After the video recording that demonstrates my counselling micro skills, this written evaluation of the interview demonstrates my understanding of the skills. Also, I will discuss how effective I was at using the skills by employing critical self-reflection skills, thus providing suggestions for my improvement. Consequently, the importance of reflection and evaluation in counselling is due to its enablement of a “new or revised interpretation of the meaning of one’s experience as a guide to action” (Taylor 2001, p. 220). In other words, critical self-reflection helps to identify and assess one’s assumptions in order to substantially change these assumptions and provide an informed path to action through experience, study and self-awareness …show more content…
79). After my introduction I asked a closed question “is that OK” (Interview 2015, 0:44) in order to receive a go ahead confirmation. I then preceded with an open question “what brings you here today” (Interview 2015, 0:47) to ascertain Rebecca’s reason/s for attending. Similarly, I asked Rebecca two closed questions and an open question to first demonstrate comprehension by probing for clarification and then to encourage her continuation (Interview 2015, 2:08-2:20). Ivey, Ivey & Zalaquett (2010) suggest that open and closed questions are a fundamental part of the listening skills a counsellor develops, thus a vital aspect of the counselling micro-skills effectiveness. With this in mind, my overall questions were effective, although with practice, my questioning could improve my awareness of the effects of suggestive or directive questions (Ivey, Ivey & Zalaquett 2010, p. 16). For example, I implied that when Rebecca’s other daughter went through a similar ordeal, Rebecca did not faint, thus suggesting or even possibly directing Rebecca to look at a particular aspect of her story or even change direction, instead of paraphrasing to show comprehension, thus supporting and encouraging the flow of her story (Interview 2015, 7:18; Gelard & Gelard
The article discusses the therapeutic process and significant events in the client’s lives. The article aims to determine whether self-reflection
Strong, Tom (2008), ‘Externalising questions: a micro-analytic look at their use in narrative therapy’, The International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, no. 3, 2008, pp. 59-71.
The purpose of this essay is to reflect and critically study an incident from a clinical setting whilst using a model of reflection. This will allow me to analyse and make sense of the incident and draw conclusions relating to personal learning outcomes. The significance of critical analysis and critical incidents will briefly be discussed followed by the process of reflection using the chosen model. The incident will then be described and analysed and the people involved introduced. (The names of the people involved have been changed to protect their privacy) and then I will examine issues raised in light of the recent literature relating to the incident. My essay will include a discussion of communication, interpersonal skills used in the incident, and finally evidence based practice. I will conclude with explaining what I have learned from the experience and how it will change my future actions.
Counselling, coaching and mentoring are all ways to help people achieve success and as a result, they have many similarities; however, there are subtle difference distinguishing them from one another. Counselling does not have one singular definition, as it is prevalent in many different areas of psychology. Nonetheless, Feltham (2012) defines counselling as a way of focusing on a range of psychological and subconscious issues, to help people reach their potential. Counselling emphasises the enhancement of the clients’ psychological health through discussion of personal issues, helping clients understand the underlying cause of long-established problems. The counsellor uses constrained time to allow clients to examine their own challenges and
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...
One must have attending behaviors this includes eye contact, attentive listening, body posture, overall empathy and warmth. In order to be a successful counselor when using the ABC model, it is important to have knowledge of cultural sensitivity (Kanel, 2007). According to Kanel crisis workers must remember that the attending behavior of different cultural and ethnic groups may vary in style, and as a clinician one may need to adapt when working with certain cultures (Kanel, 2007). Another important skill a clinician must possess is the skill ask questions properly without seeming judgmental. Most often in this model, it is important to use open ended questions in order to learn more information about the precipitating event. Questions beginning with “what” or “how” are most effective in this case. The ability to paraphrase is also important, which is the clinician’s ability to restate what they thought they heard in their own words or clarify what was said in a questioning manner. When this is done properly, the client knows that the counselor is listening and it helps build good rapport. Reflection of feelings is another technique to let the client know the counselor is listening, as well as summarization (Kanel,
The counselling process is one that may last for as little as one session or for years, it is within the middles stages of the helping relationship that particular counselling skills such as a focusing, challenging and immediacy can be implemented, as well as use of advanced empathy that can be applied due to increased familiarity with a speaker. Many actions may occur within middles stage of the helping relationship such as transitions that occur for a multitude of reasons and the outcome of which can vary based on the attitude of the speaker. Self-awareness remains vital throughout the entire counselling relationship due to the continual influence of empathy in the helping relationship and remaining aware my own motives and values when using advanced empathy and specific counselling skills. Ethics and boundaries are also involved within the counselling process as within a counselling relationship, I as the counsellor, must be careful with the balance or expenditure of power when challenging.
