The authors provide clarity in how this vulnerability manifests. They describe counseling as a high-touch profession and when working in a high-touch field, individuals must continually engage or disengage during what Skovholt (2001) describes as the “caring cycle,” (as cited in Cummins, Massey, Jones 2007). This was an interesting idea. Spending my energy engaging empathetically with a client is a part of my job, but to then immediately separate myself from them after therapy could be an exhausting cycle. I feel that authors could have expanded upon this more, as they state this process of engagement and disengagement can result in a diminished capacity to care. They went on to state that a lack of “caring” could be a potential influence that hinders one’s effectiveness as a counselor. At first I felt that I could not really see this happening, as it is my job to show clients that I care, but research from Skovholt (2001) shows that it is an aspect of the counseling relationship that makes counselors vulnerable to feeling distressed (Skovholt, 2001 as cited in Cummins, Massey, and Jones 2007). …show more content…
Researchers say that this dissatisfaction can affect counselors’ satisfaction with their work, which can potentially interfere their effectiveness with their clients. It is inevitable that I will experience unfavorable situations in my life, but if I allow them to hinder my performance as a professional, I will be doing a disservice to my clients, students and coworkers. The authors point out many signs of insufficient self-care. As I begin a career in counseling, knowing exactly what to look for in terms of my behavior is
A common struggle for counselors can sometimes be to find the right balance between “the demands or managed mental health requirements and obligations to clients” (Braun & Cox, 2005, p.426). Often times counselors may be t...
One theme of the book that stands out is the counselor as a person and a professional. It is impossible to completely separate one’s personal and professional lives. Each person brings to the table certain characteristics of themselves and this could include such things as values, personality traits and experiences. A great point that Corey, Corey, and Callahan (2010) make is to seek personal therapy. Talking with colleagues or a therapist will keep counselors on their toes and allow them to work out any issues that may arise. This could also prevent counselors from getting into a bad situation. Another good point made in this book was counter transference. Therapists are going to have an opinion and some reactions are going to show through. It is not easy to hide one’s emotions, but a good therapist will keep the objective in sight and keep moving forward. After all, the help counselors are providing is for the client.
Norcross, J. C. (2000). Clinical versus counseling psychology: What’s the diff. Eye on Psi Chi, 5(1), 20-22.
Current research implies that an empathetic clinician-client relationship and interrelated ecosystems play the majority role in the success of therapy (Kilpatrick & Holland, 2009). The clinician’s ability to be present and actively perceive what the client is experiencing is of utmost importance in creating a therapeutic alliance. It is imperative that the clinician gains positive regard towards the client and their environment displaying honest acceptance towards the client no matter what issues are presented in session. This closely relates to a sincere presentation of genuineness that instills a feeling of honesty within the client and clinician (Kilpatrick & Holland, 2009). An experienced clinician builds upon the therapeutic
When a mental health professional has a connection with a client in addition to the therapist-client relationship, then a secondary relationship is present. Boundary extensions expresses the overlapping connections between a client and therapist. Counselors ought to be cautious about such connections. For the reason being, they put themselves at risk for potential harm within a nonprofessional relationship with a former client or those close to them (Welfel, 2015). There are several risks that arise in multiple relationships that are far more complex than one might think. One of the dynamics that affects the potential for client benefit in such relationships is their emotional involvement. Client’s confidence and trust in the therapist’s knowledge,
According to Introduction to Counseling Voices from the Field. They are seven generic skills. The seven generic skill are Diagnostic, Skills, Exploration Skills, Relationship Skills, Conceptualization Skills Action Skills, Group process, Evaluation skills. When a person is talking about Diagnostics skills, according to (Jeffrey A. Kottler & David S. Shepard, 2014) “this is when the counselor is trying to decipher out what is going on with the client's (p.59). An example of this would be when a client says that they are experiencing loneliness. The counselor would ask, that very broad question, but why do you feel that way. The next one is Exploration skills. This skill is when the counselor is trying to see what exactly is going through
