Lesson 4: Settings, Processes, Methods and Tools in Counseling PDF

UNIT I: COUNSELING LESSON 4: SETTINGS, PROCESSES, METHODS AND TOOLS IN COUNSELING  LEARNING OUTCOMES The learners are expected to: 1.Demonstrate a high level of understanding of the settings, processes, methods and tools in counseling; 2.Identify the settings in which coun...

UNIT I: COUNSELING LESSON 4: SETTINGS, PROCESSES, METHODS AND TOOLS IN COUNSELING  LEARNING OUTCOMES The learners are expected to: 1.Demonstrate a high level of understanding of the settings, processes, methods and tools in counseling; 2.Identify the settings in which counselors are found; and 3.Illustrate the different methods and processes involved in undertaking counseling. SETTINGS IN COUNSELING  1. GOVERNMENT Since all counselors help patients or clients cope with the problems in their lives, including mental or emotional disorders and stressful life changes, you might think their employment options are limited. However, counseling is a diverse field, encompassing several specialties. The workplaces where counselors find jobs are equally wide- ranging. Depending on your level of education, relevant work experience and specialty, you may work in hospitals, government agencies, private practices or any number of healthcare or other professional environments.  2. PRIVATE SECTOR Many private individuals and groups provide a rich source of counseling opportunities. The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the government, as compared to the areas of the economy controlled by the government being referred to as the public sector.  3. CIVIL SOCIETY Like the private sector, the civil society serves as a vast workplace for professional counselors. The civil society is the aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens. Civil society includes the family and the private sphere, referred to as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business. By other authors, "civil society" is used in the sense of 1) the aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens or 2) individuals and organizations in a society which are independent of the government.  4. SCHOOLS The Philippines mandates school counseling in middle and high school. The Congress of the Philippines passed the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, with a specific focus on Professional Practice, Ethics, National Certification, and the creation of a Regulatory Body, and specialists in school counseling are subject to this law. This law is created because legislators believe that schools need counselors as co-partners of educators in the delivery of quality and value-oriented education. The significant role of school counselors cannot be over-emphasized.  5. COMMUNITY Much like its inherent multiculturalism, counseling in the Philippines has evolved from multiple influences. Counseling encompasses a broad spectrum of disciplines (e.g., guidance and counseling, counseling/clinical psychology) and an acknowledgment of the societal context in which it occurs (e.g., poverty, physical disasters, overseas working, graft and corruption, and economic and political instability). Counselors must navigate societal stigmas regarding the need for mental health assistance and widespread ignorance of the field; they also advocate for mental health and resilience in difficult life circumstances. PROCESSES OF COUNSELING STAGES IN COUNSELING  STAGE 1: EXPLORING This is getting the client to start to talk. It may involve many false starts but the client begins to explore the presenting problem. The presenting problem might not be the underlying problem, but this first stage is essential.  STAGE 2: UNDERSTANDING The revelation for the client that the client is responsible for the client’s life can be traumatic. As the counseling series proceeds it should become clearer that there are themes that run throughout the life of the client, e.g. inability to make decisions, inability to sustain relationships, inability to accept responsibility for their own actions, a desire to blame external events or people etc. Acceptance of these themes by the client is largely dependent upon their willingness to engage in the process and the skill of the counsellor in presenting challenge with the right level of support.  STAGE 2: UNDERSTANDING As the counseling series proceeds it should become clearer that there are themes that run throughout the life of the client, e.g. inability to make decisions, inability to sustain relationships, inability to accept responsibility for their own actions, a desire to blame external events or people etc. Acceptance of these themes by the client is largely dependent upon their willingness to engage in the process and the skill of the counsellor in presenting challenge with the right level of support.  STAGE 2: UNDERSTANDING The pace of understanding needs to be set by the client so the client feels in control. Although many challenges are set by the counsellor, the counsellor needs to be extremely aware of the ability of the client to accept them, consolidate the incremental progress and integrate the whole in the unfolding revelation.  STAGE 3: DECIDING AND PLANNING Many counselors never get to this stage. They leave it to the client to decide and act in their own way and time. Indeed, in an ideal case, once the client understands the need for action, he or she goes out and acts on their own initiative.  STAGE 3: DECIDING AND PLANNING In most cases the client and counselor need to collaborate, both forming the ideal solution to the present problem. Conversely, some counselors try to start with this stage and wonder why their clients are not cooperative! Failures are then blamed on the client!  STAGE 4: ACTING This is the stage that might never end! The relationship often needs to be gently loosened, but ultimately there is no substitute for action –even if that is to accept the situation with no apparent change! Remember that life is usually not so clear cut as these notes suggest, so part of the third and fourth stages for some issues might overlap with the second stage of an ongoing or greater issue. METHODS/TECHNIQUES IN COUNSELING COUNSELING TECHNIQUES USED BY COUNSELORS  SPHERES OF INFLUENCE This assessment tool will get the individual to look at areas of their life and see which areas may be impacting and influencing them. The person’s job is to figure out which systems in their life give them strength, and which ones give them stress. Some spheres of influence to consider are: themselves, immediate family, friends, husband or wife, extended family, job or school, community, culture or religion, and any external influences.  CLARIFICATION Counselors should often ask their clients to clarify what they are telling them to make sure they understand the situation correctly. This will help the counselors avoid any misconceptions or avoid them having to make any assumptions that could hinder their feedback.  CLIENT EXPECTATIONS When persons enter therapy, they should voice their opinions about counseling and their beliefs about treatment. In the beginning, they should be able to communicate with their counselor as to what they expect to get out of counseling. This can help the counselor guide and direct his counseling accordingly.  