The Elements of Counseling

1. Setting The Stage: Counseling Process. Make Personal Contact. Develop a Working Alliance. Explain Counseling to the Client. Pace and Lead the Client. Speak Briefly. When You Don't Know What to Say, Say Nothing. You May Confront As Much As You've Supported. If You Want To Change Something, Process It. Individualize Your Counseling. Notice Resistance. When In Doubt, Focus On Feelings. Plan For Termination at the Beginning of Counseling. Arrange the Physical Setting Appropriately. 2. Strategies to Assist Clients in Self-Exploration. Avoid Advice. Avoid Premature Problem Solving. Avoid Relying on Questions. Listen Closely to What Clients Say. Pay Attention to Nonverbals. Focus On the Client. Be Concrete. Utilize Metaphors. Summarize. 3. A Few Mistaken Assumptions. Agreement Does Not Equal Empathy. Do Not Assume That Change Is Simple. Positive Thinking Does Not Equal Rational Thinking. Make Psychological Assessments, Not Moral Judgements. Do Not Assume That You Know Clients' Feelings, Thoughts, And Behaviors. Do Not Assume That You Know How Clients React To Their Feelings, Thoughts, And Behaviors. 4. Important Topics. Develop Crisis Intervention Skills. Take Control of the Situation. Determine the Real Client. Emphasize Strengths. Mobilize Social Resources. Pay Attention to Issues of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, And Sexual Orientation. Be Open to Group and Family Approaches. Refer Carefully. Watch For Deterioration in Clients. Establish an Interest in Counseling Research. Document Your Work. Persevere With No-Shows. Learn How To Conceptualize Clients. Learn About Managed Care. Develop Technology Skills. 5. Counselor, Know Thyself. Become Aware of Your Personal Issues. Be Open to Supervision. Don't Hide Behind Testing. On Ethical Questions, Consult. 6. A Brief Introduction to Intervention. Basic Counseling Texts. Person-Centered Counseling. Behavioral Counseling. Cognitive, Cognitive/Behavioral Counseling And Social Learning Theory. Gestalt Counseling. Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Counseling. Existential Counseling. Group Counseling. Family/Systems Counseling. Brief Therapy. Research On Counseling and Psychotherapy. Other Important Sources.