Counseling: Strengths and Weaknesses

Counseling Techniques

In general, counseling techniques may be regarded as particular methods used by counselors in order to address clients’ problems and solve them efficiently. Techniques allow specialists to form relationships with patients on the basis of their individual features and needs. Moreover, using various techniques, counselors influence patients’ worldviews and attitudes toward themselves. There are three major counseling techniques that include directive, non-directive, and eclectic counseling. All of them have specific features that distinguish them from each other.

Difference Between Directive and Non-Directive Counseling

  1. Directive counseling is counselor-centered – it is controlled by a counselor who decides the therapy’s pace, direction, and termination. In turn, non-directive counseling is client-centered, and all aspects of the therapy are determined by him, while a counselor serves as a follower and tracker.
  2. Directive counseling presupposes a counselor’s choice of topic, the interpretation of a client’s responses, and recommendations that aim to impact a client’s decision-making. Nin non-directive counseling, a client is provided with freedom of choice in relation to topics and expressions. Although a counselor record and interpret a client’s responses, he does not provide ready solutions. Instead, it helps create suitable conditions for a patient individual working on an issue.
  3. Direct counseling is more distinct in diagnosis on the basis of well-established and evidence-based categories. Non-direct counseling avoids reliance on diagnosis, admitting that every person is highly complex and unique.
  4. In direct counseling, a counselor is regarded as an expert with particular experience, knowledge, and skills who aim to offer help. In non-direct counseling, unconditional positive regard, a patient’s personhood, and understanding are essential.
  5. Direct counseling is based on a strict application of a particular model and following it step by step. Non-direct counseling focuses on the equality of a client and a counselor, deep empathy, and psychological assistance. In other words, a counselor does not provide direct guidance but helps a client find inner directives for efficient solutions.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Eclectic Counseling

In general, eclectic counseling may be regarded as a therapeutic approach that presupposes the application of different psychological theories and strategies in order to meet the patient’s needs to the fullest extent. In addition, eclectic counseling combines both directive and non-directive approaches – in other words, aiming to meet a person’s expectations in accordance with his specific features and the aspects of an issue, a counselor is neither too passive nor too active (Peterson & Fuller, 2022). Thus, while eclectic counseling has a particular structure, it is not limited by the strict guidelines of one model’s framework. Both client and counselor have freedom of expression on the basis of the most appropriate chosen techniques without the rigidity of a directive approach, and it may be regarded as the method’s major advantage. In addition, using an eclectic approach, a counselor may personalize therapy, apply different strategies depending on a problem, and approach it from various angles.

On the other side, eclectic counseling has several serious disadvantages – first of all, it cannot be efficiently applied to all patients as some of them require a more directive approach for efficient intervention. In turn, the switch from one theory to another and the use of various approaches simultaneously may be confusing (Peterson & Fuller, 2022). In addition, eclectic counseling may be regarded as a complicated method that requires the involvement of a highly skilled therapist who is able to detect the correct approach to a client’s particular issue.

Reference

Peterson, T. J., & Fuller, K. (2022). Choosing Therapy. Web.

Importance of Counseling Skills Essay

Introduction

Counseling refers to a process that provides direction or advice regarding a decision or course of action. It involves five crucial stages, which apply in succession. The stages are an introduction, information gathering, discussion development, conclusion making, and offering a solution (Maddux, 2010). Counseling involves giving directions or advice on multiple disciplines in life, which can be vital for various professions and situations.

A career in counseling does not suit everyone. There are specific technical and personal skills essential for success in this area of expertise. Effective therapy requires specific individual traits, methodological skills, ethical principles, life experiences, and unremitting specialized development (Maddux, 2010). Counseling is a vocation that attracts individuals who are highly passionate about helping people.

This importance of counselling essay will explain the essential skills, techniques and tools required for the process.

Essential Counseling Skills

A passionate counselor needs to be patient, tactical, welcoming, trustworthy, and understanding. Another important counseling skill is effective communication (McLeod & McLeod, 2011). An effective counselor ought to communicate well through active listening, maintaining eye contact, observing and responding to body language, as well as asking open-ended questions that allow for responses.

Effective counselors also paraphrase what their clients say, take notes, and make summaries as a way of connecting and understanding them. Other skills essential for a successful counseling career include proper time management, organization, prioritization, confidentiality, good record keeping, emotional intelligence, accessibility, and adherence to pattern sessions (McLeod & McLeod, 2011).

Counseling Skills Scale

The counseling skills scale applies different criteria in assessing how well a counselor applies both individual and technical skills to deal with a client (McLeod & McLeod, 2011). Based on the criteria applied in the model, there are certain skills that come easily, while others are challenging to execute.

As earlier mentioned, counseling is a vocational process that requires a lot of passion and application of certain skills by a counselor, in order to achieve success (Maddux, 2010). In my case, there are four skills that I will have ease in applying. First, I will be quite emphatic with a client. This is because of the human nature to show sensitivity and comprehension towards the state of others.

This comes naturally even for people who are not counselors. The second skill will be listening. This is because listening plays a crucial role in effective communication with a client. I am an active listener, thus I will not struggle to connect with clients.

The third skill is compassion towards clients. All people have a humane quality of understanding the suffering of others, and want to do something about it (McLeod & McLeod, 2011). Therefore, I will not have a hard task showing compassion to my patients.

The final skill is offering solutions to clients. My professional training on critical analysis of patients’ situations will make it easy for me to offer solutions (Maddux, 2010). Effective communication skills will also boost my capacity to offer solutions.

However, I feel it will be a challenge for me to master certain skills. The first skill will be controlling the whole process that comprises various steps. This is because I am poor at developing schedules and organizing information. To achieve success in a counseling process, it is important to develop effective schedules for clients to follow, as well as record and organize information in a professional manner.

The second skill entails understanding clients. I may be a good listener, but not an all rounded communicator. To understand clients, I ought to have essential skills such as ability to read and interpret body language (McLeod & McLeod, 2011). I have little knowledge about body language. Therefore, I foresee struggle to master the skill and eventually be in position to help a client.

References

McLeod, J., & McLeod, J. (2011). Counseling Skills: A Practical Guide for Counselors & Helping Professionals. New Jersey: McGraw Hill International.

Maddux, C. (2010). Basic and Advanced Counseling Skills: Skilled Counselor Training Model. New York: Cengage Learning.

Managing Resistance in Correctional Counseling

The job of a corrections counselor is to help prisoners cope with their problems and explore mental health issues, thinking problems, and emotional cases that can lead to re-engagement in criminal behavior. By working on the mindset, counselor can teach their clients to find more positive responses to the problems they face in life and help them avoid re-offending. However, many corrections counselors face client resistance and unsuccessful clients that can be difficult to manage. Offenders may be resistant to counseling and seek to avoid the complex and sometimes painful processes they may encounter in the course of treatment. The corrections counselors must be prepared for difficulties, know what complications they may encounter, and understand how to act and deal with them correctly.

In the setting of corrective counseling, the client’s resistance to treatment may look different and manifest itself in a range of resistance, from passivity and ignorance to open confrontation with the counselor. Furthermore, the client may demonstrate various aggressive behaviors intended to distract, interrupt, or discourage the counselor from providing effective treatment. Such actions are intended to seize control over the process and avoid personal responsibility for unlawful acts. In some cases, the offender may try to engage the counselor in an open and violent struggle for power and control, which may require the counselor to emotional losses. The client may show resistance by hiding information, failing to keep appointments, undermining or disregarding the therapy process, failing to complete homework assignments, and refusing to work with the counselor in covert or open ways (Van Voorhis & Salisbury, 2022). Another form of resistance may be external compliance by the client (Van Voorhis & Salisbury, 2022). For some time, such resistance may be imperceptible, as the perpetrator may deliberately do the right things, say the right words without absorbing any information, and deliberately abstract from the results of the counseling sessions.

Resistant clients and unsuccessful clients may affect self-efficacy as a correction professional. After working with such clients, corrections counselors may feel tired, frustrated, and unsure of their competence. Due to resistance, many correctional counselors may become impatient and frustrated. They either dismiss the offender as unmotivated to counsel or react irritably and try to coerce the offender into a receptive attitude and cooperative behavior. This becomes the basis for a power struggle between the counselor and the offender, which can drain the counselor and lead to reduced self-efficacy (Van Voorhis & Salisbury, 2022). Such a power struggle and the confrontation it entails are counterproductive. Confrontation awakens defense mechanisms that prevent effective treatment, cause resistance, and can be perceived as an attack or an attempt to break.

These conditions make the process of further effective treatment impossible and nullify all the consultant’s efforts. In addition, the perpetrators are more likely to win such power struggles because the very act of involving the consultant in such a conflict reinforces their exaggerated sense of self-importance. A struggle for power can also reveal the consultant’s vulnerabilities. Thus, for successful counseling in the correctional setting, it is essential to avoid entering into such a confrontation to avoid undermining the client’s trust and to increase the chance of helping the client avoid repeat violations.

There are ways to deal with resistant clients and avoid negative consequences for self-efficacy as a corrections professional. The correctional process is related to skepticism and conviction that “nothing works” for resistant clients (Walsh et al., 2020). However, if the counselors believe this, they will be inclined to act consistently with this belief, and the results will justify their beliefs. If they believe people can change, they will act on that belief and find confirmation of it. Thus, one of the key requirements of successful treatment is the consultant’s confidence in the effectiveness of corrective counseling. Treatment programs that build positive therapeutic relationships are more effective in reducing recidivism (Stasch et al., 2018). Treatment motivation may be detected in inmates’ behavioral and cognitive traits, such as general attitudes toward treatment and the court system, attribution of causes and consequences of their behavior, and expectations of the change via treatment (Stasch et al., 2018). Counseling redirection, reframing, and reversal responsibility are needed to deal effectively with reluctant clients and prevent exhausting and useless struggles for control.

