-
Event date & time:
31.05.2020 at 00:00
-
Location
United States
-
Category
Other
When seeking the help of a psychology specialist, a person has the desire to make his or her life better, but at the same time may be overwhelmed with the fear of change. The ultimate goal of any counselor, psychoanalyst or psychotherapist in challenging the client is to help the one to do impossible, namely, to overcome resistance and create an internal room for reflection and experience, which will lead to a transition to a new, higher level of his or her personal functioning.
Primarily, the counselor should accept the client as such in order to establish a successful advisory contact. If the former tries to press an unmotivated or resistant patient and to force him or her to work, the one will never be understood, and the resultant defensive reactions will further prevent efficient treatment. Reluctance and resistance should be treated with understanding, but at the same time, the counselor should show that he or she is not interested in forced work for the benefit of the client. For instance, such an approach is beneficial in the case of a young adult who flatly refuses to engage in consultations. After the counselor had declared that the client was not forced to talk with him, the latter agreed, and the former began reflecting on the nature of this profession, entangling the individual in conversation.
Second, it is crucial for the counselor not to relate the client with his or her problem, but rather focus on his or her strengths, as well as hidden and observable resources to tackle this issue. Scheel, Davis, and Henderson argue that those strengths may be revealed through direct questions to the individual, identified in the course of therapeutic interpersonal relationships, or derived from a person’s deficiencies. Various models may be used to identify them. For instance, Smith “accentuates and establishes the use of empowerment, instilling resilience, being encouraging, and instilling hope as core strength-based processes”. Wong’s strength-centered model implies such four steps as explicating (identifying strengths and values), envisioning (spotting out areas of future development), empowering (encouraging the client to apply his or her strengths), and evolving (evaluating the application of strengths outside the therapy). For example, a patient with an anxiety disorder who is likely to out-talk the counselor can be guided in a constructive direction. For example, his energy may be used for some creative endeavors, such as writing. In such a way, problems may be bypassed in favor of specific solutions. Thus, the disorganizing power of anxiety will be reduced.
Furthermore, the research of the https://essays-service.com/ has shown that it is important for the counselor to remain empathetic and supportive throughout the therapeutic process. However, at the same time, the task of identifying the client’s blind spots should be considered a priority, and the psychologist should not narrow down the therapy to his or her relations with the client. The declaration of sorrow and empathy by the counselor is also insufficient. As a result, deep emotional engagement is required. It may be efficient to put indirect questions giving the client an opportunity to reflect on the problem himself or herself. For example, in the case of depression, it is especially important for the counselor to be “an agent of change”. One should point out problematic issues as opportunities for the patient to make positive changes.
Lastly, in the case of complex mental and physical health problems, the psychologist should take his or her part of the responsibility for coordinating interdisciplinary treatment. The one must ensure that all treatment components are united by a common goal, monitor the client’s perception of treatment progress, and establish meaningful communication with other healthcare providers. For example, the role of the counselor in interdisciplinary teams becomes crucial while dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder. In such a case, his or her advice and guidance helps to improve occupational performance.
Therefore, while working with the client, the counselor should not focus solely on a person’s problems and solve them forcefully, but rather appeal to one’s values and hidden potential, demonstrate empathy and reflectiveness, and make the patient a full-fledged participant of internal conflict resolution. Attention to the client’s strengths and resources leads to the increased effectiveness of the therapeutic process.
