Week 4 & 5

I’ve had to almalgamate 2 weeks worth of reviews this time as I didn’t get round to posting wk4.

As well as practicing our skills which I’m guessing will become a weekly occurance we studied differences in diversity and equality to demonstrate our understanding of the needs/belifes of the individual.  The purpose was to show how clients opinions shouldn’t cloud or influence the way we percieve and treat them.  This week we learnt about endings, endings in life but also ending sessions and blocks of counselling.

Week 3

Last night we began with the more practical side of the learning process and started practicing our listening skills in Triads.  Following a brief exercise defining boundaries we drew up a mock contract and practiced communicating it to others in the group.  The contract was to contain a standard set of information including:

• Introduction
• Confirmation of name and preference
• Any preferences in terms of comfort
• An outline of cost if relevant
• Structure/Length of the session, of session (50m) and also the block (6 sessions) followed by a review

 

I felt I had missed certain aspects out of mine such as the length of the session which became evident as I was the last one to practice.  It felt very scripted in that instance but for a first attempt we were all happy about how it went.

Once we had covered our contracts it was time to begin practising the three roles, Listener, Speaker & Observer.  All 3 of us used work as an issue we were currently enduring.  I really enjoyed putting my skills to the test, it was surprising how hard it was to not give advice. Remembering the minimal encouragement and not asking closed questions was particularly hard.  Fortunately we all went easy on each other and didn’t clam up with short answers if they were closed questions.

I won’t post here in regard to the boundaries as I did a post under the training resources section previously.

Week 2

Following what had seemed a long week since my first session I eagerly returned to college for my second week on my Lv1 Introduction to Counselling.  Despite walking into the wrong class room (which was the right class room but we had been moved!) things got to a great start.  Sitting with a different group of people this time (which wasn’t my plan) turned out to be a good move as we worked productively together.

Initially we checked in which is something I still need to get used to.  I explained how I’d had a relatively quiet week – nothing major arriving in my life.  Getting down to business we did a brief exercise discussing what counselling is and isn’t.  For instance;

It is about:

• Open ended questions as opposed to closed questions.  This encourages the client to speak about their issues in more detail rather than a short yey or neigh.
• Counselling provides an opportunity for self reflection in a safe empathic environment.
• Active listening with an open posture.
• Facilitates the way forward.
• Allowing silence when required.
• Using listening skills
  • This then led to the mention of Paraphrasing which I had previously read about in Margaret Hough’s Counselling Skills & Theory.  Paraphrasing being the ability to summarise the clients issue and handing it back to them in shorter manner, outlining the main points.  This will give them the opportunity to hear if your understanding of what they have just told you is correct or not.

Counselling is not about:

• Offering sympathy.
• Giving advice.
• Choosing the agenda.
• Disclosing personal information.
• Asking closed questions.
• Allowing the client to develop a dependency and encouraging infinite sessions.
• Saying little or nothing throughout the session.

Following our break we worked as a class giving out answers as to what different people offer to a person.  These were Parent, Friend, GP & Counsellor.

Parent:

• Give advice & share experiences.
• Providing emotional support.
• Financial support.
• Providing a home.
• Teaching us right from wrong.
• Teaching about social boundaries.
• Providing appropriate [physical] contact – i.e. hugs.

Friend:

• Providing sympathy.
• Empathy.
• Alcohol(!)
• Confidentiality (which I gave and it was posed this could be questionable to which I replied that it does state “friend” and not “acquaintance.”  Anyone who doesn’t offer this wouldn’t be considered a friend by myself.
• Time.
• Emotional support.
• Advice.

GP:

• Medicine.
• Limited time.
• 1 issue per visit.
• Support.
• Sign posting.
• Confidentiality.
• Diagnosis.

Counsellor:

• Confidentiality
• Time (50min)
• Sign posting
• Listening
• Empathy
• Referal

These were discussed in some depth and we all exchanged ideas and opinions as to where these qualities and offerings sat.  It was interesting to learn that some people had different ideas and outlooks/perceptions of the roles outlined.

Boundaries & Contracts

It was explained to us about our “Limits of Ability”.  For instance counsellors do not offer advice nor should they try to diagnose any other apparent conditions.  If there is ever cause for concern it would be the responsibility of the counsellor to discuss this with their manager/supervisor only once they have notified the client of their intentions.  The counsellor-client contract is something that is presented normally at the start of the first session.  This wouldn’t need to be repeated unless for any reason you need to address a breach of this contract.

I’m really getting into this now and feel like I have a lot to learn.  November will soon be here and I can’t wait to continue this journey.

Week 1

And so it begins!  I’ve successfully completed my first day and survived.  Upon arriving in the counselling suite I have to say it wasn’t what I expected.  It was a comfortable seating arrangement, very informal, no desks and a room full of very nervous anxious looking people.  That’s a start I suppose, I wasn’t on my own.  My nerves were eating away inside of me, churning my stomach around and around.  I noticed the board which had an agenda written on and then saw that word I was dreading to see “ICE BREAKER”.  I hate talking in front of people, especially people I don’t know.

Our tutor; Chrissy, introduced herself and went through the usual housekeeping, explained the content of the course and then went around the group for our introductions.  There was a broad demographic; younger, older, male, female.  Everyone seemed as nervous as the next person and everyone had their own reasons for being there.  Several people had decided to make a career change the same as me – again each had their own reason for doing so.

Our ice breaker wasn’t too bad.  Given the alternative of directing blindfolded peers around a maze by only making animal noises; ours was quite tame.  We paired up with our neighbour and went through a list we had written of items that represent us.  It was quite interesting to see the similarities and differences of the group.  We then had to go through that list out loud and explain to the rest of the group what was on there – some ‘whys’ were explained also.

Following a brew break (must remember cash next time as it wasn’t free like on the CMI!) we went through a list of hopes and fears.  Again it was relieving to see other people had their own fears which kind of put me at ease.  We are all in the same boat, doing something new and outside of our comfort zones so things began to ease after this.  There was an exercise after this about how we listen.  Obviously this was more how to listen properly, things such as body language, facial expressions, reactions etc.

Next session it sounds like we will be beginning our “Triads” which is the Counsellor/Client/Observer groups which again I’ll be quite nervous about.  I don’t want to end up bringing too much to the table and I don’t want to end up with trivial issues.

All in all I’m really happy about how it went and nerves aside I’m looking forward to next week.