edgc 671 dean owen, ph.d., lpcc fall 2012 unit 1 the helping relationship and the counselor

EDGC 671

Dean Owen, Ph.D., LPCC

Fall 2012

Unit 1

The Helping Relationship

And the Counselor

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Basic Definitions: 1. Guidance: The term ‘Guidance’ usually refers to an information giving process in which in which a trained individual transmits needed information to another individual who need that information in order to facilitate decision making. The process is generally one of providing needed information and is usually very brief in duration (one or two sessions). Individuals providing guidance services may, and often are, lay persons who possess special knowledge or skills.

The Helping RelationshipBasic Definitions: 2. Counseling: The term counseling usually refers to a time-limited and mutually interactive process in which a skilled provider facilitates decision making or behavioral change with a client through the application of a variety of psychologically or educationally based processes. It is assumed that the client is relatively functional and psychologically healthy but is experiencing normal situational or developmental difficulties. This process may involve meeting with a counselor for from one to twenty sessions. Persons providing professional counseling services usually have at least a Master’s degree in counseling, Social Work, or related areas.

The Helping RelationshipBasic Definitions:3. Psychotherapy: The term psychotherapy is usually used in reference to a relative long professional relationship designed to facilitate fundamental personality reformation. Clients for psychotherapy are often severely disordered and fundamentally dysfunctional. Psychotherapy is often conducted over a protracted period of time that may extend to many months or even years. Individuals providing psychotherapy are usually trained in Clinical or Counseling Psychology and possess the doctorate degree.


The Helping Relationship Defined

The helping relationship is one in which al least one of the parties has the intent of promoting the growth, development, maturity, improved functioning, and improved coping with life of the other.

Carl Rogers

“...the development of a warm, trustful, relationship between the helper and the helpee underlies any strategy or approach to the helping process and , therefore, is a basic condition for success of any helping process.”

Counseling

Counseling represents a specialized field of professional work and requires knowledge and skill in two areas:

Counseling SkillsCounseling

Theory

The 4 Stages of Counseling

Introduction

Insight

Treatment

Termination


1. Introduction and initiation:Principle Goal is to build rapport and engage the client.

a. Mutual Introductions

b. Referral source determination (external vs self)

c. Statement of Presenting Problem (not always reliable)

d. Explanation of the counseling relationship, process, and conditions

e. Invitation to engage in the process….offer hope!

Building Rapport

a. Attending (Active listening)

e. Reflecting content and feeling

c. Restating

d. Paraphrasing

b. Encouraging (inviting)

f. Clarifying

g. Perception Checks

h. Summarizing


2. InsightPrinciple Goal is to develop a dynamic formulation using theory(ies)

To create for counselor and client alike, a fundamental understanding of the situation or problem consistent with the client’s ability to understand….

This will depend upon the client’s

a. Intelligence

b. Education

c. Social situation

d. Cultural background

e. Need


3. Treatment

Principle Goal is to

develop a strategy to

promote change.

Once again, this

treatment will depend

upon the many of the

same factors mentioned


4. Termination

Principle goal is to

bring the relationship

to a mutually agreed

Upon end.

Core Facilitative Factors

1. Empathic Understanding

2. Respect and Positive Regard

3. Genuiness and Congruence

4. Concreteness

5. Warmth

6. Immediacy

7. Cultural Awareness

Goals of Counseling

1. To facilitate changes in one’s behavior

2. To improve social and personal relationships

3. To increase social effectiveness and one’s ability to cope

4. To learn decision-making processes

5. To enhance human potential and enrich self-development

6. To promote personal strength and capability

The Eight Tasks of Effective Counseling

• 1. Assessment.

This means helping clients discover what is going wrong and what is going right in their lives. Successful assessment helps clients identify both problems and resources. Assessment helps clients see any given problem in a wider context. Assessment goes on throughout the helping process.



• 2. Focusing and initial problem exploration. This means helping clients identify the particular concern or concerns with which they may want to deal and beginning the exploration and clarification process.


• 3. New Perspectives. This means helping clients see themselves, their concerns, and the context of their concerns more objectively, that is, in such a way as to begin to see what they would like to do about the their concerns.


• 4. Goal Setting. This means helping clients set problem-managing goals. A goal is nothing else but what a client wants to accomplish in order to manage a problem situation or some part of it effectively. A goal refers to what a client wants to do about a problem situation. Program development deals with how clients might go about accomplishing goals.


• 5. Program Possibilities. This refers to helping clients see the many different ways that any given goal can be accomplished. It also refers to helping clients identify the resources available for accomplishing goals.


