The initial consultation with the client, before therapy, is an important aspect of the whole procedure as this will assist in forming the basis of the therapy and for the client and the therapist to ask questions. The initial consultation is a time for the therapist to explain what hypnosis is to the client and answer any questions that may arise. It’s important for the therapist to begin gathering information on the client from the moment they first walk through the door. It gives the therapist an opportunity to establish a rapport with the client and gain their confidence. The establishment of rapport is the most important objective of the consultation and many believe that the success of the therapy depends upon it.
ADVANCED COUNSELLING SKILLS 1.Understand the process of a series of counselling sessions. 1.1Identify the stages of a series of counselling sessions. The counselling relationship should have a clear start middle and an end, the beginning is when the relationship starts and trust is built forming a working alliance for the client to start sharing their anxieties and concerns that have bought them to the counselling room, the middle is when the counsellor explores with the client the feelings, beliefs and patterns that have been noticed by the counsellor, then looking for a way forward that the client feels is achievable for them, also to identify any areas that are causing problems might allow the relationship to move forward , including
Just the same as any other situation first impressions at this point are vitally important. First impressions and opinions about a person and their surroundings are drawn upon first meetings and to be able to build a good relationship and rapport with a client it is important that these impressions of the therapist to the client and vice versa are good ones. It is important that the environment that the client is entering for therapy is positive and welcoming while still being professional there are a number of factors as a therapist that you need to consider here. Firstly the layout of the room should be carefully thought of, generally the set up should consist of two slightly off facing upright chairs to carry out consultations and talking therapies as well as an additional reclining chair for hypnotherapy sessions. The decor of the therapy room also plays a major role although there needs to be a warm and calming presence about the room too much decor can distracted from the therapy and will not improve the sessions being carried out.
As it is the first meeting it is good to determine the continuing relationship which will progress during the therapy. When a therapist first meets with a new client it’s necessary to establish several things in order to know whether they can work together. These include background and personal circumstances of the client, previous experiences (if any) of therapy, medical and psychiatric history and very importantly, why they are seeking therapy. From the therapist side of things it is a means of assessing whether he/ she is going to offer effective support and be of use to the client. As an example; this may not be an issue that is suitable for hypnotherapy at all or unlikely to be beneficial to the client.
It is through these supervision meetings that the supervisee is able to reflect on their own practice, drawing from active counselling sessions, the practitioners own thoughts, feelings and reactions and is able to examine these and develop/adapt strategies for client work. Supervision aims to be a supportive and educative process in the application of counselling theory and techniques. Effective supervision is tailored to the student's level of knowledge, confidence and increasing ability. For example, beginning students are normally provided with high levels of structure and support, whereas more advanced students receive a more consultative supervision. In entering into supervision it is common practice to agree a supervision contract which outlines an agreement under which the supervision takes place.
Family Recovery The stages of family recovery are processed in a certain order; which allows the process of recovery a smooth. The recovery process allows the client to opportunity to live out their substance abuse with themselves as well as their family. The family recovery process allows the family to rebuild their foundation for a new start. The recovery process starts with confrontation, which allows client to acknowledge that there is an issue and accepting that fact that the substance abuse has affected their behavior. Accepting the substance abuse issue will allow one to accept counseling.
The initial consultation will usually be the first time that the client and therapist meet and therefore represents an opportunity for the therapist to assess the client and assimilate relevant information regarding a treatment strategy. Based on this, the therapist will be able to make an informed decision, firstly as to whether to proceed with therapy, and secondly how to proceed with therapy. The initial consultation is therefore vitally important if therapy is to be effective, beneficial and ethical. Clearly the more information that can be gathered regarding the client’s problem, the more the causes can be understood and the better the problem can then be defined and resolved [4]. As well as the initial consultation providing an assessment forum for the therapist, it should be remembered that the client will also make judgements relating to the therapist.
The expert will let the client relax completely and give revelations of what he went through during his upbringing and what he dreams about. From this he can then be assisted to deal with such fears which will also dictate the format to be used in addressing them. Client-centered therapist In this scenario, the therapist and the client interact on an equal level where they are more of friends than people having a professional relationship (Rogers, 2003). The client is made to believe that this kind of treatment would solely depend on him and by him. In other words, he is the person treating himself and he is the one who will determine the mode to use and the progress he will make in getting treated.
When I first meet a new client, generally during an informal visit or through a formal assessment, I like to gain as much information regarding an individual’s likes, dislikes, general preferences, beliefs and cultural views and any quirks however diverse or strange as I can, without putting too much pressure on the individual, as some of this information will become more apparent as we build a relationship. I will inform the individual as to why I am asking for this information, and explain that this will assist me to formulate an effective support package that is based purely around them, for them and devised with
Techniques, to access information about oneself, can be learned, and personal experiences can affect personal thoughts and feelings. A counsellor will experience all of these issues and concerns, and must use the knowledge gained to help their clients overcome their own personal issues. Throughout a counsellor’s training he/she will be exposed to a series of opportunities that will allow them to question their own beliefs, awareness and values, and how these impact on their personal lives, work and others. It is this self-awareness