Counselling: A Case Study Of A Therapeutic Relationship

The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions provides the foundations and guidelines for ethical understanding and good practice in counselling work. This enables a counsellor to practice safely in private practice or within an agency. Different agencies may work with other frameworks, for instance the National Counselling Society (NCS), who support counselling and related therapies, and are closely linked with the NHS. (Nationalcounsellingsociety.org). The BACP framework can’t inform a counsellor of specific rights or wrongs, but outlines the values, principles and moral qualities that a counsellor should adhere to, which helps with guidance and ethical decision making and safeguarding client and counsellor. (BACP, 2015)

It goes without saying that at some point in a counselor career, he or she can expect to be faced with an ethical dilemma. Ethical decisions are rarely easy to arrive at, as the dilemmas a counselor is faced with can be very complex

Before a counselling session starts it is important that the client understands confidentiality. To be able to understand this the counsellor must explain to the client that anything they say within the

Professional counsellors are also bound by other ethics such as being non-judgemental and should not exploit their clients in any way. They must be respectful of how their clients choose to live and their right to self-determination. Counsellors must not impose their own thoughts or feeling on other people & should not have any expectations or impose any conditions on their clients. The relationship between counsellor and client should be one of equality. Although, the client may not feel that there is equality, they may feel powerless, as they are seeking help. The counsellor must try and convey a sense of equality and use their skills and knowledge to enable the client to take control of their life and feel empowered.

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).

The process involved in establishing a counselling relationships includes many factors to ensure that a client feels safe and comfortable with a counsellor to explore his or her feelings with them.

The British Association for Counselling’s Code of Ethics and Practice for Counsellors states that ‘Counselling may be concerned with developmental issues, addressing and resolving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crisis, developing personal insight and knowledge, working through feelings of inner conflict or improving relationships with others’ (BACP Ethical Framework).

The case of Leanne presents a number of ethical dilemmas that counselors can face with their clients. Here Leanne does not want you to tell anyone what she has just told you regarding her past. By telling someone you will be breaking client confidentiality, Leanne’s trust in you, and the therapeutic relationship you have built with her. If you decide to not then you are breaking the law. Even though the sexual abuse is reported as only existing in the past the client is still a minor and living with her father. By not reporting this you are also possibly putting the client at risk of being sexually abused again.

In this essay, I am going to give a structured reflective account on the development of a therapeutic relationship with a client on one of my clinical placements as part of my training as a student nurse. I will be using a reflective model which explores the processes involved in developing and maintaining such relationships bearing in mind theoretical knowledge and how it applies to this clinical experience. Jasper (2003) describes reflective practice as one of the ways that professionals learn from experience in order to understand and develop their practice. As a trainee health care professional, I have learnt the importance of reflection in

This essay is an evaluation of two counselling models applied to a situation where a client has experienced loss and how a counsellor can create a therapeutic relationship with the client using each counselling model. It will also contain other skills a counsellor could use to obtain/maintain a good therapeutic relationship with the client.

At times people going through difficulties that needs counselling therapy might sometimes make a negative conclusion about themselves being the source of their problems. Though, getting the clear approach from the counsellor may possibly reduce the worries and stress. For the duration of the 15 minutes DVD recording session I followed the code of ethics and conduct of BPS and counsellors code of ethics by introducing myself, what my role will be, I was able to explain the code of Bps and the ethics code of counsellors by clarifying the concerns surrounding confidentiality and the time arrangement of the session. I also clarified the limitations of the counselling session that she is very free to stop the session at any time, and I also checked her understanding of the contract that is her choice to carry on with the session.

The trust between Heather and me as a Counsellor is a vital part of our therapeutic relationship. I am aware that my client must feel that whatever she discloses in therapy will be treated confidentially. As a counsellor I am not to disclose information unless required by law or authorized by my client. The informed consent document Heather has signed prior to our first session does not state particularly that the Counsellor has to break confidentiality in instances of child abuse.

Over the course of the term we have looked at basic aspects of counselling and interpersonal skills, how we understand and relate to them as well as how we have experienced them within our counselling triads. Within the Humanistic schools of theory, we have looked at Person-Centred Counselling, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt, under the heading ‘Integrative learning’. This has allowed me to identify my own preferences and strengths in relation to each theory and apply them in learning triads. I shall also be focussing on interpersonal skills of a more generic nature, and how they can be applied to ease, encourage and explain interactions. Repeatedly this term I have found myself fascinated with the importance of the ‘Therapeutic

Solidarity is generally considered as a communicative approach to improve personal relationships. Individuals may express their feelings, attitude, opinions or belief which are rather indicative of an orientation towards solidarity (Koester, 2006). The core intention of individuals expressing solidarity is mutuality. The individuals convey their solidarity in different ways, which include expressing approval, showing interest, sympathy or claiming common grounds (Koester, 2006). In health care context, solidarity approaches in conversations were used the health professionals to attain various aims. For instance, it is used as a simple way for a medical professional to find out more about the

Also with regards to therapy for the counselor, it might be beneficial for a colleague to sit in on some sessions with the therapist to make sure their issues aren’t affecting their counseling. It can never hurt to get feedback and other perspectives, especially if the therapist is struggling with personal or professional issues.