Authentic Counselling Training
Diploma in Counselling
[Under
construction:
This
document in all parts is copyright © Peter Hughes from the date of construction
given above. Please feel free to make use of it for solely personal purposes.
However, should you wish to use it for teaching, training, commercial or other
purposes, you are required to ask me first.
Assignment E: Analysis of a
Counselling Relationship 1
Chronology
The text of this assignment is final only at the start of the term in which
it is intended that the report be written. It is intended that this report be written during the third
term of the course. The target submission date is the final teaching session of
the third term of the course.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect in detail on
some counselling in which you have recently been engaged in your placement. The
counselling relationship may be ongoing or completed.
Preparation
Of the counselling you have undertaken
recently in your placement, select your work with one client about which you
are willing to reflect in detail. If the counselling is ongoing, you must seek
permission from the client to use your experience of working with them. If the
counselling is not ongoing, you should check with your counselling supervisor
that using this counselling relationship for case study discussion in class is
appropriate. Using the headings given below, prepare notes about your work with
this client. In negotiation with the tutor, arrange to present your reflections
to a small group of fellow course participants. The case study presentation must
be audio recorded. Write a structured report of your reflections, including feedback
you received from the presentation. Before putting pen to paper, it is
important that you have read a number of published texts (books, book chapters,
monographs, journal articles).
Report
Using material drawn from any notes you have made about the counselling you
have been undertaking with a counselling client, and also from your counselling
supervision regarding this client, as well as material drawn from appropriate
theoretical sources, write a report of no fewer than 2,000 words and no more
than 3,00 words regarding your counselling with this client. In your report,
illustrate your assertions by referring explicitly to source material (both personal
and more theoretical). Where possible, rather than presenting the client as
though a medical patient, try to focus your responses on the processes in which
you have been engaged. The report should contain the
following elements:
1. Introduction
a) a paragraph outlining the circumstances of the counselling,
i.e. the agency in which the counselling took place; the mechanism by which you
came to be working with the client; details of your contractual agreement with
the client;
b) a paragraph making explicit the nature of your
confidentiality agreement with the client;
c) a paragraph identifying the themes addressed by the client;
d) a paragraph identifying how you consider the client is
making use of you as a counsellor.
2. A
recent counselling session with the client
e) a paragraph identifying the stage of the counselling
relationship, giving evidence;
f) a paragraph identifying your overall aim for the interview;
g) the ways in which you communicated a basic empathic understanding;
h) the ways in which you communicated a deeper empathic
understanding;
i) the ways in which you
used your congruence during the interview;
j) the ways in which you communicated an unconditional positive
regard for the client;
k) ways in which, with the benefit of hindsight, you could have
improved on your counselling in the session.
3. Reflection
l) ideas from the case
study discussion that you consider to be of some value;
m) ideas from
the case study discussion that you consider to be of little value;
n) what you
have learnt, as a result of this assignment, about
i) working with this client;
ii) counselling;
iii) yourself.
Suggestions for Reading
Barrett-Lennard, G.T. (1998) Carl
Rogers’ Helping System
Bozarth, J. (1998) Person-Centered
Therapy: A Revolutionary Paradigm Ross-on-Wye: PCCS
Books
Kirschenbaum, H. and Henderson, V.L.
(eds.) (1997) The Carl Rogers ReaderLondon: Constable
Mearns, D. and Thorne, B. (1999) Person Centred
Counselling in Action 2nd edn.,
Merry, T. (1999) Learning and Being in Person-Centred
Counselling Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books
Patterson, C.H. (2000) Understanding Psychotherapy: 50 years of
client-centred theory and practice Ross-on Wye: PCCS
Books
Rogers,
C.R. (1993) Client Centred Therapy
(1951-current edns.)
Rogers, C.R. (1989)
On Becoming a Person: A therapists view of
psychotherapy (1961-current edns.)
Rogers, C.R.
Tolan, J. (2003) Skills in Person-Centred
Counselling & Psychotherapy
Assignments for Diploma in
Counselling: Essay preparation, Introduction, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L
This
document in all parts is copyright © Peter Hughes from the date of construction
given above. Please feel free to make use of it for solely personal purposes.
However, should you wish to use it for teaching, training, commercial or other
purposes, you are required to ask me first.