Category: Counseling

Introduction

Hispanic Americans are people who live in the United States and have a lineage and a cultural identity with Spain. In the United States, they comprise of a population sharing diverse migration histories, experiences with prejudice, racism, and discrimination. They are also characterized by the Spanish language, which ties them in spite of their acculturation experiences.

Some prefer to be identified differently; for example, Latino, Chicano, and Mexican American while others refer to associate with their country of origin. They comprise a significant fraction of the American population of more than 35 million (Sue & Zane, 2009, p.3). Different scholars have contributed in the cultural values like the customs, language, religion, and values, which unite the Hispanic Americans.

Due to these unique experiences, counseling sessions ought to be conducted under familiar grounds. As such, creating a rapport is necessary with the psychologists expected to understand what constitutes the Latin-American heritage and what can, and cannot, be discussed in an open forum.

Conducting a counseling session requires extensive research in dealing with issues that regard the culture, the societal expectations, as well as a looking at the ideals exercised in religious settings.

Comparisons between different authors and their perceptions

Family structure and gender roles

Family commitment in different cultures is an indispensable characteristic, which involves loyalty, a strong support system, the behavior of a child, which is associated with the honor of the family, the hierarchy among the siblings, and a duty of care for family members.

The Hispanic “adolescents adopt their parents’ commitment regarding religious and political beliefs, lifestyle and occupational preferences” (Altarriba, 2003, p. 305). Sex roles exist among Hispanic Americans whereby, men stand out as dominant and inviolable.

Fraga, Atkinson, and Wampold (2004, p.55), on the other hand, analyze the family structure of the Hispanic Americans as one where the father is the authoritative figure. The relationship between parents and children is reciprocal, in that, the children are supposed to be obedient and expected to help financially, whereas parents are to provide for their children when they are young and newly married.

Any deviation from this norm would be viewed as deviating from the traditions of the Hispanic community and would cause stress amongst the family members. With the family being an integral part of the Hispanic community, a psychologist ought to utilize all the available information to realize the goals set, as well as, help them in matters regarding psychological aspects (Sue & Sue, 2003, p.178).

However, it is essential to understand that issues or conflicts may arise from the family background, and a counselor should be careful in this area. For the males, it is crucial to understand that they value their macho status. Therefore, discussing issues that concern their family may show a sign of weakness in terms of their control of their household (Biever, et al., 2002, p.331).

Sharing emotions may be regarded as a sign of weakness, and this may bring about isolation, as they are not able to discuss their frustrations with anyone. Altarriba (2003, p.309) agrees with this assertion further adding that, any slight provocation may lead to his rigidness and the use of traditional roles as a reference for his actions.

Thus, any increase in stress amounts to further trouble amongst his household members with all expected to submit to his orders. Sue and Zane (2009, p.9), contend that, the issue of women gaining employment adds anxiety to the family setting, with fears of not conforming to traditions being rife.

Therefore, a researcher needs to be up-to-date with the requirements of the society, both the traditional and the modern one, and create a session from where the two can be solved in earnest. The modern Latino woman has been exposed to the dominant culture, and this has created ripples in the family setting.

The women now question their traditional roles as they embrace the fact that, they are the breadwinners of the family in the new environment. This element, on the other hand, creates anxiety to the males as is indicated by a research conducted by Leong in 2007.

With this in mind, counseling should take place in an environment where the current aspects of the family are taken into consideration with the counselor acting as a mediator, well versed with the current and previous happenings. It also calls for what Sue and Zane (2009, p.10) term as, patience as they need not impose their own values on the client, especially if they are from a different race or ethnicity.

Religion

Religion and spirituality also play a leading role in counseling sessions. With 70% of Hispanics being Catholics, and 23% Protestants, there is a need to engage religious aspects in solving some of the problems encountered. Latinos have a strong belief in prayer and sacrifice, and this means a lot to them in their everyday interactions (Biever, et al., 2002, p.334; Leong, 2007, p.265).

They perceive trials and tribulations as part of their life’s endurance requirements. They may also avoid counseling sessions, as they believe that, they are resigned to their fate, as it is God’s will for them to face their tribulations. If nothing is done early enough, these people may end up suffering in silence waiting for their trials to end and continue with their daily activities.

As a counselor, one should understand that Hispanics view health as harmony between the body, mind, and soul (Altarriba, 2003, p.311; Fraga, Atkinson & Wampold, 2004, p.58). In addition, the counselor ought to offer alternative forms of counseling if there is a belief in the mind-body connection. This may result in the use of methods such as imagery, mediation, hypnosis, biofeedback, or relaxation to achieve maximum effect.

Acculturation

The process of acculturation also brings with it stressful moments. Fraga, Atkinson, and Wampold (2004, p.63) stipulate that, women acculturate faster than men do. Further, there are psychological and social difficulties that they undergo, which strain the ties between the members of the family. The different stages of acculturation are tedious and may end up changing the family setting.

