Effects of holistic counseling on the well-being of asthmatic clients

• Main Author: Harrow, Carmel Espero
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1989
• Subjects: Rehabilitation counseling; Holistic medicine; Asthmatics > Rehabilitation; Asthmatics > Counseling of; Counseling; Counseling Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/653
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study tries to find out the extent of change that can be brought about by holistic counseling during and after the counseling process. The study used an idiographic design (N=1) using 3 groups of nine cases using different modalities namely: holistic counseling and medication for group one, counseling only for group two and medication only for group three. The third group was considered wait-listed, which was given holistic counseling at a later date. Since the study used an idiographic design, in-depth description of the counseling process was done for each case using a pretest and posttest treatment of a data gathered from the following instruments: Physical symptom FID rating scale, Sacks sentence completion test, Current thought questionnaire, MMPI hypochondriasis, socio-introversion, emotionality, hostility scales, and tape recorded interviews. The study showed that the following are true for those who completed the therapy: 1) The holistic counseling process brought about positive changes in the clients 2) Their Physical Symptom FID Rating Scales in Frequency, Intensity, and Duration (FID) decreased, but did not reach the minimum target of 1 in the rating scale 3) The self-statements or self-talks of clients were changed to positive 4) The MMPI Emotionality Scale score of one subject decreased but did not reach the target minimum between 40 to 60 T-scores. While another client reported an extinction of emotional outbursts when the environmental conditions were modified. 5) MMPI Socio-introversion Scale score of one subject had a functional level at start of counseling and still maintained it after while another subject had a T-score of 75 at the outset of counseling and decreased to 70 T-score after counseling but which score did not reach the desired functional between 40 to 60 T-scores 6) Subjects realized during counseling that they themselves were responsible in bringing about their asthma attacks and, 7) The subjects gave their commitments to change their nonfunctional behaviors by doing their assignments in between counseling sessions. Conclusions drawn from the study were: 1) Full commitment as regards to time and assignment should be given by client and cooperation from persons in client's life be offered for a client to benefit from holistis counseling. 2) Every client has his own maximum and minimum levels of frequency, intensity and duration of physical symptoms, dependent on the extent of his malady. Therefore, target minimum changes should vary for each one. 3) Self-statements of subjects clearly influenced their actuations and well-being, for once the self-statements were changed to positive, other domains showed improvement. 4) Emotional domain is considered an important domain in analyzing the onset of asthmatic condition and an equally important domain to heal in order to effect well-being of clients. 5) Modification of environmental contingencies and client's open communication with significant people in their lives proved as effective means in improving quality of life. 6) Holistic counseling holds promise as an effective therapy in bringing about well-being in asthma clients.