Foundation: redue of blog 1

                          Picture used from Google search website: techproductmanagement.com

 

          After reading and meditating on the text’s material, I have a few topics and reflection I will discuss

with my peers.  First, I found the graphs and illustrations to be beneficial for my learning and organization of the large amounts of information in Psychological techniques.  For instance “The Helping House” figure on page 8 of the text made sense to me because of the levels of understanding and organization of data, or beliefs (Thomas & Sosin, 2011).  Second, the text has made it clear that truth—after ones’ perception and interpretation of the truth—turns into a commonly held belief (Thomas & Sosin, 2011).  Lastly, the acronym C.R.E.A.T.E.S., (table1.3) found on page 18, reaffirmed my held views about God in a more organized way!   

        Lastly, in chapter three, I felt that this was another informative chapter for counselors.  One of the topics discussed were countertransference, which had many forms this hazard could take on: being a parent, being powerful, needing to be validated (Thomas & Sosin, 2011).  I feel counselors in training need to be aware of these possible problems between the professional relationships.  One of the hardest lessens, we as counselors will need to grasp, is this: the counseling session is about that client and not about our needs.  

References

Thomas, John C., Sonsin, Lisa. (2011). Therapeutic Expedition: Equipping the

Christian Counselor for the Journey.   

            The King James Study Bible. (1988). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Confrontation Through the eyes of being confronted

Over the past two weeks of reading the topic of confrontation really stood out to me. Through the reading I was able to understand the multifaceted aspect that confrontation has in becoming a counselor. When the term “confrontation” first came up I thought it to be an action a counselor or counseling student used to “call the client out,” but sense then my perception has changed. A counselor must be able to handle confrontation in a constructive way in order to deliver confrontation in a constructive way.

         First, as a counseling student I am able to see first hand the benefit of constructive criticism from my peers. In this current class I am required to be evaluated by my peers as well as evaluate my peers. Dr. Knight refers to confrontation as “challenging while supporting.”  As an emerging counselor it is important to be able to receive feedback as well as give feedback to others. The practice of evaluating and being evaluated by my peers allows me to practically understand and apply beneficial confrontation. Through this lesson I am able to see ways that my confrontation skill administer grace and understanding to the hearer, and areas for improvement. When receiving confrontation by my peers I am able to put myself in the clients shoes as I process confrontation in order to produce positive change in my lifestyle. The process of being open to confrontation as an emerging counselor enables me to modify my confrontation skills as I both administer and receive such criticism in a learning environment. 

         Second, after a counselor has learned to receive confrontation, and has received adequate amount of confrontation they are able to use those skills in a client session. Confronting clients requires an ample amount of support from the counselor, but also a sense of challenging. As counselors it is important that we use confrontation to foster further client growth. Confrontation can be done through stating the consistency through reflection of the inconsistencies in the counseling process.  It is pertinent that counselors practice self awareness so that they are not seeking to be understood in the counseling process, but instead using it to seek to understand the client.

         Sometimes confrontation is viewed as strictly from client to counselor, but as counselors we must subject ourselves to confrontation. When a counselor subjects himself or herself to confrontation they will enable themselves to adequately administer confrontation to the client.

Thomas, J. C. & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.

Reshaping my Path

Photocred: Kate Marcus of Paperheart Photography

Though I have enjoyed much of the content in these chapters, I found Chapter seven the most interesting and helpful thus far. So many lines in this chapter are now bright neon yellow, as the words resonated with me while providing necessary clarification. Feedback, especially for the strong-willed extrovert writing this post, is natural in human relationships. However, they must be tailored appropriately in the counseling setting. While reading this chapter, I realized that I naturally utilize many of these "skills of facilitation", including feedback, self-disclosure, interpretation, confrontation, and immediacy. Often, in moments of using these, especially with friends outside of the counseling/psychology realm, I have heard the words we all have, "Yea, you'll make a great counselor." Due to these characteristics being an easily visible part of the counseling process, they can often be mis-construed as most important. However, as we have been learning the counselor/counselee relationship takes great precedence. Even in the famous book by Cloud & Townsend, Boundaries, we learn that in any relationship, the bond should precede boundary setting (1992). I broke down my natural inclinations and built a more sustainable and appropriate foundation, but as that process formed I began to miss and crave the feedback portion of the counseling process. This chapter, rightly timed, confirmed my natural tendencies, while teaching me how to properly channel them. I've learned through many a personal relationship that feedback is not always appropriate, and with some, never desired. Therefore, I want to be all the more cautious in my counseling relationships. I am, honestly, so grateful and excited to be able to intentionally identify these aspects of feedback, and to intensely discipline my natural abilities to be most beneficial to those I will get the privilege to counsel.