By being farther apart from their extended families, their source of income, as well as financial stability, is destabilized with women opting to look for jobs to supplement their husbands’ earnings. With their ability to learn English faster than the males, they get integrated faster into the new setting and suddenly the roles change, as women become the breadwinners for the family (Altarriba, 2003, p.315).

The men are thus threatened, and women become more empowered. The children, on the other hand, lose touch with their traditions and hold on to the new traditions rather than maintain their real identity. Thus, the rift between the parents and their children widens.

The generational changes and status should also be assessed with language issues being a point of considerable concern (Sue & Sue, 2003, p.192). If they can communicate effectively in all languages, then they ought to be encouraged to come up with a strategy of harmonizing their differences.

Consequently, dealing with less acculturated families also requires an orientation into what counseling occurs with solution-based therapies being served (Sue & Zane, 2009, p.14).

Conclusion

In a recap, it can be noted that Hispanics are a community with different affiliations and different needs altogether. Thus, counseling services ought to be done in a way that appreciates their background, their culture, as well as their social constructs. This may be achieved with different methods as found fit after a counselor has understood the basis of the problem and the ideals of the society the families currently live in.

It should also be noted that counseling is an integral aspect of culture with each community holding on to that which it views as part of their past. It is vital to respect the culture and uphold one’s beliefs.

However, further research ought to be done to establish whether there exists any relationship between mental illness, gang-affiliated Hispanics and acculturation issues. For a long time, the issue of people being treated for mental illnesses amongst Hispanics has increased with measures not sufficiently being postulated.

References

Altarriba, J. (2003). Does Caroño Equal “Liking”? A Theoretical Approach To Conceptual Nonequivalence between Languages. International Journal Of Bilingualism, 7, 305-322.

Biever, L., Castaño, T., De Las Fuentes, C., Gonzólez, C., Servín-López, S., & Sprowls, C. (2002). The Role of Language in Training Psychologists to Work With Hispanic Clients. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, 330- 336.

Fraga, D., Atkinson, R., & Wampold, E. (2004). Ethnic Group Preferences for Multicultural Counseling Competencies. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 10, 53-65.

Leong, F. (2007). The Role of Acculturation in the Career Adjustment of Asian American Workers: A Test of Leong and Chou’s (1994) Formulations. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 7(3), 262-273

Sue, W., & Sue, D. (2003). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice (5^th Ed.). New York: Wiley Publications.

Sue, S., & Zane, N. (2009).The Role of Culture and Cultural Techniques In Psychotherapy: A Critique and Reformulation. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 5(1), 3-14.

Trustworthiness and expertness are key elements of the counseling process, which are especially relevant when operating with marginalized groups. One should be aware that these qualities ensure that clients will consider a professional credible and qualified for the task. Multicultural interactions in the given field can be observed through a wide range of dimensions, where both counselor’s and client’s ethnic background can shape the dynamics of the overall interaction. Therefore, it is critical to eliminate any points of bias and stereotyping from the procedures.

The quality that makes me credible with my clients is the fact that I am aware of the underlying issues of multicultural counseling. I, as a counselor, am willing to express and convey trustworthiness by assessing the nature of setting, where ethical issues must be resolved (Sue et al., 2019). In addition, one should note that bias and stereotyping can be exhibited by both marginalized and majority groups (Sue et al., 2019). I understand that it is vital to make each case individual-based, where ethnicity and race play a little to no role within the treatment process. For example, I will overcome these major obstacles by removing the influence of the “who-is-more-oppressed-game” (Sue et al., 2019). Thus, a client will primarily focus on his or her own issues rather than discussing the subject of race.

In conclusion, trustworthiness and expertness can be conveyed by fully addressing individual problems and shifting the group-based thinking towards the former approach. Although biases and stereotypes can be observed on both sides of Whites and minority groups, they can be overcome through deliberate paradigm shifts. These issues need to be eliminated because they will hinder the counseling process and might lead to incorrect interaction between the professional and client.

Reference

Sue, D. W., Sue, D., Neville, H. A., & Smith, L. (2019). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (8^th ed.). Wiley.

It is inevitable that race and multi-ethnicity will influence the counseling dynamics between a client and a counselor. A specialist of color will face a wide range of issues when dealing with both white clients and clients of color. In the former setting, a client might question the competency of counselors of color, and thus, they need to prove their overall competence. A professional might transfer his or her race-based hostility towards a member of the majority group. In the case of both parties being people of color, they might over-identify with each other. There are always possibilities of clashes of values and styles.

The first setting involves a counselor of color and a White client. The most evident potential problem is dealing with a client’s expressions of racism. As a member of a minority group, a counselor might become offended or even discriminated by the client. This is the most extreme scenario, where an expert needs to take full control and plan preliminary steps for either terminating or continuing the therapy. Another barrier is in perceiving the counselor of color as a super minority therapist, which means that a White client might think that the professional is specialized in working for a specific group.

