Counselling Skills for Health Professionals- an Analysis of an Interaction.
The aim of the healthcare professional in a clinical role is to support the improvement of their patient 's health. This involves using a multitude of skills in order to create a supportive environment so that the best possible results for the patient can be achieved.
Patients would appear to feel more satisfied and to respond positively to the helper when
“They are welcomed and seen on time
They feel they have been heard and understood
They are given information they recognise as relevant to them
They understand what they have to do.”
[Gable 2007 pg.5]
In this essay I aim to explore some of the methods, approaches and skills available to a helper in a communication with a patient and how I put these to use in a specific interaction with one of my patients drawing on the research available to support the clinical approach I use. I will look at the effectiveness of the skills I have used and what I now do differently as a result of completing the counselling course.
Background Information
The communication used was a twenty minute appointment which took place in a dietetic weight management clinic setting approximately two months ago. It was my first time seeing the patient after they saw another member of the team twice before. The patient had taken on board healthy eating advice from the last session but hadn’t increased exercise yet as they reported their lifestyle to be too busy. They had lost weight since the last appointment as a result of the postive dietary changes implemented. Outcomes from this appointment were to increase activity to four times a week -we decided on three different methods which could be used to achieve this goal which we fit in around their current lifestyle. We also agreed that they would continue with the achieved changes from the previous session.
Ethics and Confidentiality
I obtained verbal consent to use the consultation for the purpose of this essay. I maintained confidentiality throughout the appointment and during
Patients would appear to feel more satisfied and to respond positively to the helper when
“They are welcomed and seen on time
They feel they have been heard and understood
They are given information they recognise as relevant to them
They understand what they have to do.”
[Gable 2007 pg.5]
In this essay I aim to explore some of the methods, approaches and skills available to a helper in a communication with a patient and how I put these to use in a specific interaction with one of my patients drawing on the research available to support the clinical approach I use. I will look at the effectiveness of the skills I have used and what I now do differently as a result of completing the counselling course.
Background Information
The communication used was a twenty minute appointment which took place in a dietetic weight management clinic setting approximately two months ago. It was my first time seeing the patient after they saw another member of the team twice before. The patient had taken on board healthy eating advice from the last session but hadn’t increased exercise yet as they reported their lifestyle to be too busy. They had lost weight since the last appointment as a result of the postive dietary changes implemented. Outcomes from this appointment were to increase activity to four times a week -we decided on three different methods which could be used to achieve this goal which we fit in around their current lifestyle. We also agreed that they would continue with the achieved changes from the previous session.
Ethics and Confidentiality
I obtained verbal consent to use the consultation for the purpose of this essay. I maintained confidentiality throughout the appointment and during
References: Egan, G. (1998). The Skilled Helper: a problem-management approach to helping. 6th edition. California, Brookes/Coles. Gable, J. (2007). Counselling Skills for Dietitians. 2nd edition. Oxford, Blackwell. p.5 Giannini, J., DiRusso, L., Folts, D., Cerimele, G Heron, J. (1976). A six-category intervention analysis. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling. 4(2), pp. 143-155 McLeod, J McLeod, J. (2003). Introduction to Counselling. 3rd Edition. Maidenhead, Open University Press. Mearns, D. Thorne, B. (1999). Person centred counselling in action. London, Sage. Miller, W.R., Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change. New York, The Guildford Press. Nelson, P.J.M. (2007). An Easy Introduction to Egan 's Skilled Helper Solution Focused Counselling Approach. Part 1 Pearson, D Rogers, C.R. (1957). The Necessary and Sufficient Conditions of Therapeutic Personality Change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21, pp.95-103. Stewart, M. (1995). Effective Physician-Patient Communication and Health Outcomes: A Review. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 152(9), p.1429 The Borg Tolan, J. (2003). Skills in Person-centred Counselling & Psychotherapy. London, Sage.