Mod12-YT-Termination Session Summary & Comprehensive Notes

Session Timeline & Highlights

• Total sessions conducted: 6 (current session is the final one)
• Session 1
  • Client discussed the passing of her grandmother and initial coping strategies
  • Introduced what counseling is and clarified misconceptions (not advice-giving but exploration)
• Session 2
  • Focus on roommate dynamics: client acts as the “responsible/mothering” figure
  • Began exploring house-related expectations (cleaning, mutual respect)
• Session 3
  • Goal-setting session (personal and therapeutic)
  • Themes: improving communication effectiveness, understanding emotional authenticity
• Session 4
  • Taught a “new skill”: assertive communication through role-play
  • Practiced a mock conversation about chores and respect with roommates
• Session 5
  • Follow-up: client’s anger and need for respect at home, planning an actual house meeting
• Session 6 (current)
  • Summary, feedback, referral discussion, and end-of-course survey administration

Central Themes Identified Across Sessions

• Expectations vs. Reality
  • Client expects roommates to contribute but often does not voice those needs effectively
• Communication
  • Recognized gap between saying things and genuinely conveying them
  • Trial-and-error attempts (sometimes speaks up, sometimes stays silent)
• Emotional Authenticity & Strength
  • Client wants others to approach and listen but fears appearing “weak”
  • Aim: embrace vulnerability and express true feelings openly
• Integrity Definition (counselor’s term)
  • Alignment of thoughts, feelings, and actions
• Childhood Roots
  • Many current issues (need to be strong, caretaking role) trace back to early family dynamics

Goals Established (Session 3)

• Reflect on why current communication strategies fail
• Experiment with alternative approaches to talking with roommates
• Acknowledge and express genuine emotions rather than "pretending" to be okay

Skill Acquisition & Practice (Session 4)

• Assertive Communication Role-Play
  • Practiced a direct yet respectful request for household cleanliness
• Real-World Application
  • Client organized a house meeting (yesterday) and communicated needs successfully
  • Counselor labeled this as “little but big” progress—small step, significant impact

Progress & Achievements

• Successfully convened a house meeting and voiced concerns
• Increased self-awareness around emotional suppression
• Greater clarity on counseling process (no advice-giving, exploratory, integrative)
• Regular attendance and punctuality noted by counselor; builds therapeutic trust

Desired Future Directions (if counseling were to continue)

• Stop pretending and allow self to appear “weak” when necessary
• Further align feelings, thoughts, and behaviors (living in integrity)
• Continue refining communication with roommates and family

Referral Options Provided

1. Campus Counseling Center (Webb Center)
   • First appointment = intake (information-gathering)
   • Schedule in person or via phone
2. EVMS Resident Clinic (Eastern Virginia Medical School)
   • Sliding-scale fees; proximity “down the street”
   • Counselor can supply phone numbers
3. Community Services Board / Social Services
   • Typically available in most regions
   • Local office on Only Road
4. Behavioral Health Benefits via Health Insurance
   • Call insurance provider to check coverage and obtain referrals

Counseling Insights & Redefined Expectations

• Client’s initial belief: counselor would give direct advice
• Updated understanding: counseling = collaborative inquiry, tying together multiple life domains
• Core benefit cited: being truly listened to without needing to remain “the strong one”

Feedback Exchange

• Counselor invites client feedback on skills, approach, and overall experience
• Client highlights active listening as most helpful aspect
• Counselor shares gratitude: first non-classmate client, learned extensively, appreciates reliability (on-time attendance every session)

Survey & Closure Logistics

• Client receives pen, survey, and envelope
• Instructions:
  • Complete survey, seal in envelope, drop in Dr. Thompson’s mailbox (Room 110, alphabetical order boxes—same hall where client waited for sessions)
• Counselor and partner leave room to ensure privacy during survey
• No hugging (boundary reminder)
• Recording concludes

Ethical & Practical Considerations

• Mandatory referral: required for counselor’s academic course
• Clear boundaries and termination protocol: survey, referral list, counselor cannot continue sessions personally
• Emphasis on client autonomy: “maybe” continue counseling, decision left to client

Connections to Counseling Principles

• Termination Session Structure
  • Review progress, highlight gains, plan for continuation, gather feedback, provide referrals
• Importance of Role-Play in Skill Acquisition (practicing real conversations in safe setting)
• Person-Centered Approach
  • Empathic listening, non-directive style, fostering client’s self-discovery
• Psychoeducation: clarifying counseling myths and processes

Real-World Relevance & Implications

• Communication and expectation misalignment common in shared housing scenarios
• Emotional honesty linked to healthier interpersonal relationships and self-integrity
• Sliding-scale/community clinics increase mental-health accessibility

Numerical Highlights (LaTeX)

• Total sessions: 6
• Survey drop-off room: 110
• Multiple referral avenues enumerated (4 primary options)