The main purpose of stage one is to build a non-threatening counselling relationship, help the client explore their situation and then be able to focus on chose issues. At this point the helper/listener helps the client to identify problems and then assess their own resources. At this stage most people are reluctant to change and may resist. Through positive exploration of new perspectives and constructive challenges to rooted negativity the client is able to move to the next stage. Some of the stage one exploring skills include; Open ended questioning, silences, focusing, empathy, paraphrasing, structuring and summarising.
When counselling professional is listening to their client, they are using counselling skills as the main tool in applying their expertise, as this definition illustrates: Counselling, often described as ‘talking therapy’, is a process aimed at providing clients with the time and space to explore their problems, understand their problems, and resolve, or come to terms with their problems , in confidential setting. (Sutton and Stewart 2008). In practising counselling skills, counselling professionals have clear aim in assisting their client while their practice is governed by counselling ethics. In the United Kingdom, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is the largest organisation that governs work of counselling professionals. One skill that makes possible for all other counselling
They are delivered by trained practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their well being” (bacp.co.uk). Counselling is a process that gives clients time and space to work through their problems and understand how they are feeling and why. Counsellors are there to facilitate this change and development. (1.2.) Explain their own philosophical approach to counselling Where I am in my training I feel that I have a good understanding of the person centred approach to counselling.
My practice partner\client was issued a client\interviewee consent form. Within the session I was asked to demonstrate the following, establish and maintain report with my client, allow my client to speak freely and tell his story by listening and using appropriate questions when nessasery. Respond in a respectful manner towards my client, provide the correct judgment on when and how to explore options, display appropriate body language to show that I have both non-verbal and verbal skills as a counsellor, show ability to apply open and closed question when needed in conjunction with other skills appropriate to my client’s situation. This essay will provide a brief summary of the session and give an accurate reflection based on how well the above skills were applied by myself and the impact they had on my client. By presenting verbitamin examples of skills used as evidence I will discuss the effects of the skills in question and discuss how well they may or may not have been executed.
With the help of a counselour we can find ways to accept and make peace with things we can’t change and make positive changes where we can. Counselours can quide us to explore what really matters to us, what and who we value, our beliefs, hopes and needs . ( I book understanding counseling) Mcleod 2010 suggets that by attending a counseling session you may be able to delineate on your own experience as a means of relating to the clients that are in need of help, gaining an understanding on what it is like to be a recipient of help and reflect on the implications of the experience for a better understanding of the helping process. My essay will focus on my feelings before, during, and after my one hour face-to-face session, I will also be focusing on the skills that my counselor used during our session that could often be overlooked, skills such as body language, listening, empathy, paraphrasing, knowing when and how to ask questions, just to name a few. These skills may seem insignificant when in-fact these skills determine the difference between a helpful or a non-helpful session.
The process involved in establishing a counselling skills relationship begins with the first initial contact. This meeting is usually restricted to establishing if the counsellor can meet the initial needs of the client. Can I provide what the client needs in terms of skill, time, qualifications and experience? Does the client feel comfortable working with me? I as the counsellor must know when something is out of my depth so to speak and refer to another counsellor or service that may suit better.
McLeod also suggests that counselling skills can be used in a range of self help groups such as sliming groups or Alcohics Anonymous or in life coaching – although this focuses on the promotion of positive effectiveness or achievement. Users of counselling skills often have dual responsibilities both to the recipient of their skills and the organisation that they are operating within. (Stokes in Aldridge and Rigby). This can be a cause of conflict. Counsellors can avoid this conflict by starting the counselling relationship with a contract that ensures confidentiality and helps create a safe environment that supports a client by setting down guidelines for a working/ professional relationship that includes boundaries, conduct, timekeeping.
When a counsellor first meets with a client, they must indicate to the client that they are interested in listening to them and helping them. Through attending, the counsellor is able to encourage the client to talk and open up about their issues. Eye contact is important and polite (in Western society) when speaking or listening to another person. This does not mean that the counsellor stares at the client, but maintains normal eye contact to show genuine interest in what the client is saying. Geldard and Geldard (2001) suggest that to assist clients to relax, counsellors can include in their repertoire, the matching of non-verbal behaviour.
(p.16) My primary aim was to learn but I also achieved a measure of resolve with my problem. My feelings before, during and after the session are analysed and discussed, the session is summarised, the key skills used by Annie and their impact on me are identified and challenges for the counsellor and the client are identified with suggestions for strategies to best manage these challenges. Verbatim dialogue from the session is provided throughout the essay as examples and, finally, the overall experience is considered I had
I offered my client empathy, understanding and respect. Used open ended questions, actively listened and gently challenged my client when appropriate, remaining aware of boundaries. (2013, BACP) I recorded information to use in supervision, how one response led to another, the nonverbal communication used by my client and my own thoughts as the session proceeded. Supervision was able to give me space to look at my work I had supervision which allowed me to reflect on relating to my client and to gain insights from the perspective of another therapist. (Jacobs, 1998)Supervision offered me three main functions.