Advice to Counselors-in-Training Amongst the advice that she shared with me, there were a few key components of advice that really stood out me to me. Upon asking Stephanie about any times she felt threatened as a therapist she shared of it being a good practice to have a personal protocol that enables you to talk clients down or to deflect and break out of a physical hold. She maintains that as a counselor, it is important to, “fall back on listening to your gut if something feels wrong. You don 't have to justify it. Set a boundary. Your intuition is your best friend as a therapist.” I found this invaluable advice and I felt so ready with confidence to serve. If there is a situation that becomes inappropriate, Stephanie advises not to feel bad about it or make a big deal out of it. If it is violating the contract, I have a right to move them along. She then shared something that I found to be so profound, “Don’t let the paperwork scare you. You don 't know anyone unless you 're with them”. She has found that the people she felt would be frightening are some of the “coolest” people and that a lot of people just need someone to protect and feel safe and protected by and then they are devoted to you for life. You just have to maintain that you are a safe person with the words that you use. Reflection Stephanie also shared that like her, I would grow to unlearn the things I’ve have taught myself. She advised that boundaries are good. The hard thing for
She discussed how she does have a clear life goal. She attributed some of her anxiety to a lack of direction in life.
A sixteen year old teenager refuses to leave home and the therapist must review the situation from a MRI therapeutic approach. First, the MRI approach would not focus on the problem or how it developed but rather what efforts have the parent made to reach a resolution. MRI stems from the premise that families use practical attempts at resolving their situation but the attempts are ill-advised. MRI’s main focus is aimed at dilemma driven solutions; there is no advantage in long term change or what capacity the problem serves within the family.
A therapeutic relationship is a key component in the nursing profession. Without therapeutic relationships, the best possible care can never be provided. The foundation in which trust is built upon is created from the nurse’s ability to truly listen and respond appropriately. Listening creates the base in developing a strong, trusting relationship. Sometimes it is simply hearing what a patient says that makes all the difference, empowering them to open up and become more comfortable with the nurse (Hawkins-Walsh, 2000).
Counselors have a responsibility to monitor their effectiveness, in order to do this they need someone who is trained to assist them in understanding what is effective. Counselors have to seek supervision when appropriate and in order to do so a program needs to be in place that has supervisors readily available. The absence of clinical supervision may lead to counselors-in-training to lack the necessary skills to be a successful and productive counselor. Counselors need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the setting, population, needs, contexts and tasks of a counselor. As explained by Milne and Oliver (2000), Clinical supervision is central to initial professional training and to continuing professional development. It is necessary for counselors-in-training to refine their skills and get assistance in applying theories to any issues they may encounter with their clients. In addition to the everyday assistance necessary, a supervisor needs to present/model ethical behavior and counseling practices. In any profession the need for improvement is prominent and therefore any assistance and feedback given is appreciated and necessary. Expectations are increasing and therefore supervision is expected. Evidence shows that supervision results in school counselors’ increased effectiveness and accountability, improved professional development, and improved job performance, confidence, and comfort
According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) website the organization’s mission is to help society by offering well trained professional counselors. In the process, assisting counselors develop into the contingent professional’s in which society can depend upon, at the same time stimulating human self-worth and diversity. When counselors are trained in graduate school the aspects that goes into becoming a professional counselor, is they equipped with a vast amount of knowledge. Some of the basics include how to work with diverse populations, acknowledging their own biases, how to advocate for the client who is among an oppressed population, congruency with their clients, empathic listening and communication skills, knowing when to refer a client to the appropriately trained counselor and many more. All of these elements and more are just some of the tools, professional counselors are required in order maintain the standards the American Counseling Association’s mission statement entails.
On a bright and crisp morning of March 25, 2015, I interviewed Joni Roche and learned what a typical day was like for this Professional Counselor. Mrs. Roche has owned her own practice for nearly eighteen years and has truly loved every single part of it. Mrs. Roche has received a Master of the Arts degree and is a Licensed Profession Counselor and a Nationally Credited Counselor. During my interview with Mrs. Roche, I truly learned so many things from different counseling techniques, what it is like to have a private practice and the good and bad things counseling comes with that people do not necessarily speak about.
How does Person-centred counselling, influence the understanding of the development of concept of self? (245 words)
What applied clinical problem would you most like to focus on in your PsyD studies and in the PsyD Clinical Psychology dissertation/doctoral project? Tell us something about your knowledge of the relevant theory and concepts, research, and the application of that scholarship to clinical practice.
The therapist and client relationship is important in effective therapy. The therapeutic relationship must be built upon before any technique and theory will be effective. Communicating real empathy and showing a genuine interest in the client will begin a solid therapeutic foundation. However, the therapist must “have the ability to stay outside the system while maintaining some emotional attachment to its members” (Patterson, Williams, Edwards, Chamow, & Grauf-Grounds, 2009, p. 107). This paper reviews and critiques an interview I recorded of a couple that pertains to clutter building up around the house. The goal of this activity was to seek out information using various questioning techniques and basic interviewing skills, and
Theories play an important role in how a counselor serves their clients. Theories provide counselors with a foundation on which to build their counseling style. “Theories ground us as professional counselors. They provide a means to understand what we are doing, how we are serving clients, and how to explain counseling to clients” (Erford, 2010). Counselors are responsible for being aware of different theories in order to apply them appropriately within their practice. Established and new theories play an important and constant role in mental health counseling. Established theories in mental health counseling are based on “empirical or scientific foundations” (American Counseling Association, 2005). The best way to gain the most
Brief therapy helps people by focusing on solutions, instead of problems. The therapist asks questions thereby facilitates the client by helping formulates solutions. The client leads the meeting by actively formulating ideas in which he/she can serve to improve the client's negative circumstances. This is contrary to cognitive therapy, which focuses on a client's cognitive processes (how he or she thinks about people/places/things). The therapist collaborates with the client to help the client develop alternative solutions.
Often times, people live through painful events in their life that can alter their perception of themselves, their family, and the world. Narrative therapy offers the client the opportunity to re-write their story and gain a different perspective of specific events. It is important to understand that within the history of narrative therapy, therapists view client’s stories through a political lens. Often times, focusing on the oppression and cultural dominance that exists within the constructs of our society. Thus, empowering clients to change their story allows them to break free from the constraints that have shaped their outlook and allow for alternative ways of thinking.
The most important points I have learn in this course is that to be a counselor you have to watch your body position. You don’t want to give out the wrong signals. I want to make sure you look and speak with confidence and be sensitive to everyone and not be flirtatious and shouldn’t put barriers in between. According to our reading “face the client and adopt an open, relaxed, and attentive body posture, because this position will assist in putting your client at ease. Counselors should not cross arms and legs and should not sit behind a desk or other barriers.(Erford 197)
Most contemporary psychological treatment approaches are predecessors of the ancient and medieval philosophies and theories. Cognitive behavioural therapy as one of the modern treatment method in not an independently formed treatment, different theories have contributed to its present shape and application.
Counselling session can facilitate the process of overcoming or working through personal issues from everyday hardship as well as potentially life threatening situations. This reflective essay will analyse a counselling session that I have attended with a professional counsellor. Her name was Hend. The session was to be recorded so I can refer to particular examples during the session. In this reflective essay I will give an overview of the counselling session as well as a discussion of my feelings before, during and after the session. Key skills used by the counsellor such as active listening, reflective skills and empathy will be explained, supported with verbatim examples from the session. Furthermore, the overall experiences and