Theoretical Foundations

Introduction

A theoretical foundation informs a consultant’s professional worldview and can significantly influence the practice and choice of techniques.

The forms of service and interactions that have been grouped under the umbrella of “consultation” are many and extremely varied. Professionals have used the term consultation for numerous roles and relationships, frequently blurring the boundaries between consulting and other activities. Often, the difficulty in establishing a common definition is due to the various elements that practitioners and theorists choose to emphasize. In addition, the lack of clarity or consensus regarding the definition is attributable to the specific theoretical model used to define consultation, which can include behavioral, mental health, or organizational development. The term theory may be used imprecisely even in the scholarly literature. Sometimes, it refers to a key or guiding idea; at other times theory replaces the word method. However, as scholar-practitioners in this course, we use the word theory for ideas with a strong grounding in empirical literature.

For our purposes, here are some distinctions among an approach, a method, and a theory:

• An approach is an overall way of addressing something. It represents a broad, overarching way of looking at and addressing a set of circumstances.
• A method is a set of procedures or techniques used for a consultation.
• A theory is an explanation for a phenomenon or process that has been tested by researchers and shown to have some validity. One or more theories may underpin a single approach.

It is not that there is any one theoretical approach that is right or always better; however, the theoretical foundation that informs a consultant’s professional worldview can greatly influence the practice and techniques employed by a consultant. Consider for a moment a consultant schooled primarily in cognitive-behavioral theoretical approaches and a consultant schooled primarily in positive psychology theoretical approaches. Assume these two consultants were both asked to submit a bid for a prospective consulting client. Presented with the same consulting scenario, these two consultants are likely to suggest very different consulting plans because of their different theoretical orientations.

It is considered a best practice to familiarize oneself with a wide variety of consulting theories, approaches, and methods because this expands your consulting toolbox and allows you to view consulting scenarios from a broader perspective. Another benefit of this expanded toolbox is the flexibility to combine elements of approaches and techniques, tailoring them to a particular client’s needs.

Multiple approaches could work in any consulting situation. You simply must think critically about the pros and cons of each within the context of the consulting scenario at hand. As you explore the basis in evidence for different theories, you may decide to learn more about their associated methods and incorporate them into your own practice. Your ability to determine theoretical underpinnings of the methods you use is important, not only for scholarly writing you might do, but for theory building and future work.

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the following questions and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

• What foundational concepts and theories drive good consultation?
• Which theoretical consultation orientations are you most drawn to? Why?
• Why is it important to understand the theoretical foundations of consultation approaches, models, and techniques?
• How might your consulting practice differ depending on your primary theoretical orientation?

Preparation

Use the case study that you developed as the context for this assessment.

Instructions

Prepare a 79 page paper that meets these requirements:

• Include a synopsis of your case study. Even though you included a summary with your previous assessment paper, in an actual project, you should always provide a synopsis of your consulting project with every deliverable received by the client. For the purpose of this assessment and to mimic real-world expectations, include details about the consulting situation, issues you anticipate addressing, key people involved, and the kinds of behaviors involved in the situation. Be sure to identify the key goal of the potential consultation and the challenges to be addressed.
• Evaluate two theories of psychological consultation (from the list provided) that can be used in your case study scenario:
• What does each theory posit? Provide an analysis of each theory by including key points about the theories, the primary theorists, and the strengths and limitationsin the general sense and specifically to your case study.
• How can the theories be used in your consultation setting? Provide evidence via case studies, your own experiences, scholarly literature, and so forth, to support your claim about the theories.
• What are their differences and similarities? How can they complement each other?
• Synthesize the most effective concepts and practices from the two theories into an approach for use in your case-study scenario.
• What are the best aspects of each theory that you will synthesize?
• What evidence did you find to support your synthesis and approach?
• Formulate a set of guidelines that can be used in your case study scenario.
• How will you integrate the theories as a model for your proposed work with the client?

Requirements

Be sure to cite peer-reviewed journal articles in support of your analysis, synthesis, and formulation of the guidelines. Additionally, incorporate your own research of scholarly literature, experiences, and concrete examples to clearly show your understanding of these theories and how they can be used by consultants in a consulting setting.

Use the following subheadings in your paper and format your subheadings in APA style:

• Subheading 1 Case Study.
• Subheading 2 Consulting Theories and Their Basis in Evidence.
• Subheading 3 Synthesis of Consulting Theories.
• Subheading 4 Consulting Guidelines.
• Subheading 5 References.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current edition APA style and formatting guidelines.
• References: At least seven scholarly resources, which should be peer-reviewed journal articles or other scholarly articles written within the past five years.
• Length of paper: Approximately 2,000 words or about 79 typed, double-spaced pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 points.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Evaluate the relevance and applicability of current theories of psychological consultation.
• Evaluate two provided theories that can be used in a case study scenario.
• Competency 2: Apply appropriate models and phases of psychological consultation to specific contexts.
• Synthesize the most effective concepts and practices from the two theories into an approach that can be used in a case study scenario.
• Formulate a set of guidelines that can be used in a case study scenario.
• Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions.
• Use grammar, punctuation, and mechanics expected of graduate-level composition and expression.
• Use current APA format and style.