Counselling Assessment Essay

Although I encounter some difficulties working with clients, being able to apply the skills that we learned in actual session helps me to further understand how to work with them. In comparison to practicing with colleagues, working with actual clients helps me have a better sense of how to better interact with them. Other than that, I was able to experience how clients would react to counselors’ comments or questions. It is important to learn that clients do not always respond the way that the counselor wants them to. In sessions, I am able to provide clients a safe environment for them to be able to address their concerns and express their emotions.

These theories are usually hosen based on the client needs and what the counselor feel will be most effective. Counselors are not limited to just one theory when it comes to treating their clients. Theories can be used in conjunction with one another to effectively treat clients. Counseling does not just involve theories alone, it in involves some amount of talking with the person. The talking should be aimed at helping the person solve the problem(s), improve outlook, and/or aid in the client changing their behavior(s) (Woods, 2005).

It is necessary for the counsellor to consider the client’s personal context and the level of the client’s understanding of the results and what the results may implicate. When interpreting the assessment instrument results, counsellors have to take note if the client is ready to know the results. The counsellor would have to interpret the results and break it down in simpler terms for the client in a language that the client can fully understand. Counsellors have to consider the client’s welfare and understanding prior to interpreting the results to them.

Restating and clarifying what the client has said can help the counselor conducting the crisis intervention to clarify whether he/she has an accurate understanding of what the client intended to say, feel, think and do. Restating can also be used to focus the discussion on a particular topic, event or issue. Owning feelings and using statements that start with “I” in crisis intervention can help to provide direction by being clear about what will

Eye contact with an individual consists of understanding the client’s culture, paying close attention if eye contact makes the client look un... ... middle of paper ... ...to show interest. Nonverbal communication allows client(s) to see that the counselor has concerns, expresses interest, and allowing silence enables a client to reflect on what he or she just said. Counselors do need to have self-awareness with facial expressions and vocal tones so not to give the client any form of disapproval. All of these skills take practice and perfect timing when to use any of these techniques. Works Cited Ivey, A. E., Bradford Ivey, M., & Zalaquett, C. P. (with Quirk, K.).

The counselor needs to promote that safe environment by promoting values and helping them flourish through respectful and meaningful exchanges through externalization of the problems. In using this model with clients this would be workable as it doesn’t change the actual client or the family it challenges and changes their beliefs and values. The counselor discovers what their roles in the family are finding out how the behaviors and ideals which are the negative aspects of the story. Clients are then taught how to remodel these negatives into more positive behaviors and thoughts which brings new viewpoints to the client and the

2) When the client reports information that he or she is in danger of harming oneself or others. 3) When the client has authorized in writing that information from ones file can be released. It is also important to share with the client that a supervisor within the organization may also be made aware of the client’s information as sometimes cases need to be discussed for guidance and to ensure quality of services delivered. Discussing confidentiality with a client provides great benefits for the client/helper relationship. The client should feel informed about the therapeutic process, and providing them with such information at the beginning can help to ease the client’s concerns about what can and cannot be done with their information.

The intake process that is considered of a series of questions and consent form that the client has to sign and agree to. A professional relationship between a counselor and a client begins with an intake interview. The intake process may vary based on the clinical setting from structured to unstructured models, each with the same core and theme of collective information that is customarily gathered. The effectiveness of the initial intake interviews are a reflection of balance between gathering information and developing a therapeutic working alliance (Whiston, 2009). Furthermore, “Research indicates that to become effective in intake interviewing so that a working alliance is fostered, counselors need to follow guidelines and receive training to obtain accurate and valid information” (Duley, Cancelli, Kratochwill, Bergan & Meredith, 1983).

This type of question allows the client to bring to the conversation what is important to them. A social worker does not want to use open ended questions when it is irrelevant, a leading question or ask too many questions at once. Open ended questions are particularly useful for inviting or encouraging a client to elaborate and opening a session (Cummins, Sevel, Pedrick, p.93-95). I think open ended questions are one of the skills that I am most comfortable with. I just have to be careful not to use why questions too much in an interview because a client may not know why or it can make them feel blamed for something.

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. One aspect that wasn’t stressed enough in this theme was how often counselors should seek therapy. The more often a therapist seeks therapy, the more beneficial it can be to them.