CHAPTER 4 Flashcards
1
Q
A certain level of anxiety demonstrates that you are aware of the
uncertainties of the future with your clients and of your abilities to
really be there for them.
One way is to openly discuss our self-doubts with a supervisor and
peers.
A
Dealing with your anxiety
2
Q
- Because you may be self-conscious and anxious when
you begin counseling, you may have a tendency to be
overly concerned with what the books say and with the
mechanics of how to proceed. - If we are able to be ourselves in our therapeutic work
and appropriately disclose our reactions in counseling
sessions, we increase the chances of being authentic
A
Being yourself and self-disclosure
3
Q
- Perhaps one of the most common self-defeating beliefs
with which we burden ourselves is that we must never
make a mistake. - To be sure, you will make mistakes, whether you are a
beginning or a seasoned therapist. - If our energies are tied up presenting an image of
perfection, this will affect our ability to be present for our
clients.
A
Avoiding perfectionism
4
Q
- You cannot realistically expect to succeed with every
client. - It takes honesty to admit that you cannot work
successfully with every client. - It is important to learn when and how to make a referral
for clients when your limitations prevent you from helping
them.
A
Being honest about your limitations
5
Q
- Because therapists feel they should extend
themselves in being helpful, they often burden
themselves with the unrealistic idea that they
should give unselfishly, regardless of how great
clients’ demands may be. - One way of heading off these demands is to
make your expectations and boundaries clear
during the initial counseling sessions or in the
disclosure statement.
A
Dealing with demands from clients
6
Q
- Practitioners must begin by openly discussing the nature
of the relationship.
-Counselors who omit preparation and do not address
clients’ thoughts and feelings about coming to
counseling are likely to encounter resistance. - It is critical that therapists not promise what they cannot
or will not deliver. - In working with involuntary clients, it is especially
important to prepare them for the process; doing so can
go a long way toward lessening resistance.
A
Dealing with clients who lack commitment
7
Q
- Many beginning therapists experience the anxiety of not
seeing immediate results.
-Tolerate the ambiguity of not knowing for sure whether
your client is improving, at least during the initial sessions. - Oftentimes clients may seemingly “get worse” before
they show therapeutic gains. - Also, realize that the fruitful effects of the joint efforts of
the therapist and the client may manifest themselves
after the conclusion of therapy.
A
Tolerating Ambiguity
8
Q
- Working with clients can affect you in personal ways,
and your own vulnerabilities and countertransference
are bound to surface. - Beginning counselors need to learn how to “let clients
go” and not carry around their problems until we see
them again.
-if we become lost in clients’ struggles and confusion, we
cease being effective agents in helping them find
solutions to their problems. If we accept responsibility for
our clients’ decisions, we are blocking rather than
fostering their growth.
A
Becoming aware of your countertransference
9
Q
- includes any of our projections
that influence the way we perceive and react to a
client. - This phenomenon occurs when we are triggered into
emotional reactivity, when we respond defensively, or
when we lose our ability to be present in a relationship
because our own issues become involved.
A
Countertransference
10
Q
- It is important to recognize that laughter or
humor does not mean that clients are not
respected or work is not being accomplished.
-The therapist needs to distinguish between
humor that distracts and humor that enhances
the situation.
A
Developing Sense pf humor
11
Q
- One mistake is to assume full responsibility for the
direction and outcomes of therapy. - This will lead to taking from your clients their rightful
responsibility of making their own decisions. - It could also increase the likelihood of your early
burnout. - Another mistake is for you to refuse to accept the
responsibility for making accurate assessments and
designing appropriate treatment plans for your clients.
A
Sharing responsibility with the client
12
Q
- Therapists help clients discover their own solutions and
recognize their own freedom to act. - Even if we, as therapists, were able to resolve clients’ struggles
for them, we would be fostering their dependence on us. - Our task is to help clients make independent choices and
accept the consequences of their choices. The habitual
practice of giving advice does not work toward this end.
A
Declining to give advice
13
Q
- Relying on techniques too much can lead to
mechanical counseling. - ideally, therapeutic techniques should evolve from the
therapeutic relationship and the material presented,
and they should enhance the client’s awareness or
suggest possibilities for experimenting with new behavior. - Know the theoretical rationale for each technique you
use, and be sure the techniques are appropriate for the
goals of therapy.
A
Learning to use techniques appropriately
14
Q
- There is no one way to conduct therapy, and
wide variations in approach can be effective. - You will inhibit your potential effectiveness in
reaching others if you attempt to imitate
another therapist’s style or if you fit most of your
behavior during the session into the procrustean
bed of some expert’s theory.
A
Developing you own counseling style
15
Q
Stages of the Counseling Relationship
A
Stage 1: Rapport and Trust Building
Stage 2: Problem Identification
Stage 3: Deepening Understanding and Goal Setting
Stage 4: Work
Stage 5: Closure
Stage 6: Post-Interview Stage
