The document is a chapter assignment submitted by Jacob Ryan Stotler for a counseling course. It includes responses to 4 questions about what Stotler learned from textbook readings, a video, and a website on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). For question 1, Stotler discusses learning about the counseling technique of "chaining" from textbook chapters on behavioral counseling. For question 2, Stotler discusses the counselor's role in directing sessions. For question 3, Stotler provides an overview of an article on critical periods in brain development. For question 4, Stotler discusses learning about the high frequency of ACEs from the ACEs website.

1. Running head: CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8
Jacob Ryan Stotler
CO 543-91
July 10, 2020
Professor Dr. Moon
The University of West Alabama

2. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 2
Chapter Assignment 5-8
• #1 - What is 1 thing you learned from the textbook readings and Chapter Ppts?
I learned so much in these chapters that the lessons were both made into flash cards for
me to acknowledge during my internship (especially regarding the identified processes found in
counseling as stated in Freudian Theory), but also I studied a few things learned in these chapters
more in depth. One major thing that I learned in all of these chapters was located in the toolbox
illustrated in Chapter 8 (on the Behavioral counseling theoretical orientation). We acknowledge
in this chapter that “behavioral counseling has more supporting research data available than other
counseling approaches” (Henderson & Thompson, 2016, p. 273).
I was somewhat familiar with the Behavioral modality of counseling as a theoretical
orientation and the beliefs and strategies behind Behavioral counseling, but I was just now
introduced and I have just now been able to understand and analyze chaining as a counseling
technique. Chaining is defined as a or the “series of behaviors that lead to reinforcement”
(Henderson & Thompson, 2016, p.261).
This is an approach than can be built from bottom up, or top down, where we are
constantly investigating behavior, and strengthening the behaviors that reinforce the behaviors
that we are trying to stimulate/strengthen. This is a very valuable strategy for instances such as
can be applied in “role-playing” or “biofeedback,” or “assessing behaviors from a third party
means [such as assessing behaviors from videography or audiograph]”.
Chaining can be a helpful approach in all behavioral counseling, as we can see our way in
and out of health or unhealthy behaviors by assessing micro or specific-behavioral strategies, and
by doing this a specialist/clinician we can assist the client/patient to understanding the modules

3. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 3
of their behavior, and further, their positive or negative behaviors that make up the direction that
they are working to go (as in goal setting and achieving).
I believe chaining to be another strategy, as with “role-playing,” that can be applied in or
through many modalities of counseling, which makes the application indefinitely relevant and
practical as a tool to be used in/with any other counseling modality (my theoretical orientation
being person-centered/phenomenological and constructivist). Chaining may be a relevant
application to assist the child understanding their behaviors, and may be applicable to such
applications such as narrative therapy, person-centered approaches, Gestalt excercises (“why
would I say something if it is irrelevant?”), CBT, Psychoanalysis (understanding our functioning
through Id, ego and Superego), Adlerian, Existential, Solution-focused, and in a Behavioral
approach as is stated above.
Chaining could also be a strategy for the clinician to use in their interactions with client,
as assuring that they use certain tools (the tools most promoted in their theoretical orientation)
throughout and within each interaction with their client. As an example, the clinician could use
chaining throughout the session as when reflecting about the session, they then purposefully and
consistently practice several precise responses to the client within each session (for example
assuring they use empathetic responses or pinpoint autonomy multiple times in each session).
• #2 - What is 1 thing you learned from the video?
I learned in the video the place and time of the “directiveness” of the counselor and
when, where, why and how the clinician leading the direction of the counseling session is
important. I learned the purpose and initiative circumstances in which the clinician should and is

4. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 4
expected to take the lead in the session, while utilizing the clinical tools and psychological
techniques in which we are designed to use. More directly, an instance in which the clinician (in
the video) showed to be instructional and educational about when to take the lead in the
counseling session, and how being the “expert” in the session is needed and helpful is when the
client is in impasse, when the client is dumfounded by hearing their own words coming from the
counselor, and when the counselor has struck the client so accurate and relevant that the client
pauses and becomes quiet.
We learn how to balance and integrate the clinician as the expert in therapy and too, as
applying ourselves through a person focused orientation/client directed [client as the expert]
therapy within the same session.
• #3 - What article did you select (Provide APA style reference information)? Provide a
brief overview of the article.
I selected an article written by Takao, K. Hensch, Critical period plasticity in local
cortical circuits (2005). The article is a scientific neurochemical literature and review of the hard
sciences behind pruning, neuronal competition for space in the developing brain and the
biological technology that defines long term potentiation, or long term depression of neuronal
connections in the brain, and during critical or sensitive periods of growth and development.
The article describes research that defines why we know of critical periods in the
developing brain and introduces studies that define critical and sensitive periods in development
by introducing fundamental natural brain architecture that instates brain growth, and brain
functioning, or depresses functions and depending on the development or neglect of dendrites,
neurons, and neuronal connections in the brain and the maintenance or neglect to these

5. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 5
connections (that inevitably marks if connections will grow and strengthen or weaken and
die/break off).
We are met with the severity or extremity of sensitive periods in development with a
study that illustrated that during “critical periods” of development in mice, it only took 4 days of
keeping the mouse in the dark to break off the neuronal connections between the brain and the
eyes [when the mouse is developing during a critical period for these connections]. The mice
went blind (suffering amblyopia) after only 4 days in the dark, while they were in a sensitive
period of development of excitation and inhibition in the eye columnar architecture, connecting
to the neocortex.
We also learn about how brain plasticity is a fast spiking behavior and a circuitous
process, where precision connectivity is relevant in development of neuronal connections and
long-term potentiation and long-term depression of myelin development and neuronal
connections. We learn about the requirement for connections to be broken and neuronal rewiring
to be required if we are to “convert physiological events into structural refinement”.
Lastly, we learn about the severity of “deprivation” to the developmental processes of the
brain and especially during “critical or sensitive periods” where critical periods and hardwiring
are “constraints of development” and some such developmental processes can only or do only
take place during these critical periods, thus giving the developing brain only that one chance in
time to make the required or maintain the required connections needed for the person to instate
long-term potentiation in neuronal wiring (relevant for the rest of the person’s life).
Important aspects of neurology relevant to psychology derived from the article is that of
the recognition of functions of “silencing, relaying, strengthening, spacing, formation,

6. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 6
architecture, shrinkage, imbalance, perturbation, synchronization of networks and functional and
structural plasticity” relevant to how neuronal development is a “competitive process” within the
brain and body, where imbalances are possible, and elimination of connections are done from a
natural biological competition of nature, nurture and maintenance (especially involving
developmental requirements during critical periods).
From this article we derive that of future research or work in seeking information about
counseling is that to better understand the exact critical or sensitive periods that people go
through, at what ages, and at what functional, psychological or other type of developmental
processes take place and again at what specific ages (presumably the specific ages varying to
some degree among individual to individual).
• #4 - What is 1 thing you learned from the Website information on ACE (Adverse
Childhood Experiences)?]
We learn quite a bit of applicable knowledge from the “Adverse childhood experiences”
study and literature. We are introduced to the shocking frequency of Adverse childhood
experiences; we are exposed to the severity of some of these experiences, where 1 in 6 adults in
the study reported adverse childhood experiences of four or more in number. We learn about the
most at-risk populations of adverse childhood experiences as “women, and several racial/ethnic
minority groups.” While we also examine the lasting negative effects of these experiences on
people’s health, and the association of conditions with these experiences.
I think what the one thing that we should be learning is that our society has done a superb
job of instating the norm that adverse childhood experiences are quite common, though we
should also be learning that with the idea of this “societal norm” and even prior to vast and

7. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 7
extensive experiences in counseling (as clinicians) that reinforce how common these negative
experiences are, we should be applying the idea that about 61% of adults have had at least one of
these experiences and prepare for this (Center for disease control, 2020). We can appreciate this
by acknowledging the actual gap from community member to clinical professional where those
studying the field will take a leap from attending and living under the norm, where these
experiences are somewhat rare, to taking on an administrative position where one is bombarded
with hearing or being exposed to the reality of these experiences and vicarious trauma relevant,
throughout the day and throughout their life.
I have been in the counseling situation with countless individuals now, while even still in
internship, but I too have noticed how common it is to meet or be in the counseling relationship
with someone(s) that have trauma(s) from their childhood or from their past. It is frightening
how common, but it is somewhat consoling to believe and be influenced by society every day,
where the norm is that these experiences do not and should not be happening (despite the actual
frequency of these experiences).
Since the data is, and has been made available, we should be educating our clinicians and
our people, yet wisely and specifically and while still striving to establish the norm, that these
negative childhood experiences should are abstruse and obsolete. We should understand this
aspect of society, as we are those who are expected to be wholly established in the knowledge
and ability to best prevent these encounters, avoid secondary traumatization, mitigate traumatic
events, treat these situations and best treat (through EBP) the disorders or dysfunctions that are
compound with the childhood experiences.

8. CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 5-8 8
References
Centers for Disease Control. (2020). Preventing adverse childhood experiences. Violence
prevention. Retrieved July 11, 2020 from
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F
%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fchildabuseandneglect%2Faces%2Ffastfact.html.
Hensch, T. (2005). Critical periods plasticity in local cortical circuits. Nature reviews
Neuroscience 6(11), 877-888. DOI:10.1038/nrn1787.
Henderson, D. & Thompson, C. (2016). Counseling children ed. 9. Cengage Learning. ISBN
978-1-285-4645-1.