One of the most important elements of resistance management is avoiding lengthy debates with offenders. The counselor should explain to the client that this behavior will not be successful and explain the short and long-run consequences of such behavior. The most successful strategy for dealing with customers who are resistant to change is to refocus the focus of attention on the work or issue at hand by disregarding opposition, focusing on the offender’s involvement in the problem, and addressing current and relevant problems (Van Voorhis & Salisbury, 2022). Furthermore, it is critical to persuade the offender to evaluate the source of their resistance due to semantics by putting a positive and negative spin on the opposition and renaming resistance based on the underlying criminal thinking pattern. It is critical to reflect the offender’s resistance in a way that assigns personal responsibility and demands by paraphrasing resistance while paying attention to its underlying meaning, asking challenging and open-ended questions, encouraging the offender to make a value judgment of resistance, and delivering responses as tentative observations.

References

Stasch, J., Yoon, D., Sauter, J., Hausam, J., & Dahle, K. P. (2018). . International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 62(14), 4609-4621. Web.

Van Voorhis, P. Salisbury, E. J. (2022). Correctional counseling and rehabilitation (10th ed.). Routledge.

Walsh, A., Wells, J., & Gann, S. M. (2020). Directive counseling: Theory and practice. In A. Walsh, J. Wells, S. M. (Eds.), Gann Correctional assessment, casework, and counseling (pp. 153-175). Springer.

Transcription of Counseling Session

Norena, a Hispanic student in Grade 7, is a client to be described in this case study. Norena’s teacher referred her to guidance because of recently observed changes in her behavior. The problem is that the girl has difficulties in relationships with her peers as she tries to isolate her from other students, her mood is mostly sad, and she often becomes angry in interactions with peers, yelling at friends and using negative wording when communicating with them.

These changes in Norena’s behavior became observed after the vacation, and in the past, the girl was an active student involved in extra-curricular activities. Thus, Norena was one of the best students in her class, interacted easily and friendly with peers, performed as a member of the honor society and the leadership group, demonstrated an interest in music and art. After the vacation, the girl’s grades became lower, and she did not participate in extra-curricular activities anymore. Problems in performance and interactions have led to Norena’s participation in the ISS (in-school suspension) program. Currently, Norena’s attitude to study, her mood, and performance are the areas of concern for her parents and teacher.

The communication with Norena’s mother helped to determine that Norena’s behavior began to change after her family had planned to move to Ohio, where the father could get a good position. Their relatives also live in a town in Ohio, and the family plans to move at the end of the year. Thus, it is possible to assume that Norena experiences stress and emotional pressure associated with moving and other coming changes in her life as transitioning to a new town and school is challenging and difficult for students (Zyromski, Dimmitt, Mariani, & Griffith, 2018). The girl experiences problems with coping with her feelings and possible fears about uncertainty.

These expected changes in Norena’s life could potentially lead to changes in her behavior and emotional state, leading to problems with academic performance and communication (Dollarhide & Lemberger-Truelove, 2018). In this report, Norena’s words will be represented using the label Student and the counselor’s words will be represented using the label Counselor. The purpose of this paper is to present the analysis of the verbatim transcription of a session with the client along with discussing the theoretical framework and providing reflection.

Section 2 – Transcription and Analysis

Verbatim Transcription Clinical Skills and Competencies Analysis of Clinical Thinking Evaluation of Counselor’s Response
Student: Hi, are you the counselor?
Counselor: Hi, yes. I’m one of the counselors, how can I help you? Counselor uses a probe to continue a conversation and stimulate Student to describe the problem (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). It is important to stimulate Student to describe the problem in her own words, to make her formulate the request for help. Counselor appropriately uses a probe and creates a trigger for Student to ask for some help, but the utilized wording could be more emotionally colored.
Student:I got sent here by my teacher to see you.
Counselor:Your name is Norena, right? From Mrs. Lefano’s class. Counselor establishes rapport with Student. The used approach can be discussed as easy to demonstrate that Counselor is focused on Student and her needs and ready to help. At this stage of the conversation, Counselor’s technique is appropriate to start a positive and client-oriented conversation.
Student: Yep, that’s me.
Counselor: Well, thanks for coming, and happy to help you, and go over few things with you. I just want you to know that everything we talk here is confidential. I will let your mom know that we have talked today, and I’m sure your teacher probably is going to email her to let her know she sent you to guidance. Counselor demonstrates respect and validates the client while discussing the conditions of the session (McLain & Lewis, 2018). The reason for the statement is the necessity to ensure Student that the session will be confidential, but parents will be informed that it took place. It could be possible to add more words about the purpose of this session and its potential usefulness for Student. This approach would help Student adapt to the situation of communicating with Counselor.
Student:Yeah… that’s fine.
Counselor: What happened in class that you got send down to guidance? Counselor uses a direct and appropriate open question in order to learn more about a situation or a problem (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). This question is necessary to help Student start telling about the problem, and it is important for Counselor to collect all the required information (Jayawardene, Erbe, Lohrmann, & Torabi, 2017). The use of general and unbiased open questions is appropriate to stimulate clients’ speaking and sharing details about their problems and concerns.
Student: Well, during math, I was working with my group and the teacher overheard me calling Natalie stupid, so she sent me down. Whatever, I don’t care, they are all stupid, I’m sick and tired of everyone.
Counselor: Norena, I understand you are mad and aggravated because of what happened. However, it is truth that you were calling Natalie stupid, right, is that what you said? Counselor uses Student’s feelings reflection and clarifies the case (McLain & Lewis, 2018). It is necessary to demonstrate that Counselor understands the client’s feelings and wants to learn more about the problem to help while establishing effective rapport. The used technique is effective to build positive relations with the client, but wording used for asking the question could be improved to accentuate Counselor’s awareness of Student’s concern.
Student:Well, I was trying to help her and she didn’t get it.
Counselor: So you guys were working in a small group and everyone was supposed to do this activity together. And Natalie didn’t understand it, and you called her that. Right? Counselor rephrases the case in order to emphasize the clear understanding of the situation (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). Rephrasing or paraphrasing is important to provoke Student to add more details and demonstrate that Counselor is interested in understanding the case. This technique allows for creating a list of problems to focus on during the session (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). The used statement is effective to accentuate that Counselor is focused on Student’s vision of the problem without making prejudiced assumptions when paraphrasing the client’s ideas.
Student: Yes.
Counselor: How would you feel if that would happen to you, if someone called you that name in front of other students? Counselor asks an open question to learn about Student’s feelings. It is important to gain information about the emotional background of this situation and help Student see a situation from a different perspective. Counselor effectively helps Student focus on her own feelings rather than actions using an alternative perspective.
Student: I guess … I would be embarrassed … I just feel bad…
Counselor: When you say you feel bad, you meant sad? Counselor uses restatement to clarify Student’s words (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). This practice allows for gaining clarity about Student’s feelings associated with her fears regarding moving to another town. Counselor could use an open question for this case: When you say you feel bad, what do you mean? This approach provides Student with more opportunities to share deep feelings and thoughts.
Student: Yes, kind of … silence … I just want to be by myself, I have a lot going on home, and I don’t understand why now things are changing. Why now …
Counselor: Norena, I’m very sorry you are sad and feel a little confused. I’m glad you came down to talk to us. You know … Sometimes when we feel that something is bothering us, one good way to feel better is to express those feelings, and let out what is bothering us. Counselor uses empathetic and reassuring statements. Counselor needs to demonstrate support and stimulate Student to share her concerns. Student’s expected reaction is the willingness to continue conversation and share her fears and anxiety (Jayawardene et al., 2017). This practice is effective to encourage the client to share her feelings and emotions. No changes can be proposed.
Student: I’m just not comfortable leaving everything behind, why they couldn’t wait until I finish 8th grade.
Counselor: I’m sorry that you are so sad, and frustrated and you’re going through this. And I can only imagine how you feel letting your friends behind and everything, I totally see how this is affecting you. What is it that you want? Counselor demonstrates empathy, reflects Student’s feelings, and asks about wishes. Empathetic and reflective statements create a positive atmosphere. Counselor continues them with an open-ended question to learn more details about the nature of Student’s interactions with friends (McLain & Lewis, 2018). Student is effectively encouraged to share her feelings without being judged. This approach can be viewed as appropriate, and no changes are necessary.
Student: I just want to graduate here, you know … I started here when I was in PK, and now I have to meet new people and make new friends and I don’t know if I’m going to feel comfortable in the new school.
Counselor: I totally understand how you feel, I can tell you’re not happy moving. Can you educate me more about what’s happening at home? When I spoke to your mom, I understood your dad got a new job opportunity in Ohio. Counselor uses reflective statements, rephrasing, and open questions. It is necessary to learn more about the situation and Student’s feelings associated with it to understand what provides the background for her negative behavior at school. The order “reflection of feelings-rephrasing-open questions” is appropriate to support Student’s speaking and gather required data.
Student: Yes, you know my dad has been working in this company for many years and now they offer him a better position …
Counselor: Our parents always want the best for us …Ok … Go on… How does that make you feel? Counselor uses verbal listening techniques (McLain & Lewis, 2018). Counselor needs to learn more details about the problem and stimulates Student’s speaking about the situation at home. The supportive phrase about the role of parents can be changed and refocused on Student’s feelings, but the question is effective.
Student: Yeah, and you know he’s very happy because he is going to have more time to spend with us, and he’s going to get more money to take us on vacation…
Counselor: I see a little smile on your face when you talk about this… I meant this is great, right. Have you pictured you in a new house, new room, going with your parents over the weekends to the park or doing a little vacation together? That’s amazing. Counselor accentuates a positive experience associated with changes with the help of interpretation (Jayawardene et al., 2017). It is necessary to help Student become aware of the positive aspects of moving to another town. That is why, it is important to learn whether Student has any positive visions of the situation with moving to Ohio. The used technique is effective to provoke alternative thinking about the problem. The technique of open-ended questions could be utilized to change this question: Have you pictured you in a new house?
Student:Yeah … I know, I’ve been a little hard on myself and my parents…
Counselor: Now let’s explore … Walk me through those happy moments that you had experienced at this school. You told me that you started here on PK … Wow, that was 7 years ago. Your teacher told me you are great in art, you like music and you are in the honor society and the leadership group, how do you feel about that? Counselor helps Student shift to positive associations related to her study at school and asks open questions (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). It is necessary to learn why Student’s attitude to study has changed. In addition to the situation at home, Student could experience some difficulties with her extra-curricular activities that could change her attitude to these courses. Therefore, it is important to learn more details about this aspect. Clarifications about Student’s previous experience and her thoughts about interesting activities provide the background for understanding the problem. Nevertheless, the reference to the past events is not typical of the choice/reality therapy, and the used wording can be changed to focus on accentuating Student’s relations.
Student: Good… I have the student of the month recognition at the end of the school year and we had ice cream and a diploma, Ms. Ramos put some music for us, and my parents came.
Counselor: Ok. Let’s go back to that part and reflect on what you’re saying, I love the smile on your face, and how enthusiastic you sound when you talk about these positive things that you earned with your good behavior. What changed? Checking on your grades, I can see they are dropping. Little be. Counselor helps Student reflect on her experience, interpret it and realize changes in the emotional state and behavior (Zyromski et al., 2018). Counselor makes a smooth shift to discussing problems with academic performance. In this case, the use of positive regard is important (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). The selected technique is appropriate as it is based on the positive analysis of the problem and the application of unconditional positive regard.
Student: It just makes me sad that I won’t be able to be with the friends I grew up with, you know…
Counselor: I totally get it… But, we have to face reality here, don’t you think that is better if you create more positive memories with them? You still have an entire school year, before you move. Counselor demonstrates acceptance, the understanding of Student’s feeling through reflection and interpretation (McLain & Lewis, 2018). It is needed to help Student change her perspective of perceiving the situation and see the advantages. After finding out the aspects that cause the changes in Student’s behavior, Counselor wants to propose the ways to overcome the problems. Counselor’s approach is appropriate as the technique is used without pressure, but with respect. Still, the use of an open question can be more preferable in this case.
Student: My best friend… Already told me that she is going to miss me, but she will FaceTime me to talk…
Counselor: You see, you found a great solution to the issue, even though you will be a little far from your friends, you still can communicate over the phone and talk about the experience you are having in the new town, and school district… Counselor emphasizes the solution found by Student with the help of interpretation and acceptance (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). Interpretation adds clarity for Student to see more solutions to the problematic situation. Counselor uses this technique in order to encourage Student to focus more on positive moments. This approach allows for accentuating the importance of positive relations with peers, and it helps to change Student’s attitude to the overall problematic situation according to the principles of the choice/reality therapy (Dollarhide & Lemberger-Truelove, 2018).
Student: Yes… Absolutely… At the end, is it not too bad, right?
Counselor:Not too bad at all… I see it as an opportunity to meet new people and always think that changes are good … and this is totally a positive one for you and the entire family. Counselor continues interpreting the experience for Student. The practice allows for getting rid of negative emotions associated with moving. The path followed by Counselor is effective as Student accepts this approach to shifting her perception from negative to a positive one.
Counselor: I will just keep on calling on you. I hope after our talk today, you think and reface on your feelings and thoughts, and maybe something to consider is to talk to your dad and mom, and let them know how deeply happy you are for them and his new job opportunity. Counselor demonstrates support and helps to choose a solution (McLain & Lewis, 2018). Student needs this encouragement from an adult respecting her needs and understanding her fears. As a result, it is possible to achieve the situation when Student feels safe and can get rid of her anxiety. The technique is effectively introduced because, at this stage, Student is ready to accept the way of interpreting the situation promoted by Counselor and take certain actions to improve her relations with peers and parents.
Student:I think I will miss… I totally see things from a different now.
Counselor: I want to check on you every Monday, is that ok? Counselor proposes regular support in a positive manner. Student needs to be aware of Counselor’s support and care to change her behavior. The purpose of Counselor is to continue cooperation with the client to guarantee they will achieve goals associated with changing ineffective behavior. The form of a question indicates that Student is the main and respected decision maker in this relationship.
Student: Yes, that’s fine…
Counselor:You guys have leadership during the first period, just come by to say Hi, and if you feel that you want to share something with me, or there is something bothering you, don’t hesitate to talk to me… I’m here to help you… Counselor explains how their further communication will be organized to provide necessary support for Student (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). Counselor needs to demonstrate what will be done to really help the client. As a result, Student can realize that this adult will always be ready to help her. This approach can be viewed as rather effective to guide and encourage Student.
Students: I appreciate it …
Counselor: Oh, I totally forget, may sure you apologized to Natalie and the teacher. Counselor proposes an indirect solution to resolve the conflict. This statement is necessary to ensure that Student will make changes in her behavior. The form of the proposition can be improved to become more effective to guarantee Student is not under pressure. It is possible to use an open question for that purpose (Jayawardene et al., 2017).
Student: I was thinking about to write a note to Natalie and talk to Mrs. Lefano.
Counselor: You see that’s the Norena we know… I’m happy you’re willing to change and make things better. Counselor demonstrates appreciation and affirmation (McLain & Lewis, 2018). It is important to support Student with affirmation in order to ensure her progress to changes. At this stage of the session, Student needs to be encouraged and motivated to change. The selected technique is effective for closing the session in a positive and encouraging manner. No specific changes are required.
Student: Thanks. See you Monday.

