Reflective Essay on Counselling Session
Analyse A personal counselling session Counselling Skills 1
Counselling sessions can help us work through a range of personal issues from everyday hardships to potentially life threatening situations. In this reflective essay I propose to put theory to practice by analysing and reflecting upon a one hour session with a professional counsellor. The session is to be recorded so I can refer to particular instances during the session.
By discussing this particular experience in detail, I can begin to understand the specific skills a counsellor may use in many different situations in order to help others (Egan, 2007, p. 13). In this reflective essay I will focus on particular areas of face-to-face counselling that could often be overlooked such as body language, empathy, rapport building and questioning. These subtle skills a counsellor could use may seem insignificant, when really it can determine the difference between a helpful or a non helpful session.
Before the session I was un-sure of what to expect as I had not previously received any professional counselling to my discredit. Feelings of nervousness and anxiousness came over me on the way to the session as I was unsure where to start or how in depth the session would be. I seemed to prioritise in my head what issues in my life I would focus on and I also thought about what specific questions the counsellor may ask. Generally, when I meet new people I always seem to have feelings of apprehension to how they will perceive me. I worried about talking too openly as I felt I had many personal issues in my life during this particular period. The thought of exposing these issues scared me as I was unsure of how I or the counsellor may react. After seeing the receptionist, I sat in the waiting room, feeling a little calmer as the staff were approachable and friendly and also because I was the only person in the
Counselling sessions can help us work through a range of personal issues from everyday hardships to potentially life threatening situations. In this reflective essay I propose to put theory to practice by analysing and reflecting upon a one hour session with a professional counsellor. The session is to be recorded so I can refer to particular instances during the session.
By discussing this particular experience in detail, I can begin to understand the specific skills a counsellor may use in many different situations in order to help others (Egan, 2007, p. 13). In this reflective essay I will focus on particular areas of face-to-face counselling that could often be overlooked such as body language, empathy, rapport building and questioning. These subtle skills a counsellor could use may seem insignificant, when really it can determine the difference between a helpful or a non helpful session.
Before the session I was un-sure of what to expect as I had not previously received any professional counselling to my discredit. Feelings of nervousness and anxiousness came over me on the way to the session as I was unsure where to start or how in depth the session would be. I seemed to prioritise in my head what issues in my life I would focus on and I also thought about what specific questions the counsellor may ask. Generally, when I meet new people I always seem to have feelings of apprehension to how they will perceive me. I worried about talking too openly as I felt I had many personal issues in my life during this particular period. The thought of exposing these issues scared me as I was unsure of how I or the counsellor may react. After seeing the receptionist, I sat in the waiting room, feeling a little calmer as the staff were approachable and friendly and also because I was the only person in the
References: Clarke, J. (1998). Advanced Professional Counselling. The fundamentals of human behaviours & the theory & practicalities of counselling. (6th ed.) Alderley QLD: Merino Litho. Corey, G. (2009). Theorhy and practice of counselling and psychotherapy. (8th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education DeVito, J. A. (2009). The interpersonal communication book (12th ed.) US : Pearson Education. Egan, B. (2007). The skilled helper (7th ed.) Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth Group. Gabriel, L. (2005). Speaking the unspeakable. The ethics of dual relationships in counselling and psychotherapy. NY: Lynne Gabriel.