It is important to explain to the member of the majority group that there is no such targeted segmentation. The counselor might transfer his or her racial animosity towards White clients, which means that the former will induce hostility and act unprofessionally. In this case, there is a need for re-training and reconsideration of values. A counselor of color might need to prove his or her competence. It can go along with another barrier, which is challenging the competency of counselors of color. In other words, a White client can see the counselor of color as incompetent and insufficiently trained due to stereotypes or prejudices.

The second setting involves a counselor of color and a client of color, where different barriers might exist. One of the most evident issues is that a professional can over-identify with the client due to commonalities. This is most likely to occur between members of similar ethnicity and group. In addition, there is the potential for problems, such as encountering clashes in cultural values. These challenges are common between members of two different minority groups. The conflicts can take place due to preferential divergence of counseling and communication styles. A counselor might be coming from a culturally extraverted group, whereas the client is from an introverted and hierarchal one.

The following barrier is one of the most extreme ones, where both parties might express or receive racial animosity. Such an attitude can form a hostile environment, which might be highly unproductive and even destructive for both. The last apparent issue is dealing with the racial identity status of the counselor or client. Any form of stereotyping or prejudice can impose racial identity. The main reason is that the counseling process needs to revolve around two specific individuals, where one has a particular problem, and the other assists in resolving it.

In conclusion, there is a different set of challenges that might emerge between a counselor of color and a white client or client of color. In the first case, a client might question the competence of an expert. In addition, both parties might exchange hostility towards each other based on race, such as animosity. The counselor might also be perceived as someone specializing in minority groups. In the case of both parties being people of color, there is a barrier of over-identification. They can also have a clash of cultural values and counseling styles.

Introduction

Today, much attention and resources are defined and spent to offer professional counseling to the population. In most cases, counselors are individuals who help clients manage their lives and empower individuals to solve their problems, make decisions, and maintain emotional and physical well-being. It is expected that an expert in this field is able to put aside personal judgments and cooperate with different patients. It is not enough to establish trusting relationships but also to offer help without directly interfering in their lives. Thus, the burden level is hard to recognize, and self-care plays an important role in professional counseling practice in predicting work stress, dissatisfaction, and turnover. Education, cooperation, behavioral changes, and communication are the main aspects of self-care interventions for counseling professionals to be integrated through education and social support.

Need and Purpose

The conditions under which counseling professionals work vary, depending on the population’s needs and other external factors that affect human behaviors. The need for this advocacy project is to prove that even the best professionals should take care of themselves and learn the interventions that might improve their well-being. The purpose of the project is not only to describe counseling obligations and challenges but identify the strategies and prove the possibility of their implementation today.

Population

In this project, the population is a group of professional counselors who report low job satisfaction, stress, and burnout. According to Posluns and Gall (2020), counselors are mental health practitioners who have to work in a one-way caring culture. These professionals should demonstrate compassion, empathy, and patience to their patients and develop relationships for emotional support (Posluns & Gall, 2020). As well as any other employees, they cannot deal with job burnout on their own and professional help must be found in other settings.

Goals

The goals or intentions of the current project are directed at the improvement of counseling professionals’ well-being. First, counselors need to keep learning and manage their time to discover new and interesting things and ideas. Second, the strategies should be individual, so it is easy for counselors to take self-care anytime they need it. Finally, most interventions must address burnout and other work-related challenges and problems. It is possible to find experts who cooperate with counselors and show potential threats to solve. At the same time, the idea of self-care is the encouragement for counselors to improve their well-being and create a safe working environment independently.

Strategies

Education is one of the most effective interventions to promote self-care for counseling professionals. Although most people have a solid academic background in the field, additional training and courses on self-care are highly recommended (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019). Educational booklets, access to current and reliable literary sources, and behavioral guidelines should be available to counselors at home and at work (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). It is not a shame to admit that new knowledge is obligatory for experts because modern technologies, preventive techniques, and additional support are constantly developing. Counselors should have some time to learn innovations and apply them in their professional life.

Another strategy is based on what counselors can do to improve their behaviors and thinking abilities. Yoga and massage may be offered to relieve physical and emotional stress (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019). Diaries and mobile applications allow to control their changes and identify the factors that bring positive and negative emotions (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). Communication with colleagues is another way to endorse self-care during regular meetings. It is possible to ask questions, share personal and professional experiences, and observe how different people cope with similar problems. Self-care is a chance to improve health without addressing medications and other pharmacological interventions but focusing on personal needs.

