Learning Styles, The Brain,

and Why Creative

Counseling Matters
THE IMPORTANCE OF AN IMPACT THERAPY APPROACH WITH CLIENTS
WILSON R. HARVEY & EMILY G. MCCREARY
Who We Are, And Why We Care

 Wilson R. Harvey – second year M.A. student at WVU in School Counseling

program (undergraduate degree in Secondary Education)
 Emily G. McCreary – second year M.A. student at WVU in Clinical Mental
Health Counseling program (undergraduate degree in Psychology;
applying for PhD programs in Counselor Education)
 We both have a passion for counseling and for education
 We feel it’s imperative to know how people learn if we are going to help
them change
 We’ve seen time and again the effectiveness of what we will show today
Learning Styles – What Are Those?!

 Hugely popular movement in education

 The idea that everyone has a unique way in which they best learn
 Anywhere from seven styles (Learning-styles-online.com, 2018) to a
traditional four (Chick, 2018); at least 71 different learning-style instruments
documented in education literature (Yale Center for Teaching and
Learning, 2018)
 Some of the commonly noted styles include visual/spatial,
auditory/musical, verbal/linguistic, physical/kinesthetic,
logical/mathematical, social/interpersonal, and solitary/intrapersonal
 Can have multiple styles to varying levels
Small Group Discussion

 Groups of 3-5
 Discuss:
- How much did you already know about learning styles?
- Which style do you think you most identify with?
- Do you think learning styles make sense? Why or why not?
The Learning Style Conundrum

 How popular? “… as late as 2014, more than 90 percent of teachers in

various countries believed it” (Khazan, 2018)
 Many research studies even speak positively about it – before they
discredit it (Khazan, 2018)
 Despite hundreds of studies, research has shown virtually no evidence that
learning styles are real or helpful for individuals (Yale Center for Teaching
and Learning, 2018; Khazan, 2018; Chick, 2018)
 But still, many teachers we know swear by them – beginning of the year
surveys example
The Learning Style Conundrum
(cont…)

 Take a moment to discuss, with the person or people next to you, why you
think learning styles are so popular, even without research backing
The Learning Style Conundrum
(cont…)

 In using learning styles, possible that teachers stumbled upon a magnificent

truth – and this is where the application for counselors comes in
 Though learning styles aren’t empirically valid, the use of variety in learning is –
and teachers learned to teach all kinds of different ways to meet styles
 “Multiple modalities can assist all students regardless of proposed learning style:
research shows, for instance, that students learn more deeply from words and
visuals than from words alone” (Yale Center for Teaching and Learning, 2018)
 “’Everyone is able to think in words, everyone is able to think in mental images.
It’s much better to think of everyone having a toolbox of ways to think, and
think to yourself, which tool is best?’” - Daniel Willingham, University of Virginia
(Khazan, 2018)
Why This Matters For Counselors in
Individual Sessions

 Need for multiple tools in your toolbox

 Need for change – to “vary the format”
 Talk-listen can be effective in doses – power of venting – but only so long
as the client is engaged
 Different concepts can be more effectively presented in certain modes,
even though there aren’t individual styles
 The power of soundbytes
Impact Therapy – A Multi-Sensory,
Creative Approach

 The core of Impact Therapy (Jacobs & Schimmel, 2012) is its multi-sensory
approach
 Meant to keep clients/students engaged
 Use props, movement, chairs, music, metaphor, etc., to maintain client
engagement and increase client comprehension of session material
 Tailored for the natural way in which people learn
 Make the client/student(s) an ACTIVE participant in individual and group
sessions
Powerful, But Complex

 Impact Therapy can be a very useful, powerful approach

 But, used improperly, likely much less effective
 Use of Impact Techniques should (almost) always be driven by theory
 Also critical that they are timed correctly
 NOT just gimmicks – designed to appeal to how the brain works
Important Tools to Engage Students

 The whiteboard (or an easel) – every counselor benefits from having one
- Make points tangible and clear
- Read what’s on the board out loud, as well
 Chairs
- Facilitate movement, show stages of being, ego states (TA), etc.
 Movement in general – point A to point B, etc.
Examples of Engaging Techniques

 Shield
 Filter
 Hammer
 Board of Directors
 1-10 scale
 Change Graph
 Winnie the Pooh
Examples of Engaging Techniques

 Dollar Bill
 Cup of Worth
 ”Can’t hold on and move on”
 Rubber band
 Fuses (string)
 Coke bottle
 Take a few minutes – discuss which techniques stand out to you
- Also: are there creative techniques you could make up that would
appeal to YOUR students in particular? Think of cultural relevance.
References

 Learning-styles-online.com. (2018). Overview of learning styles. Retrieved

from https://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/
 Chick, N. (2018). Learning Styles. Retrieved from
https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/learning-styles-
preferences/
 Yale Center for Teaching and Learning. (2018). Learning styles as a myth.
Retrieved from https://ctl.yale.edu/LearningStylesMyth
 Khazan, O. (2018). The myth of learning styles. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/the-myth-of
-learning-styles/557687/
 Jacobs, E.E., & Schimmel, C.J. (2012). Impact therapy: The courage to counsel.
Star City, WV: Impact Therapy Associates.