• 6. Program Choice. This refers to helping clients choose the kind of program that best fits their style, resources, and environment.


• 7. Program Implementation. This refers to helping clients implement the programs they have chosen to pursue and helping them overcome the obstacles they encounter as they do so.


• 8. Evaluation. This refers to helping clients monitor their participation in programs, their accomplishment of goals, and their management of problem situations.

Essential Counseling

Activities

The transition from counseling theory to counseling practice is built upon 6 essential counselor activities….these include:

Constructing Objectives (Specifics)

Intake Assessment

Goal development (General)

Case Conceptualization

Interventions

Evaluation/Termination

Intake Assessment

Purposes of the Intake Assessment

1. To determine the suitability of the person for the counselor’s services

2. To assess and respond to the urgency of the person’s situation

3. To familiarize the person with the process of counseling

4. To engender a positive client attitude toward counseling

5. To gather essential client information

Source: Seligman (1996)

Case Conceptualization

This second step requires the counselor to utilize a knowledge of counseling theory and human psychology and development to generate an understanding of the client’s problem situation so that an effective intervention can be planned.

Goal development (General)

Phase III involves the process of generating with the client’s assistance the statement(s) of broad goals to be achieved during the counseling process. These should be expressed as global and long-termed objectives…These are Goals and can be thought of as the destination of a trip…..

“Seek to develop a more effective decision-making strategy”

Constructing Objectives (specific)

Phase IV involves working jointly with the client to construct specific steps leading to the attainment of the broad goals in Phase III. These objectives are stated in behavioral terms and should include target dates and obvious standards of evaluation. This is the route to be taken on the trip.

Interventions

Phase V involves the specific actions planned during phase IV…taking and evaluating instruments, reviewing information, discussing values…etc.

You are now traveling toward the destination….you are on the way to a destination with your client.

Evaluation and Termination

Phase VI involves assessing the progress and determining the success of the trip to the destination. Did you arrive? Were there problems to be overcome?

1. Have the client review the goals and summarize any successes, failures and other sources of learning.

2. Have the client discuss feelings about termination.

3. Insure that the client can transfer what has been learned to the wider world outside of counseling.

4. Assist the client with closure…The process ends.

Personal Characteristics of the Effective Counselor

1. Effective counselors have an identity.

2. They respect and appreciate themselves.

3. They are able to recognize and accept their own power.

4. They are open to change.


5. They are expanding their awareness of self and others.

6. They are willing and able to tolerate ambiguity

7. They are developing their own counseling style

8. They can experience and know the world of the client, yet their empathy is non-possessive.

9. They feel alive, and their choices are life oriented.


10. They are authentic, sincere, and honest.

11. They have a sense of humor.

12. They make mistakes and are willing to admit them.

13. They generally live in the present.

14. They appreciate the influence of culture.


15. They are able to reinvent themselves.

16. They are making choices that shape their life.

17. They have a sincere interest in the welfare of others.

18. They are deeply involved in their work and derive meaning from it.

The Counselor as a Person with Values…..

Values: What should the counselor's position be on:

a. Religion

b. Abortion

c. Alternative lifestyles

d. Extramarital/premarital sex

e. Divergence of cultural values

f. Drugs

g. Right to die

h. Cultural diversity

I. Abuse

I Thou shalt never try to make another human being exactly like thyself; one is enough.

Counselor Commandments

II Thou shalt never judge a person’s need, nor refuse your consideration, solely because of the trouble that person causes you.

III Thou shalt not blame heredity nor the environment for problems; these can be overcome.

IV Thou shalt never give a person up as hopeless nor cast a person out.

V Thou shalt try to help everyone become, on the one hand, sensitive and compassionate, and on the other able to handle tough situations.

VI Thou shalt not steal from others their rightful responsibilities for determining their own conduct and consequences thereof.


VII Thou shalt honor anyone engaged in the pursuit of learning and extend the discipline of knowledge and the skill of learning which are our common heritage.

VIII Thou shalt have no universal remedies nor expect miracles.

X Thou shalt remember the sacredness and dignity of thine own calling, and at the same time, thou shalt not take thyself too damned seriously.

IX Thou shalt cherish a sense of humor which may save you from becoming shocked, depressed, complacent, or having a nervous breakdown.


A Counselor should seek

to emulate the life of the

medieval Knight:

To possess great strength, courage, and skill….

To possess humility, and wisdom….

To wield both with care and gentleness in the benefit of those whom we serve.

edgc 671 dean owen, ph.d., lpcc fall 2012 unit 1 the helping relationship and the counselor

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