Roles and Responsibilities

When counseling professionals address some help to manage their emotional conditions and solve their working challenges, they want to cooperate with another expert and learn something new. Thus, the roles and responsibilities of helping professionals should be clearly identified and fulfilled. First, it is necessary to listen to the client and recognize the core issue of the problem. Second, additional resources, recommendations from specialized organizations, and written guidelines must be developed and shared (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). Communication is a good way to promote self-care, but counselors might want to work independently, and printed material can be effective (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019; Posluns & Gall, 2020). Following ethical standards and maintaining confidence are the two critical responsibilities that are never ignored.

Individuals who cooperate with counseling professionals understand that these patients are special because they are highly aware of possible interventions and lifelong hints. Thus, helping professionals focus on professional issues, time management, and mindfulness to support their clients (Posluns & Gall, 2020). Instead of asking questions, they might predict answers and make counselors participate in these care processes. Self-care practice needs to advance understanding of a situation, and helpers introduce the best sources and innovative techniques.

Intended Outcomes

If all recommendations are properly followed, and the goals of strategies and interventions are achieved, several positive outcomes may be observed. First, the level of stress in clients will be significantly reduced (Posluns & Gall, 2020). This achievement will allow predicting the development of other cardiovascular diseases, depression, and obesity (Dineen-Griffin et al., 2019). When a person is able to recognize stress symptoms and turn for help immediately, mental and physical health improvements will be noticeable. Compared to stress, when emotions are overactive, and energy is lost, burnout is characterized by blunted reactions, the feeling of helplessness, and poor motivation. The possibility of managing burnout is another outcome of self-care interventions. Finally, improved self-esteem and self-confidence will be observed because counseling professionals learn how to solve their concerns.

Instead of avoiding problems, counselors will be ready to continue their practice and help others do the same. Personal experience in self-care is a good chance to understand what other people feel and need when they are at risk of stress and burnout complications. Self-care is a source of inspiration and additional motivation for creating an encouraging culture of wellness (Lemmons & Zanskas, 2019). Cooperation, communication, and a work-life balance will be restored in counselors to complete their primary function as mental health practitioners.

Conclusion

Despite the common thought that counseling professionals should help the population and solve someone’s problems, this group of practitioners might also need assistance from time to time. Work overload, burnout, depression, and stress provoke low self-esteem and reduce their readiness to offer professional services. Self-care strategies need to be developed and implemented for counseling professionals to reboot and find new sources of inspiration. Education, communication with colleagues, physical training, and mental practices are effective methods in such situations. This project shows how to cooperate with a counselor and introduce self-care as a solution to follow.

References

Dineen-Griffin, S., Garcia-Cardenas, V., Williams, K., & Benrimoj, S. I. (2019). Helping patients help themselves: A systematic review of self-management support strategies in primary health care practice.PloS One, 14(8). Web.

Lemmons, R., & Zanskas, S. (2019). Residential counselors and self care: A retrospective qualitative Study of archival interview data.Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, 6. Web.

Posluns, K., & Gall, T. L. (2020). Dear mental health practitioners, take care of yourselves: A literature review on self-care.International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(1), 1-20. Web.

The strength-based approach is well-established, as there is an extensive amount of theoretical and empirical literature that discusses it. The approach is defined as “a collaborative process between the person supported by services and those supporting them, allowing them to work together to determine an outcome that draws on the person’s strengths and assets” (Caiels et al., 2021, p. 19). The central problem associated with using the approach is that it does not provide clear instructions about how it should be used. In other words, the strength-based approach is seen as a philosophical standpoint, which may be difficult to transform into actual practice (Caiels et al., 2021). At the same time, the approach is dangerous for some clients, as some of them are reliant on the help of others, such older generation or people with disabilities (Caiels et al., 2021). These people cannot rely on their strengths, as they need other people to care for them, which is against the central principles of the strength-based approach.

As an advanced human service professional, I will acknowledge these limitations of the strength-based approach. In particular, I will try to learn practical evidence and specific interventions I can use to address my clients’ problems. Additionally, I will use the strength-based approach to those populations that can benefit from them, such as younger adults.

Reference

Caiels, J., Milne, A., & Beadle-Brown, J. (2021). Taking a strengths-based approach to social work and social care: A literature review. PERU. Web.

Introduction

There is no use denying the fact that nowadays great attention is given to the development of science. More and more issues become investigated and more and more people become involved in researches. That is why it is possible to state the fact that there is a certain base for researchers that helps them to obtain the results they need. This base includes main patterns of investigation, main ideas, and directions.

Moreover, it also describes different ways of scientific researches and methods used in science. Great attention is given nowadays to quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. The reason for such popularity lies in the universal character of these methods. It is possible to determine different variables and understand the peculiarities of the functioning of a certain process (Christensen & Brumfield, 2009). With this in mind, the majority of researchers nowadays use these very approaches in their works.

Main Body

In order to understand the peculiarities of these methods better, it is possible to analyze the article which uses one of them in order to give credible evidence to the research. With this in mind, the work Judge Interventions in Criminal Trials: A Mixed Qualitative and Quantitative Study by Gnisci Augusto and Angiola Di Conza is taken. There are several reasons for this choice. First of all, the authors use both qualitative and quantitative methods in this research to provide clear and understandable information that can be analyzed. The work centers around the issue of judges intervention in trials and the influence which these actions have on the whole process.