The counseling session began with the introductions where I introduced myself as the counselor and later introduced my client. This stage is important in any counseling session since it is the time of exploration and focusing according to Gerard Egan as quoted by Wright (1998) in his essay on couselling skills. It is in this session that I was able to establish rapport and trust with my client in order to come up with a working and fruitful relationship with him. During this stage I made use of skills like questioning, where I would pose a question directly to my client, sometimes I would choose to just listen to what the client wanted to speak out while in some instances I would be forced to paraphrase the question if I felt the client did not understand the question I had asked previously. There were also other times when I would reflect through silence. During such a period, I got time to study the client and the information he had given. This being a difficult area, since some clients may not be able to volunteer information to you as the counselor, I decided to assure the client of confidentiality of any information he was willing to share with me with a few exceptions which I also told him about. Being open to him about the only times the information may not be confidential was part of my building rapport and establishing trust with him. I therefore, decided to ask the client what information he wanted to share with me and lucky enough he was ready to speak to me about different issues that he was going through.
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
Key words such as closed and open questions are very well explained. Differentiating when to use each type of question is described and useful for facilitating an interactive dialogue. It is important to understand how to assist the patient in relaying important details and to ensure that what the patient has expressed is understood.
The first question I asked was “How are you today?” and other examples of open-ended questions were “What, if any, negative experiences have you had with the medication that you currently take, or have taken in the past?” and others like “How has your treatments or medications hindered your ability to do the things you enjoy?” Some open-ended questions presented themselves like a series of open ended like “Tell me about your family” to “How do they support you with your medical conditions?” to “What types of support have they given through all of this?” Using these serial open-ended questions allowed me to control the direction of the conversation before it begun, because my patient liked to talk for 2-3 minute intervals and would usually get off topic or move onto a new topic in the
In this part of the assignment, I will be reviewing the strengths and weaknesses that were shown when I was using counselling skills on my client. I believe that there were more strengths when I was showing counselling skills compared to the weaknesses that there were.
A reflection log is, in essence, a personalised learning resource. This reflection log will showcase the thinking and learning skills I have developed from module (IS6136 - Professional Practice Skills), which is underpinned by a peer learning system. As part of this peer system, I was encouraged to discuss and share my thoughts, as well as to develop my reflection log in a collaborative way. The reflection log helped me to extend and further my understanding of the material presented. Section 2.0 of this log will discuss five major takeaways from this module, in light of the learning expectation set by the lecturer. Section 3.0 will conclude the reflection log.
Throughout this term I have learned a lot about my values, attitudes, and beliefs, and I feel confident in my growing skills as a counsellor. In my first journal, I discussed how I am in the process of discovering my own triggers and how I am surprised that my triggers do not necessarily correlate with what I would deem as the most distressing experiences of my life. As I have started the process of self-reflection and awareness, I have learned more specifically what my triggers are, my physiological and psychological reactions to them, and ways that I can overcome them to not impact the session. Throughout this term, other
If a parent appeared to become distressed during the interview then the researcher would have given them the chance to stop the interview for a few minutes or take time out to compose themselves. Participants were informed at the start of the interview that they could take time out or terminate the interview at any time. None of the participants that finished the interview seemed to be struggling. Had there been a problem the researcher would have referred them back to the appropriate clinical service for