Better To Be Slapped with The Truth Than Kissed With a Lie

                                                          Russian Proverb. Google
In chapter 7 of Therapeutic Expedition, there was a large discussion on appropriate feedback in the counseling session.  Feedback can be positive or negative, and even when it is coming from a pure heart it can be interpreted as negative.  People are generally resistant to feedback, even if it is positive it can create anxiety in the receiver.  It is important that we be cautious and gracious and loving in the feedback we give out. I have found in personal experience that when I am emotionally connected to the discussion, I have a very difficult time receiving any negative feedback and I am quick to explain myself.  I have tried to be more cautious about my own responses and to maintain a teachable spirit, but that is still something I am continually working on.  Also when I am giving feedback, if I am not consciously being careful of my words then I can do some major damage to people I love, especially when emotions rise.  It is important for me that I do not allow my own personal agenda to get in the way in a counseling session. It is not my job to make the client receive my feedback. It is my job to appropriately deliver it and help them work through it. Even though feedback can be hurtful even when done correctly, it is better to have feedback from a friend whose heart is for you, than to just believe lies of people who never care if you change for the better.  

Silence

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Photographer: Myself

This journey of becoming a counselor has included learning to use many skills that are naturally uncomfortable, however I trust this process and that they will prove to be beneficial in future practice. One such skill which has been stretching is silence. Thomas and Sosin (2011) paint a picture of the beauty of silence by referencing moments of silence in pieces of music (p. 218). It is very true that when used in this manner, silence creates anticipation for things to come and can be used in the same way within the process of counseling.

I appreciated when Thomas and Sosin (2011) wrote that many beginning counselors feel that “silence indicates their incompetence” (p. 218) when in actuality becoming comfortable with well-placed silence is a skill that develops with time and practice. Learning skills for counseling, at times, feels as though I need to re-learn basic skills of social interaction. However, avoiding the use of these skills that I am not accustomed to implementing would be a decision made from my own insecurities which is placing my own interests ahead of the clients’. We come to this profession seeking to learn how to function in the best interest of our clients and to do anything else would compromise that. It is my prayer as I continue, that I will be able to walk forward to become the best counselor possible as I walk through life as a professional helper.

Reference

Thomas, J. C. & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.

Peace Beyond Understanding

    
     When a person seeks out a counselor, the relationship brings with it a considerable amount of heavy baggage. Through this journey I have begun to understand having discernment is just not enough to help the counselee. The text covers the five different phases of the counseling process. The connection & assessment, treatment planning, the actual treatment, termination and post-treatment. It really is easier for me to learning how to be a counselor when broken down into segments. Our society seems to be isolating itself and yet we are a social people. When I take a look back to when I was younger the world was so different. There was a time when neighbor helped neighbors and how they interacted with one another was more like family than strangers. I long for those times back again when pay it forward was just a part of life, normal not abnormal. Sometimes when a person gives a little it becomes front page news, truly amazing. When Jesus walked our planet you would find him most of the time with people that loved him and those that despised him.

Mark 12:30-31New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]There is no commandment greater than these.”

We get lost in the hustle and bustle of life and sometimes forget why we are here. When we counsel or client's pray for them first and then help them find the truth.

Thomas, J. C. & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group

Letting Them Free

http://www.unk.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/end-therapy.jpg

There is a saying that states as follow, “Everything that begins must get to an end”. Human beings are born and later die. The grass and plants grow to serve their purpose and later on die. Students initiate classes that at one point must end. Many perishable foods are good until they get rotten, and this can continue on and on. When it comes to professional counseling this cycle also applies. Every client that seeks professional mental health initiates a journey that is intended to guide the individual through a path of healing. This journey begins with the intention to reach a finish line which in counseling is known as the termination of the counseling.

John C. Thomas and Lisa Sosin dedicate a chapter in their book to skills to terminate a counseling session. It is very interesting like they both say how counselor in training are prepare with multiple techniques and theories to counsel the client; however, they are source of let alone to figure out the proper and effective way to culminate a counseling treatment. Thomas and Sosin incorporated the following quote in their book, “To terminate the counseling abruptly would be similar to a surgeon dismissing the patient from the operating room without closing the wound (Aten et al., 2009). This quote is absolutely true. If the counselor does not terminate the treatment with the client properly they can end up causing damage to the client and ruining all the progress accomplished. Thomas and Sosin states three functions of the counseling termination; first, it signals that counseling has ended, second, termination is a way of encouraging ongoing therapeutic changes, and three, termination reminds both the counselor and the counselee that growth has occurred (Gladding, 2009).

Appropriately and diligently concluding a counseling treatment is vital to the client’s accomplishment. This final session can be the icing to the cake for a client’s recuperation or the demolition of everything built throughout the entire treatment. It is of great importance for each counselor in training to learn and implement great skills to terminate a counseling session. That final session is letting the client free to incorporate society with the changes gained through therapy.

Reference

Thomas, J. C. & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group