At Last! Counseling Feedback?
Finally! The opportunity to share the counseling feedback and thoughts from my work in the session with clients and the community. Typically, people see counseling as a one-way street. Some people may see the therapist as a teacher and may sit back and let the therapist “drive the bus” of the session. Other people see counseling as a space to download their thoughts, and they “drive the session.” I like to see the counseling session as a combination of both styles with an emphasis on client-centered care.
Counseling often comes with preconceived notions about its dynamics. People are curious, and they want to know. Sometimes, it really is just a venting session. We all need to get things off our chest and feel heard. Let’s shed some light on a more balanced, collaborative approach that places the client’s needs and participation at the forefront of the therapeutic process.
Let’s be clear: the session is all about the client, but it is a synergistic experience. That synergy means that the sum is greater than the parts. Without the client, I can’t come up with “the stuff”. Without the therapist, the client can’t see the “stuff”. We can’t address what we cannot see. My job as a therapist is to help you see those blind spots and avoid them if appropriate.
The Collaborative Counseling Model
In my practice, I’ve found that the most transformative sessions occur when we break down the traditional roles and work together as partners in the journey toward healing and growth. This means combining the best of both worlds: leveraging the therapist’s expertise while valuing and incorporating the client’s insights and experiences. In all honesty, it can get a little “busy” in session; there is a lot that is being done.
Counseling Feedback Tools
I LOVE tools! They give structure to an otherwise chaotic world. Some of the biggest tools in therapy and counseling are journaling or client feedback scales. There will be so much that happens outside of the session. When you sit down, and I start by saying, “How was your week?” it may seem like idle talk, but it is a way to “check-in” with the client and set the intention for the session.
Some people are blank on that question, and it takes them a while to think about what they want to address. The work of change can seem so huge. Frequently, when we get to the session, we are overwhelmed by how much stuff there is, and we want it to come out NOW!!! But change, like elephants, can only be eaten one bite at a time.
For clients that blank on the “check-in,” the therapeutic journal is your key to success. Your journal will show you the change that you are experiencing even when you can’t see the change for yourself. Date your entries and look back quarterly and yearly to see how far you have come. Frequently, I reference the journal as a way of encouraging you to keep one. I like to think of this as an “embedded assumption.”
Client-Centered Care at Its Core
Hopefully, this reflection space will be an appropriate addition to our counseling services. We can share and learn from each other. You can ask me questions here, and I will answer them in a general way. For confidentiality purposes, please send your questions to info@holisticbehavioralsolutions.com rather than leaving a comment. I guarantee an answer via post in this space. Meditating on it may take a while and formulating something useful, but I guarantee I will respond in this reflection space or in our sessions.
So, with all that, what are you doing today that is therapeutic and healing for you?
Counseling Feedback and The Holistic Store
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