The authors take into account different factors and motifs which stimulated judges to act or interfere. In order to understand the peculiarities of these processes better, video recorded materials are analyzed and investigated. Resting on these tapes, the authors conduct qualitative and quantitative researches. The main aim of quantitative research is to determine the correlation between the number of trials in general and cases of judges interventions.

The authors determine that the identified judges’ interventions are N = 443 (Gnisci & Di Conza, 2012). With this in mind, taking into account the results of quantitative research, they are able to state the fact that the majority of trials are characterized by judges interventions. Moreover, the authors want to determine the influence which these interventions have on trials. With this in mind, qualitative research is conducted. The main aim of it is to determine whether there are significant shifts in the quality of the processes or not and what influence judges interventions have. Such factors as courts final decisions and the work of attorneys are taken into account. With the help of qualitative research, the authors state the fact of the negative influence of the judges interventions.

Conclusion

Having analyzed the following article, it is possible to say that the pattern chosen for this research can be recommended for further usage in practice. It is obvious, that this approach is vital for criminal justice as it allows to determine shifts in the quality of some factors which have a great influence on a trial. Moreover, qualitative research applied to the same issue will be able to determine the frequency or some other statistical information about the processes under investigation (Buckley, 2009). Resting on these facts, it is possible to say that the mixed method of investigations, which combines qualitative and quantitative researches, has great efficiency.

References

Buckley, M. (2009). Grounded Theory Methodology. In W. Sheperis, J Young & H. Daniels (Eds.), Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. (pp. 79 – 98). London: Pearson.

Christensen, T. & Brumfield, K. (2009). Phenomenological Designs. In W. Sheperis, J. Young & H. Daniels (Eds.), Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. (pp. 98 – 121). London: Pearson.

Gnisci, A. & Di Conza, A. (2012). Judge Interventions in Criminal Trials: A Mixed Qualitative and Quantitative Study. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 6(1), 41-55. Web.

A counselor is a professional who is trained to help people tackle their emotional, social, and physical problems. When someone decides to consult a counselor it is because he/she feels that the counselor is the only person who can offer effective assistant. In counseling there are various qualities that must be possessed by a counselor.

Besides, the counselor should employ different techniques because a technique that worked for one client may not work in another client. This paper will shade some light into the above stated aspects of counseling.

The main objective of a counselor is to help his/her clients solve their problems. Being a counselor is a calling hence if someone think its all about making money, it is better for him/her to find another career where making money is the main objective. When a counselor is guiding someone he/she should know that by misleading the client he/she is not only answerable to that particular client but also to the creator of heavens and earth (Burnard, 2005).

A counselor should never jump into conclusions hence he/she should pay attention to what the client is saying because by being jumpy he/she might miss crucial information that could have made it easier to understand the client’s problems.

This implies that a counselor should not feel like he/she knows it all because no matter how similar the situations might sound there is always a difference. In fact by listening more the counselor will learn more about the personality of the client rather than when he/she is doing most of the talking (Gladding, 2008).

A counselor needs to exercise a lot of patience and acceptance because rushing things can ruin the counseling process. Tolan (2003) states that in counseling profession the clients are from all walks of life ranging from drug addicts to criminals and thus the counselor must accept them just the way they are because they come for his/her services.

This is due to the fact that they are in need of help and if they are turned away they may not see the need of being reformed. Gladding (2008) suggests that patience in mental counseling is important because it helps a counselor to manage anger when irritated by a client’s behavior or slow progress. A counselor should know that some procedures may take longer than usual to be completed and hence problems cannot be solved in a single day since they also took days to be established.

All the experiences encountered in counseling should be reflected in a counselor’s job. This includes understanding of people’s cultures and beliefs because these are some of the elements that foster or hinder counseling. A good counselor should learn to appreciate client’s diversity and if possible learn the client’s native language because at times he/she may have clients who do not understand national languages.

Additionally, education is important in counseling but then the certificates do not mark the end of learning for a counselor because the field offers more learning opportunities to an open mind than what is taught in the classroom. This is because there are new challenges in counseling such as cultural differences, and when they are tackled they are the lessons that could not be learnt back in college (Burnard, 2005). In fact in most professions students learn more when working than in college.

In this light, a counselor should be an outspoken person who is open to friendship. Being friendly and kind to the clients will make them open up because it is easier to trust someone who is outspoken than someone who puts on a stone face all the time. This implies that a counselor should not show any impressions of anger even when he/she is not happy. This is encouraged because it promotes the confidence of the clients in the counselor.

