Authentic Counselling Training
Diploma in Counselling
[Under construction: 11 October 2004]
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 G: Analysis of Observed
Counselling Practice 3
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 fourth term of the course. The target submission date is the final teaching session of the fourth term of the course.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect in detail on
some audio/video recorded observed counselling practice in which you have
recently been engaged, and to demonstrate your ability to make sense in
theoretical terms of what took place.
Preparation
o Read fully the instructions for this assignment.
o Read several published texts (books, book chapters, monographs, journal articles) of direct relevance to the practice of person centred counselling.
o Review all of your observed counselling practice (with fellow course participants) audio/video recorded this term. Select an audio/video recorded observed counselling practice session that was at least 25 minutes long, and in which ‘middle work’ is evident. Transcribe from the recording each of your interventions. This transcription of interventions is to be attached to your report as Appendix 1. Written feedback from your observers is to be attached to your report as Appendix 2.
Report
Using source material drawn from:
o the audio/video recording of your observed counselling practice;
o the transcription of interventions;
o feedback given to you by your observers;
o several theoretical person-centred texts,
and utilising each of the headings given below, write a structured report of at least 1,000 words, but no more than 2,000 words, regarding your observed counselling practice as demonstrated by the recording. As extensively as you are able, illustrate your assertions by making explicit reference to, and quoting from, each type of source material.
1. Introduction: a brief introduction, giving the date of the observed counselling practice session, and how many times you had previously listened to this speaker.
2. Contract: the contractual context of the observed counselling practice session (confidentiality, length of session, etc.).
3. Counselling process: describe the nature of the contact between you and the speaker during different sections of the observed counselling practice session.
4. Middle work:
o evidence that supports the assertion that the observed counselling practice represents middle work,
o evidence that calls into question the assertion that the observed counselling practice represents middle work.
5. Empathic understanding: identify examples of:
o your competent communication of empathic understanding,
o your less-than-fully-competent attempts to communicate empathic understanding,
o your omission to communicate empathic understanding,
o how you might better have responded, with the benefit of hindsight.
6. Genuineness / Congruence: identify examples of:
o your competent communication of genuineness / congruence,
o your less-than-fully-competent attempts to communicate genuineness / congruence,
o your omission to communicate genuineness / congruence,
o how you might better have responded, with the benefit of hindsight.
7. Unconditional positive regard: identify examples of:
o your competent communication of unconditional positive regard,
o your less-than-fully-competent attempts to communicate unconditional positive regard,
o your omission to communicate unconditional positive regard,
o how you might better have responded, with the benefit of hindsight.
8. Ready for improvement: identify aspects of your counselling practice to which you might valuably give attention.
9. Conclusion:
o by which aspects of this assignment you were most challenged,
o with which aspects of this report you are most satisfied,
o with which aspects of this report you are least satisfied.
10. List of reference sources: giving full bibliographical details, including name of the author(s), year of publication, (title of article if in a journal), title of publication, name of publisher, place of publication.
11. Appendix 1: transcript of your interventions.
12. Appendix 2: feedback from your observers.
Suggestions for Reading
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.
Rogers, C.R. (1993) Client Centred
Therapy (1951-current edns.)
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.