Consultation Session and Assistance in the Process of Self-Discovery and Growth of the Client - Assignment Example

? Analysis of a Counselling Session This report summarises the learning and experiences related to a counseling session that the experienced first hand. This was an attempt to understand the subtle nuances that highlight a counseling session and aid in the process of self discovery and growth of the client. The report initially provides a description of the session flow, and then goes on to highlight the different techniques and skills that helped the author find resolutions to the presenting problem. Description of the session It was decided that a counselor who works locally should be contacted for the purpose of this exercise. The said counselor was contacted, the situation was explained, and an appointment was made for a 60 minute session. On the day of the appointment; the client entered the session and introduced self. The counsellor warmly welcomed the client and asked about the immediate experiences and feelings. The client was reassured and once the counselor felt more comfortable, the concern to be discussed was approached. The client explained that they were experiencing some stress about an up-coming family event that they were required to attend. The client admitted to being distant from the rest of the family; and events like these caused discomfort and awkward moments all around since a number of the older relatives were unable to relate to or understand some choices of the client. The counselor probed about the beliefs of the client about these experiences; and helped the client explore the thoughts and feelings associated with them. Through the discussion it came to light that the client was most put off by the judgements passed by these said relatives; and would prefer to avoid them. The counselor encouraged the client to evaluate the validity of assigning importance to the opinions and judgements of people who do not play any form of a significant role in the client’s life. The client admitted to assigning more value that justified; but qualified the answer by explaining that these experiences caused the client’s immediate family some discomfort. At this, the counselor asked the client to explore if the same life choices affected the immediate family at all. The counselor encouraged the client to explore ways to reduce this discomfort; and a plan was devised according to which, the client would communicate these concerns to the immediate family, and would discuss the situation so that everyone was aware of the potential concerns of the client. It was also considered practical to have this discussion before the event, so that everyone could be aware. The counselor then suggested that the client explore possible awkward conversations; and practice conversational skill that deflected the conversation from areas of concern. The client readily agreed; and a small role play was conducted; where potentially worrying questions were posed by the counselor; and responded to by the client. The counselor also helped the client devise lists of neutral conversational topics and activities that could keep the client relaxed. The session wrapped up by the counselor recapitulating the recognized solutions, and the client making a commitment to following up on the decisions taken during the session. The counselor bid the client good luck and also mentioned that the client was free to come back if they wished to discuss the same or another matter. Analysis The experience of receiving counseling provided insight into a number of skills that counselors use at every juncture of their practice. The very first element that created an impression was the effectiveness with which the counselor put the client at ease. Before the session, the client was very nervous; and also felt somewhat embarrassed. But the counselor invited the client in warmly, and expressed via body language that she was interested in listening to what the client had to say; but at no point did the client feel rushed or crowded. Instead, the client experienced a sense of comfort, which was aided by the counselor who verbally stated as well that she was happy to be part of the said process, and would love the help where possible. The counselor gently guided the client to opening up and sharing the concern that needed discussing. The counsellor’s body language was inviting and attentive. Egan (1998; pg. 62 – 3) describes the attentiveness that may be shown by the counselor; and its effects on the client. The client did start feeling comfortable and attended to. Allowing the client to open the conversation about the issue at hand ensures that the client feels in control of the situation, and is able to take responsibility for starting the discussion. Dryden, (2008; pg. 40 – 1) describe that when clients do not present in a crises, they take the time to explore concerns about being in counseling. Allowing this experience to conclude helps ensure that the client is comfortable and feels supported (Patterson & Welfel, 2000; pg. 41). When the issue was laid before the counselor, it was acknowledged as a valid and real concern for the client. Lambert (2008; 50 - 51) describes the different needs that clients bring to counseling. In this case, the client had a need for the issue to be validated; as there was fear about it being considered trivial and invalid. The counselor responded to this fear simply by paying attention and empathising with the concerns of the client. The initial interaction lays the tone for the rest of the session (Inskipp, 2006; pg. 78); and responding to the needs of the client appropriately goes a long way towards developing a healthy, trustful relationship. Bohart & Greenberg (1997; pg. 14) describe the process of communicative attunement – a process by which the counselor attempts to understand the experiences of the client. Egan (2009; pg 201) believes that the combination of empathic responses and probing are the key to taking a session forward. The client did experience this when the counselor encouraged the client to divulge details relevant to the presenting problem, in order to help the client explore the specific details that trouble the client in the given situation. Ivey (1994; pg. 147) describes the concrete counsellors’ behaviours that tend to move from the generic information to the specific. Dealing with specific examples and issues helps in moving towards a resolution by identifying the core elements and then focusing on them individually. The counselor and client are able to make the journey from the concern to the response to that concern fastest if the concern is laid out in an objective fashion (Geldard. 