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.
The therapist needs an attitude of “I’ll accept you as you are.” The therapist must always maintain a positive attitude to the client at all times. Empathy: The ability to understand the other person at a deep level. It involves being able to put yourself in the other person’s position, and understanding them in their own terms, having the ability to understand sensitively and accurately but not
Second the therapist must convey unconditional positive regard for the client, this means that the therapist accepts everything the client say without passing judgment on the client. Clients trust that the therapist will not reject them if they say the wrong thing or if something critical comes out in the course of therapy. The atmosphere is safe for clients to begin exploring their distress. The third condition for the therapeutic progress is empathic understating. The client must feel that the therapist understands him or her.
Essentially, courage is strengthened with confidence in self and nothing can be achieved without courage. In my opinion, both empathy and sincerity are two of the most important qualities to have within a counselling relationship. Empathy can be defined as understanding a client’s problem from the client’s perspective and being in the client’s shoes and understanding the client’s frame of reference. Trust is built on the ability of the counsellor acknowledging what the client is saying by using empathic responses, e.g. The client says “I don’t know what is happening” with the counsellor responding “you seem to feel confused.
It is the beginning of a therapeutic relationship whereby the listener actively and attentively listens to the speaker in order to gain insight and understanding. 1.3 Define the following skills which could be used in a session. Attentiveness and rapport building. Being attentive is the way you convey that you are available, ready to listen, and willing to focus on someone else's experience. Non-verbal cues, body language, stance, eye contact and smile.
For example it might be helpful to be a nurturing parent, who is responsive and reliable, and work to create the space for a cooperative relationship. I would be accessible for them in terms of giving feedback, and even appropriate affect and disclosure. I try to be sensitive to their feelings and, if appropriate, to not hide my fallibility. I mirror to them feeling positive about being with them. “A primary task in psychotherapy and counselling is the creation of a secure base in the reliability and consistency of the therapeutic relationship.
If used properly the goal of the therapist will communicate in such a way for client personality change to occur. Over time and treatment the clinician would have an unconditional positive regard for the client. Thus far, building a respect for the client and their concerns should be the center focus of the clinician. The therapist encourages the client to use self exploration and acceptance, and openness to self and others by giving clarification of what the client is saying and reflecting on the feelings of the client. The client will learn to show empathy and warmth toward him self and anyone involved.
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.
In conclusion we will see why it could be argued that the latter approach is the most useful for many clients. The term counselling is virtually interchangeable with psychotherapy. Psychotherapy means ‘healing the mind or soul’ (Nelson-Jones, 2011, p.3) and counselling tries to do the same. For counselling to work on a one to one or group basis then the clients must be there willingly. For many the relationship between client and counsellor is crucial to the success of the therapy and is based on trust and respect.
(McLeod 1998). I agree with the brief counselling definition, as I see counselling as a safe place where clients can talk confidentially about whatever they like, with the freedom to explore difficult, painful or uncomfortable feelings, whilst being respected and not judged. A given space to step back from everyday concerns and gain a perspective of their life and seek a better understanding of it. 2. DEMONSTRATES UNDERSTANDING OF A RECOGNISED ETHICAL FRAMEWORK FOR GOOD PRACTICE IN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOPHERAPY AND ONE OTHER FRAMEWORK My interpretation of the British association of counsellors and psychotherapist (Bacp) ethical framework for good practice is it gives counsellors guidelines on the values, ethical principles and personal moral qualities required to deliver a fair and honest level of care to the client.