Section 3 – Theoretical Framework

During the session and analysis of the transcriptions, such theories as the person-centered theory by Carl Rogers and the choice/reality therapy by William Glasser were applied. According to Rogers’s principles, the key focus should be on promoting a client’s self-actualization and building positive relationships with a counselor (Dollarhide & Lemberger-Truelove, 2018). Thus, feeling support and encouragement, every person can positively develop and realize his or her potential. Furthermore, individuals need to feel support and positive regard from close people, and they tend to value behaviors according to feelings they provoke.

During the session, these principles were addressed through the counselor’s application of reflections, rephrasing, empathy, and respectful interpretation. The counselor helped the client to understand how she could change her behavior to feel better, get rid of anxiety, and improve her interactions with significant others through demonstrating her real feelings and being involved in positive interactions. As a result, the client became able to reflect on real problems that bother her and evaluate her behavior to positively change it according to the idea of self-actualization. The counselor used the empathetic understanding and the positive regard to contribute to the client’s progress.

The choice/reality therapy is based on the ideas that people need positive relationships with others, thus, they need to be loved and to feel independence and power. When developing effective interactions with close people, it is possible to satisfy individuals’ needs. The way to developing such relations is through choosing how to behave to make strong relationships (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018).

Thus, clients learn how to make better choices to be more satisfied in their relationships with other people. In the context of this theory, the counselor helped the client develop a simple plan to make the first steps in changing her behavior and improving the relationship with others through talking with parents, friends, peers, and the teacher to accentuate the significance of these relationships for the client (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). It is possible to state that the counselor’s guidance helped the client start taking control of her behavior.

Self-Reflection Summary

The analysis of the transcription has allowed me to discover what strategies I prefer to use as a school counselor. Thus, I am focused on applying feelings reflection, empathy, rephrasing, and open questions. These techniques provide me with an opportunity to build a strong rapport with the client and ensure that Student can share her emotions and thoughts openly, while being always supported. The models that inform my work with clients are the person-centered theory and the choice/reality therapy that explain my choice of techniques and the extent to which some counselor skills and competencies are developed.

I have received a chance to practice my use of techniques associated with Rogers’s person-centered theory. Therefore, I utilized feelings reflection, verbal encouragement, and rephrasing to help the client express her self-actualization. Applying the choice/reality therapy, I was able to demonstrate the client that she needed positive relations with her relatives and friends, and I helped her find a plan to change her behaviors and renew encouraging interactions with significant others.

My strengths are in making clients feel comfortable when communicating with me to cause them to share their inner problems and emotions and in using the technique of open questions to help clients focus on their feelings to find solutions. I was able to demonstrate the behavior that was more productive and appropriate for Student depending on her needs. Furthermore, through a chain of applying a counselor’s skills and techniques, I helped the client realize her needs in interactions and find the ways to achieve positive results while relieving her pain associated with moving to another town. However, I also have some weaknesses in demonstrating certain counselor capacities.

The challenging task was to balance the use of open questions, demonstrating empathy and using interpretation because interpretation was meaningful for this session to help Student see and understand some aspects of her behavior and background. However, any unbalanced use of interpretation during the session can lead to imposing a counselor’s opinion on Student. I was trying to avoid this negative effect during the session to address the client’s interests.

I should state that my experience in applying such advanced strategies as the counselor’s self-disclosure and theory-based interventions is not enough, and more practice is required in these areas. In addition, I need to improve my use of unconditional positive regard as this technique is closely related to the scope of practices applied in the context of the choice/reality therapy. In spite of the fact that I have knowledge of these strategies and techniques, as well as the areas of their application, I cannot state I can easily use them in my everyday practice at the current stage. Therefore, I need to work on practicing the skills and techniques that are actively used by the adherents of the person-centered theory and the choice/reality therapy to achieve better results.

References

Dollarhide, C. T., & Lemberger-Truelove, M. E. (2018). Theories of school counseling for the 21st century. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Jayawardene, W., Erbe, R., Lohrmann, D., & Torabi, M. (2017). Use of treatment and counseling services and mind‐body techniques by students with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Journal of School Health, 87(2), 133-141.

McLain, C. M., & Lewis, J. P. (2018). Professional behaviors and dispositions: Counseling competencies and lifelong growth. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2018). Counseling and psychotherapy theories in context and practice: Skills, strategies, and techniques (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Zyromski, B., Dimmitt, C., Mariani, M., & Griffith, C. (2018). Evidence-based school counseling: Models for integrated practice and school counselor education. Professional School Counseling, 22(1), 1-10.

Personal Theory of Counseling

Introduction

Many scholars have come up with various theories that try to explain the nature of human behavior and the factors that cause the differences in the same. However, there are some discrepancies in these theories and as such individuals continue to develop new theories everyday. This has brought about the emergence of personal theory, which is often used in counseling in an attempt to bridge the gap and discrepancies created.

