EDCE 505 Theories & Techniques of Counseling

1. EDCE 505Theories & Techniques of Counseling Techniques Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

2. Weekend Two • Basic Skills: Facilitation • Termination Skills Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

3. Skills of Facilitation • Facilitation skills are designed to move the counseling process forward • Promote connection, information gathering, and depth FEEDBACK A person’s communication can be feedback to them (verbal & non-verbal). Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

4. Purposes: Reassuring Feedback • Reinforces characteristics, qualities, & attributes that you want to solidify and stabilize • “What impresses me the most about you is your willingness to take risks in reaching out to others.” Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

5. Purposes: Reformative Feedback • Goal is to redirect the counselee to a physical, psychological, or spiritual healthy standard • Prov 15:4; 12:18 • “When you were meeting with your accountability partners regularly you seemed to have had more success in refraining from looking at pornography.” Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

6. Feedback: Limitations • Human nature doesn’t like hearing negative or reformative feedback • Some counselees are more fragile then others • Poorly worded feedback can do damage to counselee & the relationship • Must earn the right to give feedback Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

7. The Skill of Interpretation • Counselor attempts to give meaning, significance, or a rationale for an experience in the counselee’s life • Counselor is basically saying: “this is how I see your situation” • On the directive side of the continuum • Highly dependent upon your theoretical orientation Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

8. Pitfalls & Limitations of Interpretation • Can scar the counseling alliance if you are inaccurate, imprecise, or abusive • Might be seen as insensitive or incompetent • The fact that interpretations are tied to theory makes them limited by the limitations and flaws of the theory Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

9. The Skill of Confrontation • An effective means of noting incongruencies, drawing attention to alternative ways counselee’s might perceive themselves, or influencing new behavior • Highly directive Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

10. The Skill of Confrontation (cont) • Research shows that seasoned counselors use confrontation more than counselors-in-training • Augsburger (1973) “care-fronting” to promote the fact that it combines love and truth • Egan (2007) uses the word “challenge” instead of confrontation • Ivey & Ivey (2003) use the term “influencing skills” Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

11. Pitfalls & Limitations of Confrontation • No skill has been more abused or contains more landmines that confrontation • Can promote counselee growth or opposition • Can be delivered poorly and abuse the counselee • Counselor might be insensitive, judgmental, or intolerant Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

12. The Skill of Self-Disclosure • “A conscious, intentional technique in which clinicians share information about their lives outside of the counseling relationship” (Simone et al., 1998) • Viewed as relaxing the therapeutic boundaries • Counselors who self-disclose are rated more favorably than those who do not • Can improve the comfort level with adolescents • Promotes reciprocal disclosure • Builds rapport Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

13. Benefits & Hazards of Self-Disclosure • Research is mixed on self-disclosure as being harmful or helpful • Two ditches: • Being too private & too reserved – reduces the counselor being viewed as authentic, genuine, caring, & compassionate [“stand-offish”] • Being too revealing and open – might be devaluing & remove the focus from the counselee • Boundary violation is different than boundary crossing (Glass, 2003) Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

14. Benefits of Self-Disclosure • The counselee feels more comfortable opening up • Help the counselee know that s/he is not alone • Enhances rapport • Can promote counselee self-awareness • It can humanize the counselor • It can help the counselee gain another perspective • Creates a more collaborative counseling relationship • Counselee might want to know about the counselor’s training, orientation, & skills Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

15. Hazards of Self-Disclosure • Being incompetent in the use of self-disclosure • Counselor might believe if something worked for him/her it might work for the counselee too • Takes focus off the counselee • A means of avoiding painful or serious issues • Can prevent confronting issues • Difficult to predict counselee’s response to it • It can impact counselor’s ability to empathize • It can contaminate the transference process Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

16. The Skill of Immediacy • Considered one of the most important skills • Focuses on the “here & now” • Deals with issues that arise out of the relationship with the counselee • Occurs when the counselor tells the counselee personal & immediate reactions; disclosing immediate feelings about self in relation to the counselee or the relationship • Contains counselor’s thoughts or feelings about what is going on in the relationship or inside the counselor Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

17. Types of Immediacy • Relationship Immediacy • Captures counselor’s ability to discuss the helping relationship • Explore either the way you & the counselee are interacting or how the relationship as evolved • Event-Focused Immediacy • Here-and-now; refers to counselor’s ability to discuss with counselees an interaction that has just occurred • Focused on the counselor or counseling relationship at the moment in time Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

18. Types of Immediacy (cont) • Self-Involved Immediacy • Speaking in the present tense about what is happening in the counselor at the moment • “It saddens me to think about the fact that you are willing to walk away from your relationship without even trying to see if it can work.” Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

