Reflective Piece on Skilled Work at College

1667 Words7 Pages
I cannot think of anything worse than going to a friend or family member to talk about a problem, only to have them give me advice, or worse a lecture. I find it frustrating, because although I want to talk things through, I ultimately want to solve my own problems. With this in mind, I prepared myself for my first filmed session. As a listener, I imagine that counselling a ‘stranger’ can be difficult, yet I know from experience that working with a friend and college colleague is filled with difficulties, and if I am honest, I did find this session particularly challenging. I can fully appreciate and understand why being a counsellor for a family and/or close friend is not advised. Even though I was playing the role of the listener, my inner self was in a constant tug-of-war between being a friend and keeping a professional step back as required by a listener. I was extremely nervous and realized only when it was too late, that I had forgotten the most basic and yet one of the most important things to mention at the beginning of my session, which was one of the boundaries; how much time we had. Establishing clear ‘boundaries’ with the time and sticking with the ethical code from the start of a session, is fundamental to both Client and Counsellor. “It is reassuring to be able to take for granted that someone who is a counsellor is inevitably a person of integrity and virtue who acts in accordance with an impeccable ethical code”. (McLeod, 2009: 514) For personal self development during the session, I knew it was significant to first provide a safe environment in which I may be able to explore the speakers’ issues and help her work towards self –improvement, and also to gain clarity on whatever issue/s she intended conveying. After watching the session and embracing all the feedback and input given by the examiners/tutors and observers, there were
Open Document