It is worth noting that the theories have some common understanding or interrelated stand when it comes to critical factors of human nature. From these, we can deduce and come up with a precise and thorough understanding of the basic view of human nature, changes of behavior and therapy.

My Basic View of Human Nature

The human nature can be best described by the distinguishing traits among individuals. These traits include how an individual thinks, feels and acts. These naturally occurring traits constitute the human nature. Therefore, the human nature exhibits some uniformity that is accompanied by feeling. This is what makes individuals be referred to as human.

The human nature is usually composed of dynamic and transforming events, which are brought about by the conscious, preconscious and unconscious mind (Miller, 2002). The three works together in unity to constitute the human nature, this is why it is very difficult to precisely describe an individual’s nature since these components are not automatically visible at once.

It is also important to know that the human nature comprises of the intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and vocational needs, which must work together in a unified synchronization since the neglect of one will greatly reduce the ability of an individual to withstand adverse effects of life. But, if these factors are well coordinated and monitored, it is possible to control the well-being of a person both in the short term and long term.

The Key Factors that Account for the Changes of Behavior

Human behavior is affected by a wide array of factors. Among these factors that cause behavior change is the social influence. The social influence has a key role in a change of behavior. It has been proven that our interactions, be it with friends, coworkers and families affect greatly how we behave and sometimes even how decisions are made.

An individual cannot exist as a sole entity, thus he or she must interact a lot with people, as a result of this interaction, and individuals often change their behavior by either copying or imitating what others do. It is surprising to note that this can happen even within a very short period of time. People can change their priorities, value systems and believes based on their interactions.

Environmental factors also greatly affect behavior change. Individuals have little or no control to environmental factors, which end up influencing their behavior a lot. Therefore, it is impossible to address a behavioral problem based on personal factors alone. People from the same environment tend to have interrelated behavior and this has to be known when one is addressing certain behavior change.

Attitudes account greatly for behavior change since changes of behavior first emanate from the attitudes that individuals possess (Chiari, 2009). Attitudes will define the associated beliefs and evaluations towards things. Therefore, to have control of behavior, one only needs to activate an emotion or an effective attitude. Thus, change of attitude is a key component for the behavior change.

Compliance is the change of behavior as a result of consequences. For, example an individual’s strives to avoid punishment or changing behavior with hope of getting a reward. Here, there has to be some driving force behind an individual so as to respond in the required way.

Nature of the Therapist-Client Relationship

Therapist-client relationship sometimes can be very tight. At times, it is very difficult for the counselors or clients to ‘let go’ of the relationship.

This is brought about by the fact that clients often feel comfortable when they are with the therapist since they believe he or she is the only one who can solve their problem, and a strong love usually develops from this relationship and the client, if well attended to the first time will need more counseling services from the therapist.

Therapist-client relationship is also strengthened by the fact that counselors would like to know that they have really taken care of their clients over a significant period of time. This may force them to follow on the clients just to ensure that he or she is very okay (Duval & Beres, 2011).

Well, it is true that the therapists find certain clients are pleasure to work with and they often feel attached to their customers as a result of the relationship.

However, many professional acquaintances do not support therapist-client relationship outside professional setting because this is feared that it might violate professional ethics, thus jeopardizing the whole process. Therefore, it is important that despite the therapist-client relationship being very strong, the therapist must learn to let go and become unnecessary to the client once the business is done.

The therapist-client relationship in solution finding majorly focuses on factors surrounding one’s life. The two parties must work together in an attempt to find a solution. This is because a therapist will not fully understand some aspects of a person’s behavior unless he is told by the client. Therefore, it is important for the client to give his past and present accomplishments.

Then, these are used by the therapist to provide and address both the present and future occurrences/challenges. The centre stage here is the fact that the client must understand and develop positive reasoning, which is sometimes referred to as the learned optimism (Winter, 1994).

Key Functions and Role of the Therapist

The key functions of the therapist are to ensure that he or she provides growth-promoting environment for the clients. When this is effectively done, the client will be at ease to grow and discover him fully. He can then develop as he or she wants.

A therapist must also exercise the role of ensuring that he impacts or convinces the client on the way forward. Therefore, he should ensure that the client actively listens, understands and accepts himself. There should be genuineness and acceptance in the whole process.

A therapist also has a role of ensuring an individual precisely understands his identity and as such know how to establish meaningful relationship with the people around him. This way, a lot of problems and conflicts will be greatly reduced and relationships nurtured.

Key Goals of a Therapy

Different types of therapy have various goals, but the general focus of a therapy that applies to all include the restructuralization, a therapy seeks to expand the most flexible ways of finding alternative ways of dealing with problems. For example, when there are disagreements in a family set up, a therapist will assist in ensuring each partner deals with one another in a way that they will cope well and endure whatever comes their way.

Therapy also seeks to create awareness of oneself and their environment. If individuals do not fully understand themselves, they are subject to disagreements, conflicts and as such are prone to stress and other minor challenges. Therapy gives the solution to this; through education on ones own understanding, appreciation and acceptance.

Though, people can perceive things differently, they can also change their ways of thinking, modify behavior and view the same situations in a new perspective. The goal of therapy is to ensure that this is induced into an individual’s mind so as to convince him or her that this is possible.

Therapy also has a goal of ensuring that individuals understand the world and know how our behavior regarding how we feel, act, think, and relate. In fact all these can be addressed and help us live in a better way. This will in turn help people to look for their reasons for living and develop positive attitudes as they grow up.

Another goal of therapy is to serve the purpose of assisting individuals deal with stress and conflicts in an easy and manageable way.

When individuals or clients who undergo such circumstances are attended to and monitored for a period of time and it is realized that they have achieved self-sufficiency that they can sustain the changes made in place without necessarily needing any further support of a therapist, then the therapy is deemed successful and it comes to an end.

References

  1. Chiari, G. (2009). Advancing Theory in Therapy. New York, NY: Routledge Publishers.
  2. Duval, J. & Beres, L. (2011). Innovations in Narrative Therapy: Connecting Practice, Training, and Research. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
  3. Miller, G. (2002). Incorporating Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy: Theory and Technique. Oxford, Wiley publishers.
  4. Winter, D. (1994). Personal Construct Psychology in Clinical Practice: Theory, Research and Applications. New York, NY: Routledge.

Counseling Practice in Organization

Introduction

Employees burnout all the time and this can be due to a variety of reasons ranging from a lack of progression within their current job, being bored with what they are doing, or even merely disliking the job in general (Huang et al., 2012).

It is not often the case that employees realize that their performance is worsening, nor do they understand the primary reason as to why they are no longer satisfied with their job.

This presents itself as prime situation where a counselor is needed in order to get to the heart of the matter, identify what the employee truly wants to do and create some form of action plan in order to create greater job satisfaction for the worker (Huang et al., 2012).

Hypothetical Scenario (Employee will be known as Ian)

In this particular situation, employee A has been a loyal and hardworking member of the company and has had exemplary assessment reviews during the first two years of this employment.

Unfortunately, by his third year his performance steadily dropped until it reached a point where the company needed to intervene in order to determine what brought about this change in what was once one of its best employees. As a counselor, you have been assigned to get to the bottom of the problem and help the employee get back to his original level of performance.

Exploring the Current situation of the patient

The story

It is often the case that guidance workers need to get at the heart of a matter regarding a client’s current problems in order to help resolve it. This involves a clarification of issues, knowing what particular emotions a client brings to the table in regards to a particular problem and what experiences have culminated in the current situation that they find themselves in.

From a medical standpoint, it can be stated that this aspect of Egan’s skill helper model can be considered a form of diagnosis utilized to determine what type of problems the client is currently facing (Breckman, 2007). Do note though that in this particular stage, clients are often hesitant to share information and thus need to be encouraged through empathy, silent listening, and open ended questions in order to allow them to talk (Breckman, 2007).

Conversation

Counselor: “It has come to the attention of the company that as of late your performance has been dropping considerably which has affected the overall quality of your work. While normally an employee that underperforms is normally terminated, your previous history of exemplary work has been taken into consideration, as such, you are here today to help me understand your problems and help you overcome them.

Ian: “It is not that I have a problem with the company or the job itself, rather, I do not feel any motivation for working anymore. I have been with this company for almost 3 years and yet I have lost almost all of the satisfaction with the job I have.”

Strategy to utilize within this particular stage

During this particular stage of Egan’s skill helper model, the counselor will employ a series of open ended questions in order to help the employee being examined share more of the story. By doing so, the counselor will be able to continuously implement methods of empathy, paraphrasing and reflecting meaning into the statements given in order to help the employee tell more of the story and enable the counselor better understand the origin of the problem.

Identifying and clarifying blind spots

It is often the case that certain belief systems tend to blind people about certain perspectives and facts in general. Such perspective can even become self-fulfilling prophecies wherein an employee that things he is not good at a particular job will eventually not be good at the job at all due to negative reinforcement. Thus, it is the responsibility of the counselor to examine the problems from a distance and challenge the worker to overcome their blind spots to resolve the issue.

Conversation

Ian: “Lately I just feel like my job lacks meaning, that I am not making any influential changes and that I am nothing more than another cog in the vast machinery of this company. It is this feeling of being nothing more than a statistic that makes me feel that my job or even my career is useless.”

Councilor: “Ian, while from your perspective your job may seem to be useless, you can actually do something about it in order to make it more relevant. The only reason you perceive your job as being irrelevant is due to the fact that you do not see the bigger picture nor do you challenge yourself enough by taking tasks that are normally not part of your job profile.”

Strategy to utilize within this particular stage

In this particular stage, the counselor will attempt to have the employee see that he is intentionally blinding himself in that he only sees the job but not the role the job plays in the greater whole. Not only that, the employee neglects to enhance on his role through other roles that he could possibly take up. By challenging the employee’s perspective and having him consider new roles this would enable Ian to realize that one of the reasons behind this job dissatisfaction is his own negativity and the lack of initiative he brings to it.