CONFRONTATION We do not mean the client confronting the therapist, or vice versa. The confrontation that should happen here is within the client. The client should be able to self-examine themselves during counseling. However, the speed at which they do this should be discussed between the counselor and the client.  CONGRUENCE This has to do with the counselors being genuine with their feedback and beliefs about their client’s situation and progress. The more authentic and true they are with their counseling, the more that their client and work to grow and benefit from their help.  CORE CONDITIONS This technique in counseling goes over some essential traits that the counselor needs to integrate for effective counseling, which are: positive regard, empathy, congruence or genuineness, and warmth.  ENCOURAGING Being an encouraging counselor for your client is an essential technique that will help facilitate confidence and respect between both parties. This technique asks that the counselors focus on the client’s strengths and assets to help them see themselves in a positive light. This will help with the client’s progression.  ENGAGEMENT As a therapist, having a good, yet professional relationship with your client is essential. However, there are bound to be difficult moments in counseling sessions, which will require influential engagement on the counselor’s behalf.  FOCUSING This technique involves the counselor demonstrating that he understands what his client is experiencing by using non- judgmental attention without any words. Focusing can help the counselor determine what the client needs to obtain next from their services.  IMMEDIACY This is a technique of the counselor by speaking openly about something that is occurring in the present moment. This helps the client learn from his real life experiences and apply this to his reactions for other past situations.  LISTENING SKILLS With any relationship, listening skills are needed to show that the counselor understands and interprets the information that his client gives him correctly. The counselor should do this by showing attentiveness in non-verbal ways, such as: summarizing, capping, or matching the body language of his clients.  OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS Open ended questions encourage people in a counseling session to give more details on their discussion. Therefore, these types of questions are used as a technique by counselors to help their clients answer how, why, and what.  PARAPHRASING This technique will show clients that the counselor is listening to their information and processing what they have been telling them. Paraphrasing is also good to reiterate or clarify any misinformation that might have occurred.  POSITIVE ASSET SEARCH A positive technique used by counselors helps clients think up their positive strengths and attributes to get them into a strong mindset about themselves.  REFLECTION OF FEELING Counselors use this technique to show their clients that they are fully aware of the feelings that their client is experiencing. They can do this by using exact words and phrases that their client is expressing to them.  MIRACLE QUESTION The technique of asking a question of this sort will help the client see the world in a different way or perspective. A miracle question could be something along the lines of: “What would your world look like if a miracle occurred? What would that miracle be and how would it change things?”  STAGES OF CHANGE By assessing clients’ needs, counselors can determine the changes that need to occur for their client, and when they should take place. This can be determined by what they believe to be most important.  TRUSTWORTHINESS The counselor must create an environment for his client as such that his client feels that he has the capacity to trust his counselor. A therapist must be: congruent, warm, empathetic, and speak with positive regard to his client.  CAPPING A lot of counselors use the technique of capping during their sessions. Capping involves changing a conversation’s direction from emotional to cognitive if the counselor feels the client’s emotions need to be calmed or regulated.  WORKING ALLIANCE Creating a working alliance between a counselor and his client is essential for a successful counseling environment that will work to achieve the client’s needs. This technique involves the client and therapist being active collaborators during counseling and agreeing upon goals of treatment that are necessary, as well as how  PROXEMICS This technique has the counselor study the spatial movements and conditions of communication that his client exhibits. By studying his client’s body orientation, the counselor can determine mood, feelings, and reactions.  SELF-DISCLOSURE The counselor will make note when personal information is disclosed at certain points of therapy. This technique will help the counselor learn more about the client and use this information only to benefit him/her.  STRUCTURING When the individual enters counseling, the counselor should discuss the agenda for the day with his client, the activities, and the processes that he will go through. This technique in counseling will help the client understand his counselor’s train of thought into determining how this routine will work for him. Soon enough, the client will get used to the routine, and this establishes comfort and trust in counseling.  HIERARCHY OF NEEDS This technique involves the counselor assessing his client’s level of needs as based on the progress that he is making. The needs that he will factor in are: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongingness needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. All these will determine if change needs to take place in counseling. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘THE EMPTY CHAIR’ – used in psychodrama –spontaneous reaction to fictional confrontation – subsequently often thought of as an example of Gestalt. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘THE LETTER’ –thought out consideration of what to say to recipient without necessarily sending it. Gives time to examine response. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘IDENTIFICATION WITH CHARACTERS FROM LITERATURE’ –examine qualities of fictional character to evaluate desired qualities in client. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘FANTASY’ extrapolation of previous technique. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘PERSONAL CONSTRUCT THEORY’ – thought out consideration and description of client by client in the third person. More objective by slight distancing from self and immediate emotional content. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘SCULPTING’ – describing relationships using cards, stones, people etc. in a tableau or diagram. It can be examined by altering arrangement or participants’ viewpoint. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘GILMORE’S SQUARE’ – thought out consideration ACTIVITY I ought… using spreadsheet of Gilmore’s three areas of concern –activity, RELATIONSHIP I want… relationship and aloneness in the advancing approach of ‘I ought..’ ‘I want...’ ‘I ALONENESS I can… can...’ ‘I will...’. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘VISUAL METAPHORS SUCH AS “THE SHIELD”’ – spontaneous symbols of important aspects of client. TOOLS USED BY COUNSELORS ‘VISUALIZATIONS OR GUIDED IMAGERY’ – detailed symbolism that can be used in a diagnostic and therapeutic capacity. Needs specialist knowledge.