Session Summary
Marriage is often connected with numerous issues that people struggle to resolve on their own without the assistance of a counselor. In the video, an example of the marriage problem is described, primarily the client’s inability to establish adequate personal boundaries with her mother after getting married (Excerpts From Initial Counseling Sessions, n.d.). Marisa comes to counseling sessions to solve interaction problems with her mother and the inability of the woman to separate emotionally from the guilt she feels when she does not fulfill her mother’s expectations. It is possible to state that Marisa feels that she cannot separate psychologically from her mother, which is harmful to her marriage and emotional well-being.
Session Analysis
Therapeutic Alliance
The therapeutic alliance refers to the rapport between the client and the counselor, which is vital for effective interaction. Verbal and nonverbal methods form the basis of the therapist’s discussion of the case (Lee & Cho, 2021). For instance, the counselor’s voice and posture show that he is interested in his client’s story as a professional and is not judging the woman for her actions or thoughts.
The therapist asks the client questions related to the emotions the woman experiences and requests additional details to gain a deeper understanding of the situation. These components contribute to the therapist’s professional behavior and, therefore, the client does not question the therapist’s competencies (Lee & Cho, 2021). The therapeutic alliance between the counselor and the client, as depicted in the video forms, is characterized by a positive and unconditional attitude, congruence, and empathy. Therefore, the combination of professionalism and empathy allows the counselor to establish a connection with the client.
Listening Skills
The counselor uses professional listening skills and helps the client tell her story without interrupting. He asks questions that emphasize the essential details in the client’s story, allowing the client to respond to the therapist without constraints. In other words, the counselor’s listening and attending skills help the client share the most vital aspects of their marriage story.
Effective Strategies for the Client
The therapist’s most effective strategy with the client is cognitive behavioral therapy (Lee & Cho, 2021). Although the elements of this therapeutic approach are not entirely evident during the first session with the client, it is possible to infer its potential application in the future. There is a need to change the client’s attitude toward vulnerable topics to alter her behavior, which can be achieved through questioning and guidance that the counselor already employs (Lee & Cho, 2021). In addition, it involves cognitive reconstruction of the client’s perception of the issue, setting goals, engaging in positive activities, and tracing the client’s thoughts about the problem.
Lessons Learned from the Session
The video showed me an example of professional behavior that is both neutral and empathetic, and I plan to use it during my practice with my volunteer (Excerpts From Initial Counseling Sessions, n.d.). I learned from the video about the appropriate conduct of therapists. Corresponding to the professional code of ethics that supposes assisting clients without imposing their views, beliefs, and values on them (Varkey, 2021). The client in the video is unaware of the therapist’s opinion regarding her relationship with her mother. The counselor focuses on the client’s thoughts and perceptions of this interaction, a crucial aspect of professionalism.
Personal Skills Used During the Listening Sessions
During the listening session, I employed various skills, such as demonstrating empathy and engaging in active listening while refraining from interrupting the other person. After my volunteer described their problem, I actively listened, took notes, and used nonverbal cues such as nodding and facial expressions to convey empathy. I identified the most critical aspects of the volunteer’s story and respectfully asked questions to encourage further elaboration on those details. A crucial aspect was to ensure a clear understanding of the individual’s personal boundaries to prevent unintentional insults during the therapeutic session.
Insights from the Listening Activities
The central insight I gained from the listening activity is a practical understanding of the therapeutic factors essential in the counselor’s work. This notion describes the emotional connection between the client and the counselor, grounded in pursuing the same goal, mutual agreement, respect, care, and trust that the therapist expresses to the client. I understood that skills require the therapist to express professionalism and credibility without using specific words to articulate them (Varkey, 2021).
Clients should feel that their story is heard and that their behavior is not evaluated from ethical or rational perspectives (Varkey, 2021). I learned from the video and my practice with the volunteer that the client should ensure the therapist focuses on helping them solve the problems they set for themselves. Additionally, the client may not always be clear about what they want to change, and the counselor’s responsibility is to help the client articulate the session’s aim (Varkey, 2021). In other words, the client needs to draw their own conclusions without direct advice from the therapist, and guiding the client is the most complicated part of establishing a therapeutic relationship.
The questions for my interview with the volunteer should be neutral and reflect the therapist’s positive, non-judgmental attitude towards the client. The questions I plan to use include the following:
- Could you elaborate on your thoughts on this issue?
- What did you feel at that particular moment?
- Can you specify the possible reasons for your reaction?
- What is the point that concerns you in this situation?
- Do you want to change your attitude to the case?
Reference
Excerpts from Initial Counseling Sessions. (n.d.).
Lee, S. H., & Cho, S. J. (2021). Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressive disorders. In Y. K. Kim, (Eds.), Major depressive disorder (pp. 295–310). Springer.