Leverage

It is often the cases that clients involved in counseling sessions seek guidance in order to change some aspect of their life yet they are often uncertain as to what they should change or how they should change it (Hermansson, 1993).

This is where guidance workers enter into the picture, counselors help the clients focus on what issues they deem as important and help them create an order in which they prioritize which issues should be dealt with first. Leverage in this particular instance comes in the form of tackling one particular problem that would create a “domino effect” so to speak which should help solve the other problems the client has.

Conversation

Ian: “I just do not know why I cannot feel any desire to do work. Maybe, it is due to my lack of interest, boredom, or it might even be the low pay of the job itself. I cannot bring myself to truly enjoy what I do.

Counselor: “Alright, the first thing we need to deal with is the overall lack of enthusiasm you bring to your job. If you actually find that what you do is enjoyable, then the other factors that are problematic for you will resolve themselves.”

Strategy to utilize within this particular stage

In this particular stage the counselor will focus on enthusiasm as the main method of leverage to create a more positive set of actions for the client. By helping the client understand that it is the type of work he does and the level of enthusiasm he has for the job, the counselor will slowly but surely enable the client to understand that he needs to diversify his job roles and try to think positively when it comes to working at his job.

Preferred Scenario

Through this particular aspect of Egan’s skill helper model, clients are introduced to the concept of preferred scenarios wherein they attempt to develop the idea of what would be the ideal sort of situation for them (Bagraith, Chardon, & King, 2010).

Do note though that Egan states that such scenarios should not be interpreted along the lines of impossible fantasy, rather, they should be based on realistic situations wherein the problems they had at the start are improved in some way so as to make them more manageable (Bagraith, Chardon, & King, 2010).

Conversation

Counselor: “In your opinion, what would increase your overall level of job satisfaction? This does not mean that you can create an impossible fantasy where you are made CEO all of a sudden or if your salary is increase by 5 times its current amount, rather, it must resolve your current dilemma is some reasonable way”.

Ian: “Well, my main problem really is the fact that I cannot feel excited or happy at all when I go to work. It is the same thing day in and day out with little to no changes. If a greater degree of variation is added to my job I would definitely be able to enjoy it more.

Strategy to utilize within this particular stage

In this section the counselor will focus on various potential scenarios wherein the employee determines what aspects of this current problem could be resolved through slight improvements or changes.

By doing so, this encourages the employee to potentially find this own solution to the problem or even recommend a possible alternative solution that could be suggested to the management side of the company so as to implement the necessary changes.

Creating viable agendas

Through this step the counselor clarifies what exactly the employee wants and changes it into something definite to work with that can be built up on so as to encourage the employee to act on it.

Conversation

Counselor: “You mentioned that you wanted your job to be more interest, in what way would it be more interesting for you?”

Ian: “Well, the best scenario for me would be if I had more job roles that were more diversified than what I have at the present.”

Choice and Commitment

Through this particular stage, the counselor introduces the concepts of choice and commitment in implementing a viable solution to the problems presented by the client during the scenario and preferred scenario stages.

The inherent problem with implementing this particular stage in the Egan skill helper model is that the choice is ultimately the responsibility of the client, as such, it sometimes happens that such a resolution does not fall through (Bagraith, Chardon, & King, 2010).

During such instances a counselor will utilize method related to showing how bad the current situation is, how easy it is to change and how that person will feel happier by implementing such changes in their life (Hermansson, 1993).

Strategy to utilize within this particular stage

The counselor will focus on the positive effects of resolving the issue through the various solutions presented by the client. By emphasizing that the solutions are feasible and will result in better conditions the client is more likely to implement them rather than ignore them.

Formulating Strategies and Plans. Brainstorming strategies for action

The main question of the client in this particular stage is usually “how can I reach my goal?” As Egan a state, the main problem for individuals failing to reach their respective goals is that they fail to explore possible alternatives. It is the responsibility of the counselor to guide them in realizing what solution is possible.

Conversation

Ian: “How can I reach my goal?”

Counselor: “Here are possible alternatives you can choose from”

Strategy to use

The strategy for this plan revolves around possible alternative solutions that can be selected.

Choosing the best strategies

The main question of the client in this particular stage is usually “what will work for me?”

In this sub-stage it is the role of counselor to guide the client onto what possible solution would be the most effective.

Conversation

Ian: “what will work for me?”

Counselor: “Well you did say you wanted for job diversity, let’s focus on that”

Strategy to use

The strategy in this particular case revolves around solidifying the ideal plan for the client out of all the possible alternative choices that initially presented themselves.

Turning strategies into a plan

The last step involves formulating an effective step by step plan to follow. In this case the main question of the client is “what action do I now need to take?”

Conversation

Ian: “what action do I now need to take?”

Counselor: “We will now focus on creating a step by step action plan in what you must do to address your problem”

Strategy to use

In this section the strategy the counselor will focus on is creating an easy to follow step by step procedure the client can enact to solve his/her problem.

Reference List

Breckman, B. (2007). Egan’s Skilled Helper Model — Developments and Applications in Counselling. Nursing Standard, 21(19), 30. Retrieved from www.EBSCOhost.com

Bagraith, K., Chardon, L., & King, R. (2010). Rating counselor-client behavior in online counseling: Development and preliminary psychometric properties of the Counseling Progress and Depth Rating Instrument. Psychotherapy Research, 20(6), 722-730. Retrieved from www.EBSCOhost.com

Hermansson, G. L. (1993). Counsellors and organisational change: Egan’s systems model as a tool in organisational consulting. British Journal Of Guidance & Counselling, 21(2), 133. Retrieved from www.EBSCOhost.com

Huang, Y., Chen, C., Du, P., & Huang, I. (2012). The causal relationships between job characteristics, burnout, and psychological health: a two-wave panel study. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 23(10), 2108-2125. Retrieved from www.EBSCOhost.com

Support Group Counseling Session Under Observation

Topic Area/Issue of the Focus of the Session

I attended a group counseling session held three weeks ago at the local mental health facility. It involved counseling young people exposed to substances prior to becoming frequent users. Most of the individuals were aged between 17 and 30. Also, most were in their first or second jobs. Others were fresh from colleges while others were taking courses in the local institutions—the group comprised of one female counselor (a professor in a state university) and 16 clients. The focus for the session was substance withdrawal to help the clients realize the importance and the process of abandoning the behavior.

Modality and Theoretical Foundation

My analysis of the session is based on the Adlerian Theory. The counselor focused on achieving results within the shortest time possible (Adler, 2004). It is important to note that the session roughly followed the Adlerian method because the counselor used a direct, efficient, planned, focused, concise and purposeful approach limited by time (Adler, 2004).

Founded by Alfred Adler, the Adlerian theory is a psychodynamic approach that focuses on the social determinants of human behavior rather than biological aspects (Bitter & Corey, 2011). Also, the approach ignores the past origins of the behavior and focuses on its goals. Instead of analyzing the unconscious nature of human behavior, it emphasizes its purpose (Bitter & Corey, 2011).

Therefore, it uses a socioteleological approach that emphasizes the social forces that motivate people as they strive to achieve certain goals at a given time and place. According to this theory, people tend to create an idiosyncratic view of their lives, self, and others (Bitter & Corey, 2011). Then, they create short-term and long-term goals based on this view. Consequently, the goals motivate the people’s behavior and improve their development (Bitter & Corey, 2011).

Discussion of Group Stages

When attending the session, the counselor demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the group and group dynamics based on the Adlerian approach. The counselor attempted to investigate and interpret the problem in a therapeutic approach based on four major stages (Adler, 1996).

Stage 1. Development and maintenance of cohesive relationships

At the onset of the session, the counselor began by laying a strong and effective foundation for cohesiveness and connection (Adler, 2004). The counselor started by introducing herself, education, social and professional backgrounds. She revealed that she was once involved in substance abuse in her early years at the university. She also asked the clients to introduce themselves and their backgrounds.

Also, she established a democratic environment in which every person was allowed to ask the counselor any question within the context of the issue at hand. I realized that the purpose of this approach was to ensure that the counselor won the cooperation of every client to achieve effective group counseling. The counselor also focused on issues related to the cause and methods of abandoning substance abuse and the impacts of the substances on the social and sex life because the group was mainly interested in learning something in these areas. The counselor was applying an Adlerian approach in the session.

Stage 2. An exploration of the individual dynamics

This stage involves analysis and assessment. The counselor wanted to understand the lifestyles of the clients. The leader also wanted to understand how each person’s lifestyle was affecting the current functioning in life (Adler, 1996). She was emphasizing on the individuals within their social and cultural contexts, including life in school, work, home, neighborhood, and other areas (Adler, 2004).

She was driving the session by interacting with the clients, making sure that the environment was favorable to allow some social and cultural identity concepts to emerge. Initially, she described how her social and cultural background had affected her life and behavior when she was involved in substance abuse. She made sure her stories were funny and jovial. This created humor and attracted the clients to express their views of life and social and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, she was able to understand each of the client’s social and cultural contexts.

Stage 3. Insight and creation of awareness

In this stage, the counselor tried to drive the session in a manner that allowed the group to gain awareness and redirect their current goals and notions. She made sure that her story made them realize that their current ways of life were based on mistaken goals and notions (Adler, 2004). She made sure that each person thinks about his or her life and learns about “oneself.” She allowed the members to start a discussion with each other about these issues and their lives. She also allowed them to share their stories in her presence and when she was out of the room before resuming her session (Adler, 1996).

The leader allowed the group members to start interpreting their problems based on such questions as “Could it be that my peers influence my behavior?” or “I get the impression that I have been making the wrong moves and….” and others (Adler, 2004).

The current stage of the group

Currently, the group is in the fourth stage in Adlerian’s model. At this stage, every member is happily contributing to the discussion. For example, every member has become familiar with each other. They are also freely interacting with their colleague as well as the leader. At this stage, the leader has decided to involve the group to challenge the beliefs about their lives and the position of others.

