was what emerged in the findings with the participants.
The theoretical framework of mentalization also helped the researcher to interpret the findings and shed light on what they could mean. For example, the findings showed that horse assisted therapy helped to complement the work of the counseling that the person was receiving through the program and that the therapy helped the person to stay committed to the program. The therapy produced a mental change in the person and empowered the person to see things from a new perspective.
This shows that theory does play an important role in developing an evidence-based approach to practice. The theory behind animal-assisted therapy could be anything, depending on how the researcher or practitioner wants to look at the data or implement the program. For this study the researchers chose to adopt the framework of Rogers and the theory of mentalization—but they could have selected different theoretical perspectives as well. Maslow’s theory of human motivation could have been adopted or Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions might have introduced new concepts to the issue of animal therapy.
The importance of theory in terms of interpreting the evidence or of justifying a practice thus cannot be understated and should always be examined from the point of view of the participants. They are the ones who are bringing the results to be displayed and their context is what should matter in digesting the content of the study as it is processed, analyzed and provided. The researchers do this by looking at the congruence of the selves of the individuals and finding that animal therapy assists in bringing the ideal self forward.
References
Asen, E. & Fonagy, P (2012) Handbook of Mentalizing in Mental Health Practice. Washington DC.
Kern-Godal, A., Arnevik, E. A., Walderhaug, E., &Ravndal, E. (2015). Substance use disorder treatment retention and completion: a prospective study of horse-assisted therapy (HAT) for young adults. Addiction science & clinical practice, 10(1), 21.
Rogers, C. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy. MA: Riverside Press.