Reflection Of The Counseling Process

1998 Words4 Pages

Jerry and his parents will be present for the first session. This will be my opportunity to observe them all together. I will use this session to explain the counseling process and my theoretical approach. Since they have no background in counseling, I will be sure to answer any questions they have. I will also carefully review how confidentiality will be handled. I will tell them that I will share how counseling is going overall, but not the specifics of what Jerry, or any individual family member, tells me in session (Oaklander, 2007; Patterson, Williams, Edwards, Chamow, & Grauf-Grounds, 2009). After I am sure they understand and consent to the overall process and approach, I will ask one of them to describe the problem. As the parents talk, …show more content…

Initially, I will want to be sure he understands how the process will proceed, and to answer any of his questions. I will make it clear that he can say anything that is on his mind, and that he can ask about anything he is curious about. I fully expect some resistance, and will use more projective techniques initially. These will include drawing and painting, and possibly clay work. I will likely use puppets if Jerry is overly uncomfortable in direct role playing exercises (Oaklander, 2007). Depending on Jerry’s maturity level, and communication skills, we may move to more open interactions in later sessions, like those one might find in traditional talk therapy, but only if the circumstances are right. My primary objectives will be to understand the issues Jerry is facing, and to help him become more self-aware. My intuition from the first session with his parents, is that Jerry will need work building his self-confidence. He needs to overcome his fears about what others might be thinking about him. I believe he will benefit greatly from having his experiences normalized (Corey, 2013). He will also likely need help building up his contact skills. This is not uncommon with shy children (Oaklander, 2007). We will need to delve into the behaviors that are concerning his parents, particularly what is driving his choice of friends. It will be important to explore if he is feeling different or unworthy. Virtually all of these things …show more content…

The reality is that I just did not know myself well enough when I was 20 years old. My first wife and I paid a heavy price for those life lessons. Yet, the four parents have found ways to become genuine friends, much to the benefit of our older two children. What I am most moved by in this exercise, is the belief that I could have been helped sooner. And therefore, it is possible to help others experience life more fully, and hopefully sooner. The Jerry of those days, while long gone, still has impacts of me to this day. The reality is that I still occasionally find myself nervous about putting myself out three. And while I still loathe the feeling of rejection, I am much more likely to push through the

Open Document