19. When to Use Immediacy • When session is directionless & no progress is being made • Tension between the counselor & counselee • Wanting to give counselee insight into their interpersonal style • Lack of trust in the counseling relationship • Social differences between the counselor & counselee • Counselee seems overly dependent • Counter-dependency seems to be blocking the relationship • When attraction or feelings of friendship are interfering with the counseling Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

20. When to Use Immediacy (cont.) • Believe immediacy is not appropriate until rapport is well-established • However, if issues are affecting the counseling relationship rapport may never happen unless the issues are brought up Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

21. The Skill of Silence • Most non-directive of all skills • Difficult to define: • The temporary absence of any overt verbal or paraverbal communication…” (Feltham & Dryden, 1993, p. 117) • Pauses that last more than 5 seconds Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

22. The Skill of Silence (cont) • Can be hard to tolerate • Research shows that while counselors are silent they are actually active & alert • Two types: • Counselor-Initiated • Counselee-Initiated Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

23. The Role of Silence • Allows a change in the direction of the dialogue • Out of a need for approval, a desire for advice or information, or to get an answer to a direct question • To withhold personal aspects that feel shameful • Counselee is overwhelmed with their suffering • Might be a form of resistance Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

24. The Benefits & Risks of Silence • Benefits & risks might depend upon the timing of silence & the counselee’s need &/or who initiates & terminates it • Research shows that when the counselee initiates & terminates silence and when the counselor initiates & the counselee terminates enhances rapport • Risk is in misreading it & allowing it to continue when the counselee wants the counselor to take the lead Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

25. The Skill of Pacing • Two uses of pacing in the literature • Mirroring or matching the counselee’s behavior • How the counselor manages the counseling process • Must ensure that things occur at appropriate times • Work at a pace that is appropriate to where the counselee is at that time • Sometimes it means staying focused on the topic Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

26. Guidelines for Pacing • = Proceed conservatively • = Assess the counselee’s readiness & timetable • = Content not as important as process • = Encourage, do not drive or force the counselee Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

27. Termination Skills: Overview • The Skill of Termination • Handling Drop-Outs • The Skill of Referral • An intervention strategy in & of itself • Functions of a formal termination: • Signals that something has ended Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

28. Overview (cont) • An intervention strategy in & of itself • Functions of a formal termination: • Signals that something has ended • A means of maintaining therapeutic changes • Reminds both the counselee & counselor that growth has occurred • Serves to celebrate what God has done Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

29. Reasons Terminations can be Difficult • Counseling is an intense relationship • For the counselee: • Might trigger issues of abandonment • To make termination easier might become angry as a means of distancing themselves or a resurgence of previously addressed issues or new issues • Might be fearful that they cannot make it on their own Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

30. Four Categories of Counselor-Initiated • Contracted Termination – fixed number of sessions • Forced Termination –counselor is finishing training • Risk for jeopardizing therapeutic gains • Two counselee variables: counselee’s inability to maintain services & being uncooperative with the helping initiatives • Stalled Termination – no progress • Goal-Based Termination – a form of graduation from services Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

31. Referral • A factor in all phases of counseling • Involves transitioning counselee to another resource that is equipped to help When to make a referral? • Don’t have the level of competence • A local expert with better expertise for the counselee’s problem • A conflict of interest • Counselee not making progress • Would benefit from another resource Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

32. When to Make a Referral • Don’t have the level of competence • A local expert with better expertise for the counselee’s problem • Not the type of person with whom you can be effective • A conflict of interest • Counselee not making progress • Would benefit from another resource Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

33. How to Make a Referral • = know Referral sources • = create an Expectation that referrals are possible • = Foster a Full rationale of why a referral is needed • = Encourage the counselee to follow through • = determine the counselee’s Response to the referral Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

34. Termination Guidelines • = Talk about Termination early • = Evaluate progress according to the Established plan • = consider the counselee’s separation Reactions • = Moderate or reduce the frequency of sessions • = Invite the counselee to share his feelings about termination • = Notice & Name your own feelings about termination • = use Active listening & reflective statements • = review the major Themes, changes, & critical moments • = be Intentional in affirming the counselee’s changes • = Openly acknowledge any unresolved areas • = Navigate & Note any ethical issues • = follow-up appointments to Sustain changes Thomas, J.C., & Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expeditions: Preparing the Christian counselor for the journey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

35. Video Clips (Available in Bb) • Advanced Assessment • Confrontation • Immediacy • Self-Disclosure • Silence • Referral • Pacing • Feedback • Interpretation