Course Code: PY 250
Overview of helping model, video presentations
Stages of Change
Practicing techniques together, either today or the next session
Overview of helping skills
Note: Not all items are in sequential order.
Stages:
Exploration
Insight
Action
Each stage plays a critical role in the helping process.
Establish rapport with the client.
Develop a therapeutic relationship.
Encourage the client to share their story.
Explore thoughts and feelings of the client.
Facilitate the arousal of emotions.
Gain comprehensive knowledge about the client.
Importance of allowing the client to explore independently, rather than guiding them.
Nonverbal Behaviors: Body language, eye contact, etc.
Minimal Verbal Behaviors: Encouragement with low verbal input.
Restatements: Rephrasing what the client has said for clarity.
Open Questions/Probes for thoughts and feelings: Both types of questions help deepen the exploration.
Help the client gain self-awareness regarding their thoughts and feelings.
Foster insight into the roots of their problems.
Challenge the client towards self-awareness.
Facilitate the process of insight through:
Open questions
Interpretation of client actions and feelings
Disclosure of insights enabling relationship dynamics to shift.
Employ immediacy when beneficial.
Clients often struggle to see the interconnectedness of their experiences.
The role of the therapist is to introduce new perspectives and insights.
The therapist acts as an external observer, capable of seeing patterns the client may not.
The relationship itself can be a catalyst for self-discovery.
Example: Roger and Mark have discussed feelings of depression in retirement contextualized with changes at home.
Trust has been established, fostering a conducive environment for insight exploration.
Assess for contradictions in a client's feelings or thoughts.
Explore barriers preventing change.
Reflect on personal emotions within the therapeutic relationship.
Questions to consider may include:
"What might be causing the client’s current behavior?"
"What keeps the client from changing at this moment?"
Roger (helper): Engages Mark in exploring connections between his emotions and current relationships.
Mark (client): Reflects on a connection between his feelings of depression and dynamics with his husband.
Roger: Provokes deeper reflection, demonstrating probing techniques for insight.
Involves sharing educated guesses about underlying issues the client hasn't explicitly recognized.
Examples:
Making connections between seemingly isolated events.
Identifying themes and patterns in client behavior and interpreting them.
Challenging longstanding beliefs derived from past experiences.
Collaborate with the client to identify and implement changes.
Questions to consider include:
What change is desired?
What is the significance of this change?
Pros and cons of the change and needed resources.
Open questions tailored for action planning.
Provide informed advice and disclose strategies as appropriate.
Exploration: Establishes the groundwork for insight.
Insight: Clarifies understanding of issues and evaluates change necessity.
Action: Offers support in applying changes and measuring their outcomes.
Change comes from feeling empowered and hopeful about insights gained.
Trust and engagement from exploration facilitate the shift towards actionable change.
Progress is often non-linear, with clients moving back and forth through stages.
Empathy: Establishing a psychological connection with the client.
Compassion: An intrinsic desire to promote client wellbeing.
Collaboration: Recognizing the reciprocity in the helping relationship.
"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another..." — Alfred Adler
"To my mind, empathy is in itself a healing agent..." — Carl Rogers
Develops genuine care and acceptance of the client.
Anticipating client reactions aids in communication and understanding.
Sensitively reflecting back facilitates a safe space for clients to express themselves.
Understand that clients may hesitate to be open due to fears.
Create a supportive environment that encourages disclosure and validate their feelings of vulnerability.
Maintaining respect and care for the therapeutic relationship is crucial.
Stages:
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance
Precontemplation: Unawareness of the issues.
Contemplation: Recognizing the issues and considering options.
Preparation: Identifying steps toward change.
Action: Actively making changes.
Maintenance: Sustaining changes and preventing relapse.
Individuals can cycle through these stages multiple times.
Counseling strategies should align with the client’s present stage.
The client's redirection of feelings toward the therapist based on past experiences.
Examples: Viewing therapist as a parental figure, experiencing intense emotions.
Important for recognizing relational dynamics.
The therapist's emotional reactions influenced by their own past.
Must be managed carefully to maintain professional boundaries.
Regular reflection and supervision are vital for effective practice.
Future sessions will dive deeper into specific helping skills and practice them.