LEARN MORE...

Home
Documents
June 2021
2
Question 1 material Usual pattern of counseling sessions (1)

Question 1 material Usual pattern of counseling sessions (1)

Content type

User Generated

Uploaded By

funzf1981

Pages

Showing Page:

1/5

Usual Pattern of Counseling Sessions

In counseling there is normally a familiar pattern of sessions - Introduction,

Information Gathering, Discussion, Conclusion and Homework! What follows is the

framework for an Initial Visit, Middle Visit, and Final Visit.

Feeling anxious? Don't worry, the client is more afraid of you than you are of the

client! :) What matters most of all is the client gets to talk and talk and talk AND

be truly heard!

Initial Visit Pattern

First impressions really are lasting

impressions. It is important to be timely

and friendly.

Introduction – the first 10 minutes

Greet the client warmly – smile and shake hands. Escort to your office.

Offer a chair and a drink of water.

Your client will be nervous – not knowing what to expect. So explain to her or him

right away what she or he may be wondering about – briefly. Your credentials, the

forms that will need to be filled out, the assurance of confidentiality, the duration

of the visit, etc.

Don’t forget to assure the client that there will be time to find out what brings

her or him in here. Given the amount of paperwork that normally has to be filled

out, she or he will begin to question the value of this.

Information Gathering – about 20 minutes

Ask the client, “So what brings you in here today?!” If the person doesn’t know

where to start, tell the client to “start anywhere.” Some clients give coherent

stories, others give a laundry list of concerns. But generally speaking, some themes

Showing Page:

2/5

should keep coming up again and again. Take discreet one or two word notes; you

will be able to review these shortly.

A successful first visit is one in which the client has done almost all of the talking –

this is all about them!

Discussion / Counselor Input – about 10 minutes

This is your opportunity to provide input. To tell the client what you think she/he is

saying and to develop a list of concerns. The client can then be asked if what you

are hearing is what she/he is saying. Ask the client to rate the concerns from most

problematic to least, and ask which one she/he would like to work on first. You may

not have all the resources you need at hand – but you now know what you have to do

some homework on!

I am a big fan of "mapping" as the first homework assignment - filling out a week-

long time sheet where they can write down when the problem happens and what is

going on at the time.

Conclusion – about 10 minutes

Assure the client that she/he can “do this.” If you honestly feel that client can't,

this is a sign you need to refer.

It is crucial that the client have a printed copy of services available to her/him –

especially of warm-lines and crisis services.

Make certain the client knows that she/he can always reach you – by answering

machine and by email. That you will respond briefly, and the client can discuss the

stated concern(s) at the next meeting.

End all counseling sessions on a positive note. The client should be able to list a few

things that she/he has to look forward to over the next few days.

If the client seems to have nothing to look forward to, this is a red flag for

suicide. You will need to ask her/him, “Are you thinking of suicide?” If she/he

takes a noticeable pause before answering or says “Maybe” or “Yes,” you need

to know the protocols of your organization for what to do when you suspect a

client is suicidal. Set the next appointment time and date.

Showing Page:

3/5

End of Preview - Want to read all 5 pages?

Access Now

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Usual Pattern of Counseling Sessions In counseling there is normally a familiar pattern of sessions - Introduction, Information Gathering, Discussion, Conclusion and Homework! What follows is the framework for an Initial Visit, Middle Visit, and Final Visit. Feeling anxious? Don't worry, the client is more afraid of you than you are of the client! :) What matters most of all is the client gets to talk and talk and talk AND be truly heard! Initial Visit Pattern First impressions really are lasting impressions. It is important to be timely and friendly. Introduction – the first 10 minutes Greet the client warmly – smile and shake hands. Escort to your office. Offer a chair and a drink of water. Your client will be nervous – not knowing what to expect. So explain to her or him right away what she or he may be wondering about – briefly. Your credentials, the forms that will need to be filled out, the assurance of confidentiality, the duration of the visit, etc. Don’t forget to assure the client that there will be time to find out what brings her or him in here. Given the amount of paperwork that normally has to be filled out, she or he will begin to question the value of this. Information Gathering – about 20 minutes Ask the client, “So what brings you in here today?!” If the person doesn’t know where to start, tell the client to “start anywhere.” Some clients give coherent stories, others give a laundry list of concerns. But generally speaking, some themes ...
Purchase document to see full attachment