She involves them in discussing their roles in their families, life, education, society, and the country in general. I have also seen that the members are freely giving specific examples of individuals who had succeeded in life while still involving themselves in the mistaken behaviors. For example, a 24-year old man has said that people like Barrack Obama have been involved in smoking marijuana but later succeeded in life. Another lady has insisted that the famous musician 50-Cent was once a substance addict and dealer but has reformed and succeeded in the industry.

Therefore, the leader is emphasizing using alternative beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors to emulate the role models mentioned above. She is now using role models to encourage behavior change. Therefore, the group is in the fourth stage, where therapeutic aspects are being applied (Bitter & Corey, 2011).

Critique of the leader’s methods

The leader’s model was effective because it not only allowed democracy but also allowed the members to review and rethink their lives and future based on the current situation. I realized that the counselor based her teaching on the whole person rather than the group. I conclude that Adlerian theory was applied because the leader used a holistic view of a person as an indivisible unit. She also used a teleological view of a person by looking at the direction of people and their desires to understand them. Also, the leader focused on the phenomenological approach in which the individual views, beliefs, conclusions, and perceptions are considered. Instead of looking at the people’s environment and heredity, she emphasized a creativity approach in which the client’s abilities to influence were considered (Adler, 2004).

References

Adler, A. (1996). The structure of neurosis. Individual Psychology, 52(4), 318-333.

Adler, A. (2004). Social interest: A challenge to mankind. New York, NY: Capricorn.

Bitter, J. R., & Corey, G. (2011). Adlerian group counseling. In G. Corey (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Group Counseling (pp. 165-187). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Eye Contact, Active Listening, and Nonverbal Empathy in Counseling Process

There are three attending skills, which I consider to be particularly important, as they can largely influence the counseling process. First, making eye contact may be difficult, though it evidently leads to positive results in communication. According to Syrjämäki et al. (2020), eye contact can evoke emotional responses and draw people’s attention. It is critical for counselors who have to keep their clients attentive and involved in order to get the best results. Second, active listening plays an important role, as counselors have to understand individuals first and only then give them advice. Beck and Kulzer (2018) note, “this skill is often overlooked as easy or self-explanatory; however, active listening is one of the most challenging microskills both to learn and maintain as a new or experienced professional” (95). Finally, nonverbal empathy is a vital skill, as it promotes trust between counselors and patients. Kraft-Todd (2018) conducted a study and concluded that clinicians need to learn how to express warmth nonverbally, improving people’s emotional and physical health. Therefore, eye contact, active listening, and nonverbal empathy are fundamental skills in the counseling process nowadays.

Furthermore, as a future drug and alcohol substance abuse counselor, I believe that active listening has been the most powerful skill in my professional life. The reason for it is that it helps to understand people better and be able to establish strong and meaningful connections. Both verbal and nonverbal listening are important; thus, developing the skill is necessary. What is more, in the current virtual therapy climate, this ability has become even more critical. It may be challenging to build intimate relationships while communicating online, though active listening can significantly improve the situation. It has always encouraged me to fully realize people’s needs, concerns, and desires and find the most effective ways to approach them.

References

Beck, K., & Kulzer, J. (2018). Seminars in Hearing, 39(1), 91–106. Web.

Kraft-Todd, G. T., Reinero, D. A., Kelley, J. M., Heberlein, A. S., Baer, L., & Riess, H. (2017). PloS one, 12(5). Web.

Syrjämäki, A. H., Isokoski, P., Surakka, V., Pasanen, T. P., & Hietanen, J. K. (2020). Eye contact in virtual reality – A psychophysiological study. Computers in Human Behavior, 112. Web.

Group Counseling Session in Personal Reflection

Opening

The opening of my demonstration will require future work, so I would award myself 3 points for this. It was relatively short and formal, despite my attempts to make the participants feel welcomed. The opening was consistent with the group’s purpose, and my use of tone and volume was appropriate for the setting; however, I think that I showed little evidence of self-reflection or self-correction. Also, I feel that it was rather formal and dry. For example, I listed the goals of the meeting instead of attempting to connect with the participants’ inner motivations for self-correction and help. However, I felt it was vital that I established the rules regarding confidentiality of information at the outset, as it ensured that my work with the group complied with all ethical standards (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014). In order to establish good communications from early on, I could have said more about myself and the goals behind my work; this would also have had the benefit of emphasizing my interest in continuous professional development.

Body Language & ‘Non-Verbals’

I believe that my body language demonstrated openness and communicated empathy where appropriate, an essential component of successful group work (Corey et al., 2014). I think I managed to achieve a balance between being friendly and professional; however, sometimes, my non-verbal expressions did not demonstrate full engagement with the group. For instance, I failed to maintain sufficient eye contact with some participants while asking questions or clarifying information. Also, I do not feel that my non-verbal skills and body language reflected my self-awareness related to personal biases working with diverse groups. I would award myself 3 points and mark this as one of the areas to improve on in the future.

Effective Use of Silence

Effective use of silence, if used correctly, is a vital tool to facilitate group discussions and a client’s improvement. During the debate, I took note of the quieter members of the groups and consciously encouraged them to participate more in the talk. I found this to be an effective method of dealing with the silence of group members (Corey et al., 2014). As for my own use of silence, I believe that I was successful in making well-timed pauses and therefore deserve full marks for this section. For example, at the beginning of the discussion, I used silence to encourage one participant to begin his answer. Later on, I paused to enable other people to join the conversation, as well as to provide everyone time for further reflection about the most recent speaker.

Positive Regard & Empathy

As a group leader, it is essential to be participative and understanding of other members’ perspectives in order to facilitate the discussion and treatment of the topic (Corey et al., 2014). In general, I think I was quite efficient in this regard. Right from the beginning, I outlined the non-judgmental aspect of the discussion. I also demonstrated an understanding of the clients’ perspectives; moreover, I inspired other members of the group to share their views of the situation using a participative approach. For instance, when one of the participants commented on his family role, I encouraged other participants to express what they would feel in a similar situation. Such an approach encouraged greater participation and understanding across the group and was very much aligned to the NASW standards of guide practice. I would grade this section at level 5.

Questions

Corey et al. (2014) state that “questioning is often overused by many group leaders” (p. 39). Indeed, I asked quite a lot of questions; however, I do feel that the questions I used during the discussion were well-timed and appropriate. I aimed to ask thought-provoking questions to address the participants’ problems and facilitate inclusive debate. For example, I asked for more opinions on the points shared by the group members, which helped to garner a range of viewpoints, thus making the discussion deeper. I did not attempt to lead the participants to any specific conclusions by asking questions; instead, I used a mixture of questions to encourage the speakers to elaborate on the topic. As the discussion was relatively brief, I did not receive any conclusive information with which to select intervention methods, although I attempted to build my questions in such a way that would help ascertain all of the sufficient information from the participant. I would award myself four marks in this section.

Empathic Responses – Reflection of Feelings

The group leader’s presence is a crucial skill that requires both experience and knowledge (Corey et al., 2014). I feel this is a significant area for personal improvement, and I would grade my performance at 3 points. The discussion was relatively brief, and I concentrated on obtaining more information and maintaining communication across the group rather than providing empathetic responses. However, I did ask people about their feelings on a particular topic and monitored their expressions and speech closely so as not to miss the signs of an emotional reaction.

Paraphrasing – Reflection of Content

Interpretation of information is one of the essential skills needed in group work (Corey et al., 2014), and I feel that paraphrasing and clarifying are crucial tools to facilitate correct interpretation. As my primary focus was on the participants’ stories and viewpoints, I used paraphrasing throughout the discussion to gain a better understanding of the members’ accounts. I feel my use of paraphrasing was well-timed; applying the skill in practice showed my professionalism and allowed me to obtain more information about group members and their problems. Thus, paraphrasing allowed me to increase my interpretation of the members’ experiences and feelings while at the same time, avoiding suggesting answers. I would award myself five marks for this section.

Clarifying

Using clarification during the early stages of group meetings, according to Corey et al. (2014), helps to focus on the underlying issues rather than being carried away by the overall strand of discussion. Similarly to paraphrasing, I used clarification to develop my understanding of the client’s information and experiences. I believe that my use of this skill was efficient, as it allowed the participants to elaborate on their stories without being interrupted or distracted. However, I do not think that I addressed cultural diversity sufficiently through the use of clarification. I would grade this aspect as 4 out of 5.

Summarizing

Corey et al. (2014) suggest using summarizing at the beginning of the initial session to gather information. However, I used summarizing towards the end of the discussion, which is why it was not as effective. My summary of the debate was fragmented and dry; furthermore, it did not show an understanding of the overall trend of the discussion or the underlying social justice issues. I believe I scored 3 points in this section. In my future work, I would repeat the main topics of the discussion and indicate the direction of the next meeting in my summary.

Closing

Opening and closing are of equal importance to the success of group meetings (Corey et al., 2014). The conclusion of my session was warm and consistent with the group’s purpose; it was also used to briefly indicate further directions of work. I would award my closing 4 points. In order to make it even more efficient, I would include a short summary of the session, which would indicate the main areas for reflection in between the meetings.

References

Corey, M.S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2014). Groups: Process and practice (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole.

The Problems of Adolescents: The Importance of Counseling

Abstract

Adolescence is one of the most critical stages in the life of a man. This is because it involves a transition from childhood to adulthood. This means that there are a number of physical, emotional as well as physiological changes that occur during this stage. An immediate observation that well relates to almost any area of life is that any significant change in anything is always met with difficulties and challenges. This is for example illustrated when we are suddenly brought to a halt in a moving car. We tend to remain in a state of movements as our bodies move forward for a moment. When this change is so sudden, we may experience an accident that may lead to injuries and fatality. The process therefore needs to not only be gradual but controlled as well. This research paper looks at how counselors should lead young people in this transitional stage of life. It also discusses some of the things that make young people to go astray. The research used in the paper is mostly secondary data.