However, there are clients who may be anti-social. The counselor should try to fit into their shoes by appreciating them for who they are. A counselor must have respect for his/her clients at all times regardless of whether the client is to blame for his/her problem. Respect entails not disclosing the information provided by clients with other people. If a client learns that the information he/she gave to a counselor has been shared with other people he/she may feel humiliated and may never seek help from such a counselor.

For counseling to be effective, there are various techniques which must be employed by a counselor. The first technique is being a good listener. Nelson-Jones (2009) argues that listening helps a counselor to gather information being conveyed by the client.

Interruptions such as phone calls should be avoided during this time because the counselor is expected to pay full attention to the client. If a counselor interrupts his/her conversations with the client it might look like lack of concern and it may close the client not to reveal all the necessary information.

During the conversations the counselor should look at the client in the eyes because this will build a sense of trust in the client. The counselor should consider taking some notes during the conversation because he/she will refer to the notes in later stages. Asking the client questions that were answered at the initial stages may indicate that the counselor is not serious with his/her job.

The counselor should be careful about his/her body language hence should sit in an upright posture and should use his/her body language such as nodding of the head to make the client speak more. The counselor should never speak when the client is talking but should instead wait for his/her turn to speak (Tolan, 2003).

Asking questions is also an efficient technique in counseling because it allows the counselor to extract information from the client. Questions are categorized into two, namely the ones that require short answers and the ones that require long answers. Short questions are aimed at getting particular information while long questions are aimed at making the client provide more information. When asking questions the counselor should use polite language and tone because being rude may imply that he/she is already judging the client.

Some of the information conveyed by the client need to be reconstructed using polite words because some are expressed with lots of anger and the counselor should not utter the same words that sound rude. Reconstructing the points put across by the client implies that the counselor has nothing against the client. This reconstructing includes the use of a softer tone if the client used a higher tone because this will make sure that the counselor’s sympathy for the client is clearly expressed.

Burnard (2005) explains that it is important to have a summary of every visit which should be read to the client after the counselor has finished obtaining information from the client. The summary should contain all the major issues that are arranged according to their relevance. Those that matter the most should be given the first priority. Having a summary helps the counselor to understand which issues should be dealt with first as opposed to when the counselor is tackling problems at random.

The counselor can also give clients an assignment to do on their own once at home because this will make them learn more about their problem. Moreover, the assignment makes them realize what they can do and what they cannot do. This is crucial because it helps the counselor to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the client.

Likewise, effective counseling requires the knowledge of applying various counseling theories. In counseling there are various theories that explain the essential approaches applied, but this paper will only highlight two of them. These include Solution Focused Therapy and Client Centered (Rogerian) counseling. In solution based therapy the counselor focuses on what the client wishes to acquire in the therapy. In this therapy the main concern is shifted from what really bothered the client in the first place.

The things that were said or done in the past do not matter in this therapy because the main objective of this therapy is to correct the present and face the future. When this therapy is being implemented solving the current problem is vital than what might have caused it because it assumes that the past is already gone hence it is important to focus on what is left (Nelson-Jones, 2009).

In client centered (Rogerian) counseling the client is in full control of what he/she wants to have and become. This theory states that the client has all the potential to do anything as long as he/she is made to believe that he/she can. According to Tolan (2003) this therapy is aimed at building self esteem of the client because that is what makes someone believe in him/herself.

In this therapy the counselor assists the client by allowing him/her to express him/herself and by tolerating the views of the client. The counselor does not jump into any conclusions because this might look like stumbling blocks to the client. Furthermore, the counselor shows empathy to the client by asking questions in a very friendly manner and tone. The major role of the counselor here is to provide favorable conditions for the client to realize what he/she wants to do.

In conclusion, a good counselor must apply the above mentioned techniques where necessary and should the situation persist the counselor should consider customizing the techniques to be compatible with the needs of the client. Counseling skills include effective listening, patience, asking questions, and experience in therapy. The skills of a counselor are very important because they help him/her to deliver the best results at the end of counseling.

Academic certificates are crucial but they can be useless if they do not reflect the competence of a counselor in real life situations. The counselor should use the appropriate therapy for each individual client because what works in one client may fail in another client. Hence, understanding the theories of counseling might help in coming up with feasible solutions that are deemed to solve difficult problems.

References

Burnard, P. (2005). Counseling Skills for Health Professionals. Delta Place: Nelson Thornes.

Gladding, S.T. (2008). Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession. (6th Ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Nelson-Jones, R. (2009). Introduction to Counseling Skills: Text and Activities. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Tolan, J. (2003).Skills in Person-Centered Counseling & Psychotherapy. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Medical model advantages

This client would be well served by a medical model of treatment. The main reasons for such conclusion are numerous. The patient has never had neither psychological nor legal problems until he was arrested. Deep depression was the main reason for his illegal actions. Therefore, the prescribed medication had to help.