A counselor should always keep their thoughts to themselves and remain open-minded about the situation. The only time a counselor should share their thoughts is if it helps the client with their situation that they are dealing with. “Counselors must practice only within the boundaries of their competence (Standard C.2.a.), and, if they “determine an inability to be of professional assistance to clients” (Standard A.11.b.), they should facilitate a referral to another provider. (Kocet, M. M., & Herlihy, B. J. (2014). Addressing Value-Based Conflicts Within the Counseling Relationship: A Decision-Making Model. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 92(2), 180-186 7p. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00146.x).” Keeping your thoughts to yourself is
As a consequence of this, a trusting environment is created and the client feels safe and cared for (ibid). This can also be supported by Håkansson (2003) who portrays empathy as a shared experience between the empathizer and the target. The importance of being understood by another human being is indispensable for the client, not least because it can lead to self-understanding. Self-understanding can last a lifetime, longer than any professional involvement which may be passing (Trevithick, 2009). Geldard and Geldard (2008) argues that if a helper has not sorted out his or her own value conflicts, there is a risk that their own confusion will interfere with the ability to focus on the client's confusion, and the helper may inadvertently end up using the counseling session to resolve his or her own conflicts rather than the client's. It is important for a helper to not get to emotional when meeting a client. Social workers need to be in control of their emotions
The counselor accomplishes the above by expressing empathy, developing discrepancies, going along with resistance and supporting self-efficacy. Moreover, the counselor guides the client toward a solution that will lead to permanent posi...
Carl R. Rogers theorized that through providing a certain kind of relationship with the client, one in which empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence were present, the client would “discover within himself the capacity to the relationship for growth, and change and personal development” . As a counselor empathy is essential as it allows me to enter my clients internal frame of reference, while still retaining a problem-solving stance. Entering the client’s internal frame of reference means I must consider the emotions and thoughts of the client, it is similarly vital not to get lost in the internal frame of reference as this creates the distinction between sympathy and empathy. Unconditional positive regard, also called acceptance is essential as it plays a role in creating a helping relationship in which the client feels safe to express any negative emotions or thoughts, while being...
Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.
Within the therapeutic alliance, the clinician-client relationship can be critical to the outcome of therapy. If a client does not feel that his or her feelings, expressions, and or thoughts matter to the therapist, there is no alliance much less a relationship. When a client feels invested in it can certainly change the outcome of therapy. For instance if a client has come to therapy with feelings of inadequacy, lack of visibility and indifference if the therapist treats him or her in the same manner it is highly unlikely the client will return to this clinician. A study (Friedlander, Bernardi, and Lee, 2010) shows that outcomes were more negative when clients felt clinician lack of engagement and involvement in session.
Derived from several ancient healing practices, therapeutic touch is based on the theory of human energy fields - every person has an energy field that surrounds the entire body. During therapeutic touch treatment, practitioners use their hands, without actually touching the person, to re-establish a healthy energy flow. Therapeutic touch seeks to restore balance within the body while also stimulating the patient's own healing response. The practice of therapeutic touch is used worldwide in thousands of hospitals, clinics, and private practices. It is an easily learned, successful complement to other healing programs.
Counselors also listen wholeheartedly to clients, treat them with respect, attempt to be a genuine and open person, and strive to be themselves. In this theory clients are the central figure in the therapy process and counselors do not seek to educate clients because all clients have self-creation (Sommers-Flanagan, J. & Sommers-Flanagan, R., 2013). This fits into my integration approach because I believe the client knows themselves best, however there are unique circumstances where the client may feel out of touch with knowing
During my initial self-evaluation and assessment of me as a perspective counselor, self- awareness was an essential aspect of becoming an effective counselor. I am aware of certain things that can prevent me from becoming a competent counselor such as being unaware of my strengths and weaknesses. As a current community support worker, I have already had the opportunity to work with individuals who require different levels of support. Providing assistance to the specific population has given me the chance to utilize my communication skills. My work experience has also allowed me to be more self-aware, and open minded. After taking the techniques of counseling class I am more than confident that I have grown professionally since the beginning