Introduction

Adolescence is one of the most critical stages of life. This is because it involves a transition from childhood to adulthood. This means that there are a number of physical, emotional as well as physiological changes that occur during this stage. An immediate observation that well relates to almost any area of life is that any significant change in anything is always met with difficulties and challenges. This is for example illustrated when we are suddenly brought to a halt in a moving car. We tend to remain in a state of movements as our bodies move forward for a moment. When this change is so sudden, we may experience an accident that may lead to injuries and fatality. The process therefore needs to not only be gradual but controlled as well. When the moment comes, the body will automatically start a process of change, which will lead to physical, emotional and physiological changes. The onus is thus on the individual and the society to ensure that this process is successful. It is said that eagles undergo a painful process in an effort of removing a layer of their beaks to obtain rebirth. The same is true for humans who need to transit from childhood to adulthood during the adolescent stage in a gradual process. Counselors therefore need to know the challenges that are faced by this group of the society so that they may be in a position to better guide and assist this group to successfully and safely transit into mature and responsible adults. (Knight, et al. 2007, p.106)

Main Discussion

Some of the observable physical changes that occur during adolescence include the following for boys: breaking of voice, growth of pubic hair, enlargement of shoulders among other changes. During this stage, boys become sexually mature meaning that they can produce children. For girls, their hips become rounded, their breasts enlarged and they become sexually mature. Moreover, adolescents experience internal changes where they become more aware of themselves and become more emotionally sensitive. In short, this group experiences both internal and external changes creating a stage for a new identity. This new identity is an origin of most challenges that are faced by adolescents in our society today. In some traditional societies, adolescence was an important period that was marked by various forms of initiation like circumcision after which a person was given a new status in the society and allowed to marry. In these situations, the society strived to meet most of the adolescent needs that came with a new identity. In our modern society today, there is no binding and well-organized process engineered at assisting young people to successfully transit from childhood and adulthood during adolescence as they enter into a new identity. This is formally done through school curriculums; guidance and counseling programs among other formal means that in essence are not binding to the adolescent or even to the society, which has become more liberated. This kind of situation has left young people vulnerable to influence from unmonitored sources that give our youths a new identity during the adolescence emotional and physiological struggle. The sad truth is that most of these sources of influence are misleading and even confusing our young people. The media for example is telling our young people that the most important thing for them is to be physically attractive. The same case applies to sex, which has been hyped with all manner of lies being spread to our youngsters through the media, celebrities among others. (Poynton, 2009, p.34)

Because of this, a direct challenge that many young people are facing in our society today is identity crisis. This can be seen in various forms and is negatively affecting adolescents in the society today. For example, what is referred to as rebellious behavior among adolescents is a direct result of identity crisis. Many of these people want to be considered as adults and capable of making independent and logical decisions when they are not. They do not have the maturity or the capacity necessary to achieve this status. The result is that, many young people are involving themselves in activities that are meant to send a statement of independence and freedom to their parents and the society as a whole. Getting freedom and independence may override rational decisions. For example, an adolescent may admit that the only reason for getting a tattoo on his body is mainly to make a statement of independence and identity. Physiological counselors are therefore put in a difficult position of guiding young people through this challenge. While doing this, they need to emphasize to young people that independence and freedom is not bad but comes with enormous responsibilities and that it is a gradual process that will take time. Besides, it would also be important for counselors to encourage parents to maintain a good communication rapport with their children in general and adolescents in particular. This should be encouraged with an intention of allowing parents to communicate why they may place some restrictions and boundaries to their children something that should always be driven by the love and care of their children. On the other hand, it should allow adolescents to communicate to their parents about their intentions and seek advice on things that they intend to pursue. A lot of communication among the adolescents, their peers, counselors and other members of the society are key to resolving many challenges that are faced by this group. Moreover, in this endeavor, counselors may need to help young people build bridges and reconcile with their parents and other adult members of their society that may be helpful in guiding them. This is especially true with a great likelihood of conflict arising between parents and their adolescent children as they seek freedom bringing them into a path of conflict with their parents. For example, it is a common thing to see young people involved in verbal exchange or even physical conflicts with their parents. It may therefore be necessary to guide young people in a process of reconciliation with their parents so that they can once again enjoy the critical benefits that come with guidance from their parents that are logical and genuine in most cases. (Poynton, 2009, p.33)

The problem of identity crisis can also be illustrated with the problem of beauty obsession that is affecting many young people and especially adolescents. Young people are continuously lied to by the media and celebrities that they must attain a perfect body appearance. This is an illusion that is not achievable hence forcing many young people to live in an eternal state of misery where they do not feel good enough or attractive enough. The parameter of establishing someone’s worth is reduced to physical appearance. Add this problem to the fact that adolescents at this stage are experiencing sexual identity and you get a clearer picture of the dangerous circumstances that are faced by adolescents in our society. (Perusse, & Goodnough, 2001, p.105)

In an effort of attaining the unrealistic physical image, adolescents are becoming increasingly involved in unhealthy behaviors. One of these behaviors includes cosmetic surgeries, which is increasingly becoming an attractive choice to young people in an effort of improving their physical image. Unlike a few years ago, young people form the bulk of people seeking cosmetic surgery in the society today. Many of these adolescents are even getting financial support for these operations from their parents. This emerging trend can be attributed to influence from the society in general which has placed attractive looks as one of the most important attribute that someone should have. As it can be expected from this, it is the vulnerable adolescent looking for a new identity that is very likely to be affected. Heidi Montag’s case, a 23 year old that underwent multiple cosmetic surgeries in a single day in an effort of attaining a perfect image is an example of what young people are willing to do as they seek to attain an ideal perfect image that is unattainable in reality. (Olson, etal, 2009, p.175)

The economic implications on young people due to their desire to have unattainable physical appearance are enormous. Research has shown that young people in general spend about seven billion dollars per year on cosmetic products alone. This does not include much more billions that are spent annually on physical modifications through cosmetic surgery. These implications are even reaching at the workplace where research has shown that young people and especially girls who do not adhere to particular standards of beauty are impacted negatively professionally and financially. A recent study has shown that the amount of money spent by young people on beauty products alone is so much that it can be used to finance university education when saved by every adolescent for a period of five years. According to a recent study, about 11.7 million cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures were carried out in the United States during 2007 alone. This represents an average increase of over 500% as compared to the previous ten years. Statistics show that a large percentage of these procedures were carried out on young people especially girls. Due to these economic implications, there is need for counselors to guide young people and show them that physical beauty is not the only thing that matters in the life of a human being. If this is not done with urgency, young people will continue to rate beauty above integrity and in disregard of the economic implications associated with this obsession. (Olson, etal, 2009, p.175)

Another area that has been impacted negatively by young people’s obsession with beauty is interpersonal and personal relationships. Obsession with physical body image has contributed to a culture that has certain norms that are harmful for young people. This creates interpersonal behaviors that are damaging to the society. Advertisements featuring thin and physically perfect characters contribute greatly to behaviors that seek to have the unattainable beauty that is advertised. According to experts, the issue of self-esteem is a core character issue that determines if one is happy or not. Once people achieve it, then it is manifested on the outside. (Perna, etal, 2008, p.137)

A study carried out on adolescents found out that young people who watched commercials showing underweight icons were so much affected physiologically that they lost self-confidence and became unhappy with their own bodies. Another study showed that thirty minutes of watching television commercials are enough to change the way a young person views their body shape. Body shapes and size can therefore be affected by observing unrealistic body images on television. It has also been shown by various studies that young people are taught by the media to derive confidence on how sexy they look rather than on their character and what they have achieved. One’s physical image is thus reduced to sexual attractiveness. The standards set by the media, which depict young teenagers, are unrealistic to achieve. This creates a condition where the affected adolescents develop negative thinking to a point where they cannot think cognitively apart from having wrong beliefs on ideal standards that they think they can achieve. For this trend to be reversed there is need for the intervention of professional counselors. (Perna, etal, 2008, p.138)

Besides, many young people in the society today are practicing unhealthy eating habits like unhealthy dieting all because they want to attain and maintain a slim body that is considered beautiful. Many others are even disregarding the harmful health effects that come with smoking again because they want to attain a slim body that is considered more attractive. Moreover, a good number are living in a state of unsatisfaction and condemnation because they think that they are not attractive enough. Generally, a trend is developing in the country whereby physical looks are of prime importance. (Wyatt, 2009, p.465)

In order for counselors to be in a position of helping young people overcome this beauty problem, they need to encourage adolescents to develop a positive self-image and appreciation that is not reliant entirely on physical attraction. It would be important for young people to realize that self-confidence and esteem is almost a matter of choice that will in turn determine what they can achieve and how happy and satisfied they can become. A method that can be used to drive this point home may include enabling and encouraging adolescents to realize areas where they can excel, motivating them in the process and thereby boosting their confidence. This may include activities like sports, academics among many other areas. Moreover, creating environments where adolescents can interact positively should be encouraged. This may include clubs and societies that are greatly monitored by counselors whose intention is to observe self-image of adolescents, a self-image that rises above physical beauty among other attributes that may cause some to feel disadvantaged. Monitoring in this case does not imply controlling every activity that goes on in these groups but rather it means catalyzing an environment of positive self-development as it relates to self-esteem. Another approach that can effectively be used by counselors to help adolescents overcome problems with beauty obsession and self image involves creating an environment where adolescents can freely share their feelings about their self image and beauty with counselors and also theory peers. This can help counselors to know the root of these kinds of thoughts that are leading to poor self-image and beauty obsession enabling them to address such issues. Moreover, it can create an environment where youngsters can encourage themselves and one where they feel appreciated irrespective of their physical appearances developing a positive self-image in them as they interact with their peers in constructive groups. (Perna, etal, 2008, p.139)