The depression began to deepen when Jed had to quit school and go for work to pay bills. Being treated positively by the medical model of treatment, Jed got necessary medicine aimed at reducing the signs of depression. Medicine was prescribed for relieving the mood change which caused thoughts of death and aroused depression. Moreover, attending special classes of psycho-education, Jed understood the main signs which could lead to deeper problems and depression.

Therefore, having been taught to recognize those signs of depression and being able to solve the problem by means of medicine, Jed is treated. The recovery process may take years, hoverer, the possibility to overcome the problems which prevent Jed from living happy life is his direct responsibility. Medical approach teaches him how to notice the signs of coming depression and prevent them.

Medical approach is successful as its main idea is treating symptoms of depression and abnormal behavior. Curing the symptoms, Jed gets rid of thoughts about death and other depressive signs. The treatment of appetite disorders and hypersomnia can also promote general patients’ recovery.

Depression is a medical problem and it is caused not only by the problems with the surrounding people and events, but also by means of the processes which in human organism. Reducing the impact of the symptoms (such as hypersomnia, worthlessness, increased appetite, and thoughts of death), it is possible to reduce the problem in general.

Mental disorders which occur in Jed’s life are caused by means of specific chemical processes which take part in his brain. Being cured by means of a medical model, Jed is offered medicine aimed at stabilizing chemical processes in his organism and doctor’s support presupposed to predict and eliminate the cases of remission. Therefore, it may be concluded that treating the symptoms of depression by means of medicine, Jed is going to recover.

A Counseling Model

Using this particular approach for treating is much better as this client would not be well served by a medical model of treatment. An alternative model would be preferable because the causes of depression lay deeper than just in hypersomnia, increased appetite, worthlessness, and thoughts of death.

Moreover, it should be mentioned that these symptoms are the outcomes, not the reasons for depression. Curing the symptoms with the help of medical model, the desired outcome cannot be reached. Jed had psychological problems and curing the symptoms may lead to condition that is more depressed. Using counseling model, a patient communicate with the specialists and the real reasons of problem occurrence are revealed.

Depression is not an ordinary problem, it is a mental disorder which should be treated by means of getting the roots of the disease (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2010). The possibility to understand what caused the change in behavior and as a results a deep depression may be used for diagnosis. Only communication with the patient, his description of feelings, emotions, and associations may be useful.

Medical approach tries to help a patient to forget the losses which caused depressed condition. This means that the real causes of the problem are never understood. Counseling approach faces the existing problems, helps understand the reasons of the losses and considers the problem deeper.

Having come through the psychotherapy, Jed understood the main causes of existing problems. The lost marriage, the problems in the relationship with his daughter, and the loss of aspirations are caused by childhood psychological trauma his father applied on him.

Psychological traumas got in childhood lay deep in Jed’s brain, that is why he has never thought that they could lead to such unpredicted circumstances. Medical approach explained the reasons of family problems by means of Jed’s actions caused in depressive condition, however, this is not true. Curing symptoms, medical approach failed to consider the main reasons of the problem Medicine can never eliminate the problem in this case, it can just be helpful for relieving the outcomes.

Psychological traumas got in childhood can become the reasons for adult-oriented diagnoses (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2010). Counseling helps Jed understand the roots of the problem, it helps him look at the whole forest, not just notice one tree. This is the first step on the way to recovery.

Still, much attention should be paid to this childhood trauma as in many cases the problem cannot be easily eradicated. Psychotherapy within counseling model is a correct decision. Communicating the problem, a patient gets rid of negative unconscious outcomes which prevent him from living a full and happy life. Therefore, the only conclusion is that alternative to medical model approach is the best way to cure depression and return a patient to ordinary everyday life.

Reference

Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2010). Abnormal psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

All married couples would wish the old adage, ‘and they lived happily ever after’ to come true; unfortunately, to over 50% of married couples, this remains that; a wish.

Behavioral researches confirm that, 50% of all marriages end up in divorce, an unfeigned but a deplorable fact. During the first days of marriage, everything might seem blissful until the reality sets in and the couples realize they have different likes and dislikes.

Even if a couple appears to be a perfect pair, differences soon emerge and this worrying trend calls for resolute ‘treatment’. Just as an infectious disease will keep on recurring unless the proper immune system is developed, divorce will keep on occurring unless proper steps are taken to counter this unrelenting social thorn. Fortunately, research assures that, premarital counseling can cut down divorce rates by up to 30%, a significant percentage.

Premarital counseling equips couples with invaluable information about what to expect in the uncertain world of marriage. Murray and Murray (2004) posit that, “Pre-marital counseling is a wonderful way to prepare…for your life together…a few sessions of counseling gives you a chance to look at what you want as a couple” (p. 14).

Premarital counseling develops skills required for couples to stay together. Like a business, which requires a concrete plan and implementation strategy, marriage requires unhesitating plan and execution strategy to improve its chances of survival. Fortunately, premarital counseling offers the strategy together with its implementation criteria required for marriage prosperity.

