The Importance Of A Counseling Session For The Clinician And The Client

Making a genogram can enhance one’s training as a helping professional by laying out points in a person’s life and family that have caused distress and could affect practice in the future. By self realizing the crisis points in one’s family it can help to identify triggers that could lead to countertransference as well as resurfacing of old traumas during counseling or leading a group. Plotting out one’s life is a way to organize a family especially if there are multiple marriages of parents and non-traditional family ties within a standard family tree. By knowing where you come from and the experiences that shape your family you can better

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Many of us probably know somebody in the family who is/was an addict or know somebody who has/had an addict as a family member. Addiction has a huge impact on not only those who are addicted, but those surrounding the addict. The family members are constantly picking up the pieces left behind by the addict. In Beautiful Boy, Nic’s parents and siblings are constantly trying to fix Nic’s mess. Nic directly impacts his family by stealing from them, lying to them and even ruining their belongings such as their car. Unfortunately, his addiction also impacted his younger siblings who fully understood what was happening to Nic and saw his transition to drug use. Personally, I know many addicts most of whom have lost connection with their family members because they are fed up with what comes along with having an addict as a family member. There is the constant lies, stealing, and let downs and a lot of family members give up on the addict because of the amount of stress that it brings. Those who stick around to try and help the addict are often emotionally hurt and are constantly stressing about what could be going on with their addicted family member. A family member who is very attached to the addict can become co-dependent. Mental Health America states that, “[the family member] has good intentions. They try to take care of a person who is experiencing difficulty, but the caretaking becomes compulsive and defeating. Co-dependents often take on a martyr’s role and become

As a recovering addict I know firsthand how my addiction affected my family. Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a disease; it affects everyone in the family, not just the substance abuser.

The intergenerational factors that influence family relationships and behaviors can be mapped out in a genogram. These maps assist counselors in getting to know their patients, the family, and the family dynamics (Galvin, 2010). When gathering the information for my own family, there was not any new or shocking revelations. However, when the data was presented in the genogram, it became a revealing diagram of patterns and non-patterns of substance use and mental illness.

Mapping out relationships and interactions between a family system can present a visual aspect to assist with understanding the function as a unit. Creating a genogram gives the clients realizations of why family traditions exist and traits that family members pass from generation to generation.

Many of the concepts and or methods of this theory serve and techniques. The techniques used in the Bowen Theory are detriangulation which may be the most significant technique in the Bowen therapy (Kerr, & Bowen, p. 150). A counselor will determine how they will detriangulate based on the emotional process within the family. The Nonanxious Presence, is directly correlated to the self-awareness of the counselors own family-of-origin. It is important for the counselor to have acknowledged and worked through their own family issues before delving into the Nonanxious Presence technique (cite). Genograms serve as an assessment tool provide a lens into the family tree and is beneficial for the client as well as the

While the alcoholic must detox and work through their problems, family counseling is a necessity during treatment. Over time, alcoholism has a strong impact on the family and friends of the alcoholics. From the genetic component of addiction to relationship quality, family members are intensely involved in the addiction.

On Thursday January 14, 2016. I was invited into a Counseling session by Ms. Sonya Hunt with one of her clients. The client’s name was Justice Mullins. Justice attends Central State University as an undergraduate student. The session was about an introduction of opportunities to have weekly sessions with Justice Mullins. The discussion of scheduling and purpose of counseling was

The genogram provided a visual aid for information, allowing it to be shared and monitored. In synchrony with developments in systemic family therapy such as attention on the process and not just the content of family interactions, the use of genograms broadened according to McGoldrick, et all {2008} a focus on not just generational systems but the systems of various dissimilar/similar characteristics of families such as rules, beliefs, role, structure and secrets.

Family bonds suffer when someone gets addicted. Addicts will often use family for favors, money and even alibis. Using drugs or drinking can change someone’s personality and lead to a lot hurt feelings. All of those betrayals do a lot of damage.

The use of the genogram in social work practice is supported by the profession’s knowledge base as well as its values and ethical standards. A central benefit is that this instrument introduces a client to the principles of systems theory, which are fundamental to social work practice. The genogram offers insight into that very understanding. For example, the genogram offers the opportunity to define and explore the family by acknowledging the client as the expert. This practice accounts for the evolving conceptualization of the family continually influenced by shifting cultural norms.

The objective of doing the genogram is to get to know the patient by gaining understanding of his/her family background. Assessing the family using systemic approach enables health care providers to learn about the ways in which family members interact, what are the family expectations and norms, how effective is the members communication, who makes decisions and how the family deals with life time stressors (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2007). This paper outlines the assessment and analysis of the three generation of Wits’ and Smiths’ families, its relationship, health pattern, habits, tradition and structure. It also provides a nursing teaching plan. The interview was conduced with Alina Wit, a second generation mother of three.

Another assignment that involved my family was a genogram assignment. Here, I learned about the history of my family. I’ve never explored my family’s history because we are not close to either side of the family. During this assignment, I felt more confident of my family’s past. It was delightful to see the genogram on paper, after processing it in my head for days. In social work, a genogram is a practical to assess and intervention. According to Pope and Jacquelyn, "in general, the genogram is useful in gathering information, understanding relationship dynamics and behavioral patterns, promoting, the client's self-understanding, conducting, assessments, and guiding the practitioner to interventions" (2015). Throughout this genogram assignment,

It is that the individual has within himself or herself vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes and self-directed behavior - and that these resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided." This definition by Carl Rodgers (1986) sets the platform upon which the relationship between the counsellor and the client may be understood. Helping skills used by practitioners are aimed at establishing a therapeutic dialogue with the client that facilitates change and progress. An effective sport psychologist should seek to inculcate a number of basic helping skills in order to build rapport, instill trust in the client and encourage collaboration. Helping skills aid in making personal contact with the client and being present not only physically but, emotionally and cognitively as well. Unconditional positive regard which is a key component of helping skills involves being non-judgmental and leads to the client feeling unique and worthwhile. A counselor who displays empathy, genuineness and acceptance may create a safe therapeutic environment for the client and aid them in feeling comfortable enough to narrate their ‘story’ in an open and honest manner. This further helps to formulate the required conditions needed for positive change within the client. It is also noted that, effective use of helping skills lays the foundation upon which the success of future interventions with