Drug abuse is another major problem that is faced by adolescents in our society today. This could be because of various reasons. As stated earlier, adolescents are in a transition stage where they are struggling to find a new self-identity. In this process, they may easily bow to peer pressure from their colleagues and friends as they try out new things that are acceptable to their peers. It is also a well-known fact that there are some people in the society with intentions of recruiting youngsters into drug abuse in order to expand their market for the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. An increasing reason for the abuse of drugs among female teenagers in our country is that they have been misled to believe that smoking would help them to reduce weight and attain an attractive figure. Tobacco companies have taken advantage of this to market their products at the expense of our teens. Moreover, another reason for the abuse of drugs is emotional difficulties and confusion that come with this transition process. In general, adolescents are very vulnerable to drug abuse and addiction. A substantial number of youngsters abuse drugs. (Bertholet, etal, 2005, p.989)

Counselors should help young people to avoid drug abuse as much as possible by preventing this problem in the first place. Reaching to the young people through campaigns where the message of the dangerous effects of drug abuse is spread among this group is one way in which this can be done. This can also be achieved through magazines and periodicals that target this group. In short, counselors should strive to spread a message that would deter youngsters from abusing drugs as much as possible. Giving specific details in relation to the harmful effects of drug abuse would also go a long way in driving the message home. (Thrush, et al, 2009, p.148) For example, instead of just telling youngsters that drugs are bad, it would be appropriate to be more specific. This may include telling them things like if you smoke, you are likely to die from cancer, if you drink, you are likely to die from kidney problems, if you use cocaine, you will lose your memory among other specific information that can be used. Statistics should also be used to illustrate this reality. Real stories of people whose lives have been wrecked by drugs should be told and it would be better for those who have been adversely affected by drugs but had an opportunity to reform be given a chance to speak to adolescents on the effects of drugs. (Bertholet, etal, 2005, p.990)

On the other hand, it is just as important for counselors to help adolescents with drug problems as much as it is important to deter those that have no drug problems from going in a similar way. This would include creating an environment for counseling where youngsters with drug problems are encouraged to talk to counselors about their drug problems. (Ehrlich, etal, 2006, p.280) Creating an environment full of trust and confidentiality is of prime importance. Breaking trust for just one individual may be communicated to other potential drug addicts deterring them from seeking help with their drug problems. The moment an individual has been identified as having drug problems, the physiological effects of these drugs on the person need to be well understood by the counselor handling him/her. Medication would therefore involve not only counseling sessions but would also need to entail physiological and physical medication. Some of these drugs become entrenched in the body system creating a need for detoxification. Moreover, it is of prime necessity to create a monitoring program for adolescents with drug problems, which should spread over a considerable duration of time like a couple of years so that those with drug problems are helped to completely liberate themselves from such difficulties. This requires a lot of patience, concern and persistence from counselors and their affiliate parties since the intended results may appear less helpful and may take a long time to be realized. It is always important to know why some one is abusing drugs in the first place so that you can be able to better help them. A problem that immediately arises here is that drug addicts may not even know why they started abusing drugs in the first place. Counselors therefore need to be armed with skills and tactics that would enable them to dig into the genesis of drug abuse problems with considerable ease. Knowing the root cause of drug problems for someone would help counselors to better manage the problem. When this root cause is not eliminated or tackled positively by the drug addict, slipping back or remaining in the current situation of drug problems would be difficult to escape. (Poynton, 2009, p.35)

Another area where adolescents are having great challenges is on sexuality. This is mostly because of the hype about sex that has been fronted by the media. This very critical group is becoming aware of its sexuality as it attains sexual maturity. When it is vulnerable to influence from the media, celebrities among other parameters, it finds itself in a very precarious position. With the obsession of beauty that I have talked about as one of the challenges that are faced by adolescents, the emphasis on the female is to attain an image that is sexually attractive. Everything is therefore increasingly reduced to sex in our society today. Adolescents are the ones that are most affected as a result. The development of pornography has made matters extremely worse not only to this group but to the whole society in general. Young people including adolescents are accessing misleading information that is intended to encourage them to get involved in sexual activities outside of marriage. With youngsters at this stage facing identification crisis, they are encouraged by pornographic materials to identify themselves with sex. The matter is even made worse when adolescents are encouraged by such materials to identify themselves as lesbians, homosexuals and or are lured into these practices. While this issue of sexual orientation is debatable and is likely to attract passionate pleas from different groups and sides, it is not right to lure adolescents into such practices at a stage where they are having problems with sexual hormones and are also facing a moment that they need to define their identity. It is sad that as much as the society knows about this truth; our society is even encouraging sex indirectly and directly in even many other ways. This has even come to advertisements that zero down to the same theme. The same is true in most programs that are aired on our televisions. What about the internet framework where young people can easily access pornographic materials that can easily pollute their minds to try out dangerous sex practices apart from ingraining what I can describe as a sick mentality towards sex hence an unhealthy mental state? Producers of such materials have even gone ahead to cap their illegal activities by creating a platform that is directly intended to target adolescents. This is done through approaches that encourage adolescents to participate in the production of pornographic activities. (Schellenberg, 2007, p.15)

Addressing sexual challenges faced by young people by counselors is a huge task that requires a lot of effort. This is notably because of the current state of our society that encourages sex. It has even come to a point where a number of counselors have given up on deterring adolescents from completely avoiding sexual activities but have opted instead to encourage youngsters to avoid dangerous sexual practices on the basis where they can acquire diseases like AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. While concentration on such approaches has helped a substantial number of adolescents to avoid such problems, other effects that come with involvement in sexual activities have been ignored. This includes issues dealing with sexual orientation, guilt, feelings of unworthiness and a problem that comes with a general trend where everything has been reduced to sex among other problems that come as a result. (See, & Ng, 2010, p.22)

Addressing the issues that face youngsters as a result of sex includes educating them about sex so that they can overcome myths that are associated with sex. In this regard, it is appropriate to encourage parents and appropriate parties that adolescents can trust to pass genuine information concerning sex to adolescents. In fact, this process needs to start well before they reach the adolescent stage. This is mostly because no choices are left in this situation since the alternative is that children and adolescents will get information on sex from other sources that are misleading. As usual, it will be important to encourage adolescents to talk freely about the challenges and their beliefs and ideas about sex with their peers. This should be done in a framework that is monitored by counselors so that this kind of a framework enables adolescents to attain positive development in the process. An immediate challenge that arises among counselors is that they have divergent opinions as to how best they can guide and counsel adolescents on sexual issues. For example, while others will completely discourage sexual activities among adolescents, others would allow them to participate in such practices provided they have put some issues into consideration. This has gone a long way to prevent counselors from different groups and institutions to cooperate on sexual counseling something that is preventing a more efficient system that could be developed. It is therefore arguably important for counselors to try as much as possible to work together and develop a common approach that can be used in guiding and counseling adolescents on sexual matters. (Shen, & Herr, 2003, p.30)

A great challenge that is faced by adolescents in society today is that they are lacking support from relevant parties. Life has become extremely busy for parents in the modern world as they tirelessly work to earn an income. Most professions demand a lot of time and energy from their employees. This leaves most parents with no time for their children including those that are in the adolescent stage. The result is that the adolescent who is very emotionally sensitive and who is also in demand of guidance on several issues that he/she is facing is not able to get support from the most appropriate source. This creates a very dangerous chain that may lead to problems. (Thomas, 2005, p.17) On one hand, the adolescent may turn rebellious to gain his/her parents attention or revenge for what he/she thinks is unfair treatment from an appropriate party that is not there for him. On the other hand, this pattern will cause the adolescent to seek help elsewhere even from the wrong company and friends who can provide misleading and dangerous cocoons of support. In general, adolescents are not getting needed support that should be available to them as they fight with transition from childhood to adulthood challenges. In fact, most of them may feel that their parents, their friends and the whole society do not understand them. (Chen-Hayes, 2001, p.38) This may explain why our society has experienced a number of teenage suicides. The situation is even worsened by the fact that most teenagers are very likely to cross paths with their parents who may retaliate in an unwise manner. This kind of scenario calls for intervention from counselors among other relevant parties that can help in tackling associated challenges that teenagers face as a result not accessing needed support from the society. (Knight, et al. 2007, p.108)

Moreover, the society cannot be described as being friendly towards the adolescent. If anything, the society can be described as one that is putting many pressures on the adolescent. The pressure to have maintained high standards of beauty in order to be accepted is one area that I have talked about. There is also pressure to dress, talk, eat, walk and do everything in a special manner. Although the rule is not written, one is bound to condemnation if he/she does not become part of the society meaning that he/she needs to adapt to the existing culture that will determine everything that he/she does in life. There is almost no room for failing to dress according to what is considered as fashion at a given time, there is also no room for failing to be educated. Moreover, there is almost no room for failing to be involved in sexual activities. These are just but a few of the rules and pressures that are heaped on the adolescent by our society today. Although this is relative depending on where someone has come from, an adolescent who fails to adhere to these rules is described and seen as weird. To understand the effect of this on the adolescent, we need to remember the fact that this is a person that is facing a stage where he/she needs to develop a new identity. (Thomas, etal, 2009, P.11)

In addressing the problems that come from neglect and societal pressures on the adolescent, counselors need first to be there for the adolescent. They need to create an environment of care, support and trust for the adolescent. This would provide the adolescent with a channel where they can get some of their needs met. Besides, they also need to encourage parents and relevant parties to give the required support to the adolescent like time and attention from parents. It also applies here again to encourage teenagers to participate in groups that would provide them with a forum that enables them to be liberated even if for a moment from the pressures of the society as they interact in an environment catalyzed to appreciate them just the way they are. (Whiston, & Sexton, 1998, P.415)

Conclusion

The challenges that adolescents face in society are many. In general, everyone is feeling the weight of problems that have resulted from a complex that exists today. Society encourages liberation and freedom of individuals in all aspects. The encouragement of diverse opinions on many matters and issues that we could have thought obvious in the past are no longer so today. This is even further compounded by the fact that people have become extremely busy as they strive to be economically and professionally productive, leaving the social weakening social interactions in the society even between parents and their children. In this kind of circumstances, the adolescent is even in a more precarious position. This is mainly because he is struggling to attain a new identity that is inevitable with the external and internal changes that he/she is bound to experience. This leaves a huge challenge to counselors whose professionalism places them in a position where they can directly influence as they guide and counsel adolescents.

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