Six factors define premarital counseling as a valid tool of cutting down divorces. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound goals underlines the withstanding significance of premarital counseling in reducing divorce rates. Sharing common goals aligns couples in the same direction and the resultant unity reduces the frequency of conflicts that predate divorce. The other factors draw from the goal setting aspect, working in concert to ensure any feasible survival of marriage.

Schumm and Denton (1979) warn that, “money is the biggest sole factor that causes couples to argue and fight” (p. 30). Fortunately, premarital counseling takes couples through a financial journey exploring pertinent issues like expenditure, savings, use of credits and so forth. With sufficient understanding on how to handle finances, couples can enjoy their marriage regardless of whether they have lots of money or peanuts.

Communication and conflict resolution is another critical yet neglected area in marriage. Premarital counseling explores and emphasizes on the importance of communication and conflict resolution in marriage. Some couples assume the only way out of a conflict is to keep silent while others hold that, they have to win every argument to win a conflict.

Nevertheless, premarital counseling rebuts all the misconceptions surrounding communication and conflict resolution in marriage and outlines amicable ways of handling the same. As aforementioned, first days in marriage may seem blissful; hoverer, the arrival of the first child might herald conflicts. To avoid this scenario, premarital counseling devotes enough time to explore the issue of children and parenting to save couples the pain of groping with marriage realities.

Even though many couples often overlook the issue of spirituality, premarital counseling understands clearly how differing spiritual perception can tear apart a seemingly good marriage. Therefore, the counselors give insights concerning the same. Finally, premarital counselors help couples to outline roles and expectations in marriage to avoid conflict of interest later in marriage.

In the light of all these compelling premarital counseling elements, I personally concur premarital counseling can prevent divorce. Moreover, numbers do not lie, and research has confirmed that premarital counseling cuts down divorce rate by a whopping 30%; whopping because, if 50% of all marriages end up in divorce, then it means that 30% of the remaining 50% remain in marriage due to premarital counseling.

References

Murray, E., & Murray, T. (2004). Solution-Focused Premarital Counseling: Helping Couples Build A Vision for their Marriage. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2(6), 10-17.

Schumm, W., & Denton, W. (1979). Trends in Premarital Counseling. The Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy, 5(4), 23-32.

Introduction

In the context of a group, it is important to develop a group proposal for various reasons. Group proposal is a document that provides insights about the central elements of group counseling.

It pinpoints the major aspects that a group aims to undertake in counseling and practice. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of group proposal during group counseling.

Importance of group proposal

According to Meyer (2003), group proposal is an important tool that provides the group with an overview of what to expect during the entire counseling session. At the outset, it gives the group leader an opportunity to understand the members of the group and their respective needs.

It introduces the counselor to the major expectations of the members facilitating the ability to ensure that the counseling session is in line with the expectations and needs of group members. It is the group proposal that allows the counselor to streamline his/her objectives regarding the entire therapeutic session.

Corey et al. (2010) articulates that the counselor is able to understand the members whose objectives are similar and as such, categorize them as such.

Second, a group proposal provides vital elements behind the rationale that individuals come together to resolve. It is through the group proposal that the rationale of the entire session comes into the mind of the counselor.

The rationale of the group proposal helps the counselor to understand some ethical considerations to take into account during the entire group therapy. To that end, such issues as creation of rapport and trust are addressed even before the beginning of group counseling.

In addition, the rationale allows the members of the group to manage their expectations which leads to a successful therapeutic sessions.

As elucidated by Corey et al. (2010), lack of uniform comprehension of the entire rationale of group counseling leads to distorted and fragmented expectations from the members making it hard for the counselor to address all issues that may arise during the actual group sessions.

Third, group proposal provides the objectives of group counseling. Objectives of group counseling are important for all the stakeholders since they allow the members and the counselor to understand the needs and the anticipated outcomes of the group.

To that end, it is imperative to highlight that a group proposal also highlights the logistical issues that may emerge within a group and understand the resources that are necessary to carry out the counseling process. It also provides information regarding the group content and evaluation procedure.

According to Corey et al. (2010), evaluation of group performance is important since it measures the extent to which the group has achieved the objectives and goals.

Finally, group proposal outlines the major processes underlying the group counseling process. This implies the group members get a glimpse of the way the counseling process will occur making it possible for them to understand the content prior to the actual group counseling.

Nonetheless, Corey et al. (2010) articulates that the counselor should be wary of group dynamics where members may not necessarily welcome the idea of understanding the content prior to the entire group counseling.

Conclusion

In sum, group proposal is an important tool before establishing a group counseling session. It highlights the rationale, objectives, composition of the group and logistical issues that pertains to the group besides, it provides the content and research questions that are necessary during the evaluation of group performance.

References

Corey, M.S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2010). Groups: Process and Practice. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Meyer, I. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129 (5), 674-697.