2008; pg. 54). At this point, the counselor was expressing genuineness and as well as empathy. She was focused and attentive to the concerns being presented and was also responsive to the statements being made. At this point, the counselor also paraphrased for the client, when the client started to mix two of three concerns together. The manner in which this was done conveyed the attentiveness and positive regard that the counsellor was showing. More importantly, the paraphrased concerns brought out the thoughts of the client in sharper focus, and made them sound like achievable goals. The ‘reframed’ concerns (Ivey, 1994; pg. 287) provided an alternate manner of viewing the concern, while consolidating the information supplied by the client. The counsellor now led the session to its next step – that of examining the concerns presented. The client was encouraged to examine the validity of the underlying actions that contributed to the situation – in this case, the assigning power to the opinions of non-significant entities. This leading used by the counsellor motivated the client to address something that had never been acknowledged before; and thus led to a new perspective on the situation at hand. The counsellor did reflect back the feeling of the client at this point; a techniques that does help to accept feelings more readily. Egan (2009; pg. 211) states that a good counsellor does help a client challenge their longstanding opinions and feelings. This technique helps in identifying redundant process, and one is able to identify aspects that may need relearning. In order to ensure that the client is looking at all options and all perspectives before setting a goal; the counsellor may ask leading questions ((Patterson & Welfel, 2000; pg. 138 – 9). Shertezer & Stone (1980; pg 272) have described leading as an approach that is collaborative and leads to the choice of steps based of the opportunities pointed out by the counsellor. These opportunities are such that the client is most open to receiving them. Using this approach, the counsellor helped the client explore the possible response to the issues at hand; and set goals that need to be reached I order to find resolutions. The two goals set were to make immediate family aware of the concerns of the client; and find ways of deflecting conversations from problematic topics. Egan (2009; pg. 300 – 302) describes the value of goal setting. The specificity of goals is crucial to making them into manageable steps towards a more generic problem solving process. It helps identify particular behavioural or cognitive actions that will help in reaching the goal state; and thus, resolution of the problem (Egan, 2009; pg. 335). Once particular behaviours are determined, the next step is to practice these behaviours if the client is not comfortable about them. In this case, the counsellor and client indulged in a brief role-play in order to help the client gain confidence. Role playing is a very important intervention; especially when the problem is interpersonal in nature (Patterson & Welfel, 2000; pg. 85). The counsellor helps the client to practice interaction with target parties; and it is also use as a technique to provide the client with a chance to vent emotions that are otherwise not able to find outlet. When the client reaches a relative comfort with the issues under scrutiny; the counsellor takes stock of the time and starts wrapping up the session by summarizing the elements highlighted during the session. The counsellor also discusses further work outside the session and targets or goals are set for the client to reach (Egan, 2009; pg. 75). The counsellor needs to ensure that the client is setting realistic, but challenging goals. Helping the client make a mental transition and transfer their understanding and plans to the outside world is a crucial part of the wrapping up process. When the client steps out, it is important that they are as comfortable as possible. During distressful sessions; this may be the most challenging element for any counsellor. Making plans for further work also helps in closing the present session for the client; and should be done in a sensitive manner. Summary In summary, this experience has helped develop an understanding of the sheer number of skills and techniques that can be exhibited in a single session. The role of a counsellor involves listening actively, responding to appropriately and empathizing with the client’s concerns. It is not possible to over-emphasise this aspect of counseling. The entire body and mind of the counsellor are involved in communicating this to the client. When a client puts forth a set of concerns, paraphrasing them and reflecting back can help the client understand then better and be able to find a new way of looking at the same concerns. When the counsellor feels that the client has not processed some information or has not applied all perspectives possible, it is necessary to challenge the beliefs and assumptions of the client. Challenging these assumptions can make a client identify invalid arguments; and thus, remove them. When the particular concerns that are legitimate have been identified, it is necessary that the counsellor help the client in deciding ways to resolve them. When using a Rogerian deep. On the basis of these insights, the client may take a decision; and the counsellor than supports the decision by helping the client find ways to put the decision into action. Depending on the personality and needs of the client, different techniques and tasks may be designed for the same. The counsellor does assert the importance of the effort being taken by the client; and supports decisions and makes suggestions about application. At the end of a session, the counsellor summarise the main elements explored; and helps the client identify further steps to be taken outside therapy. References Bohart, A.C; & Greenberg, L.S. (1997) Empathy reconsidered: New directions in psychotherapy. Washington D.C.: APA Dryden, W. (2008). Structuring the counseling process. In Dryden, W.; Reeves, R. (Ed.) Key issues for counselling in action. London: Sage Publications. Egan, G. (2009). Overview of the helping model. The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (7th edn.) Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Pp. 64 – 90. Egan, G. (1998). Overview of the helping model . The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (7th edn.) Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Pp. 60 – 65. Egan, G. (2009). The art of probing and summarizing. The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (7th edn.) Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Pp. 188 – 209. Egan, G. (2009). Stage I: Task 2 – Facilitate client self challenge: From new perspectives to new behaviour. The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (7th edn.) Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Pp. 210 – 242. Egan, G. (2009). Introductions to stages II and III: Decisions, goals, outcomes and impats. The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (7th edn.) Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Pp. 275 – 302. Egan, G. (2009). Stage II the preferred picture – Help clients design and commit to a better future. The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (7th edn.) Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Pp. 304 – 353. Geldard, D.; Geldard K. (2008). Paraphrasing of contantCombining Skills in a Counselling Conversation. Basic Personal Counselling: A Training Manual for Counsellors (2nd edn.) New York; Prentice-Hall Inskipp, F. (2006). Generic skills. In Feltham, C., Horton, I. (Eds.) The SAGE handbook of counselling and psychotherapy. London: Sage publications. Ivey, A.E. (1994). International interviewing and counseling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society. (3rd end.) Pasafic Grove, C.A.: Brooks / Cole Lambert, P. (2008). Initiating counseling. In Dryden, W.; Reeves, R. (Ed.) Key issues for counselling in action. London: Sage Publications. Pp. 49 – 60. Patterson, L.E.; & Welfel, E.R. (2000). Building the counseling relationship and facilitating initial disclosure. The counseling process. (5th edn.) United Kingdom: Wadsworth. Pp. 39 - 60 Patterson, L.E.; & Welfel, E.R. (2000). In depth exploration. The counseling process. (5th edn.) United Kingdom: Wadsworth. Pp. 63 – 87 Patterson, L.E.; & Welfel, E.R. (2000). Structuring, questioning and leading techniques. The counseling process. (5th edn.) United Kingdom: Wadsworth. Pp. 1334 – 148 Shertzer, B.; & Stone, S.C. (1980). Fundamentals of counseling (3rd edn.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Read More