Filipino Counselors' Personal Guiding Theory of Counseling

Personal guiding theory of counseling is the counselor's foundational philosophy of how people grow, change and develop that assist counselor in their counseling practice (Barth, 2015). This qualitative research study through a case study method aimed to explore the Filipino counselors' personal guiding theory of counseling. A total of 10 counselor participants from different schools and universities from Metro Manila were recruited through a purposive sampling technique to determine what personal guiding theory of counseling do Filipino counselors hold and how it is manifested to their practice in the (1) choice and use of couneling approaches and techniques, (2) counselor-client relationship and (3) counseling plan. The data gathered from the participants were carefully transcribed, analyzed and interpreted. The results showed that counselor-participants still anchored their personal guiding theory of counseling on a Western perspective that centers on the belief that individuals can learn and are capable of solving their difficulties and make good decisions in life, are good, are unique, and are driven by their needs. The counselor-participants' personal guiding theory of counseling assisted them to choose and use counseling approaches and techniques, establish relationship with clients and create a counseling plan. Implications and recommendations in theory, training, and practice in the counseling profession were given and discussed.