Counselling skills
Introduction
The aims of this assignment are to explore where I am in relation to counselling skills and to show evidence that I have started to identify and reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses in relation to using counselling skills. I will first look at the counselling skill inventory and give a brief overview of which skills I feel most comfortable using and which I find more challenging, I will then go on to discuss in detail 3 skills that I wish to focus on and develop more during my course.
In writing this essay I hope to gain a better of awareness of my strengths and weaknesses and to understand what my learning needs are so that I can become a more effective support worker, which in turn will help the clients that I work with.
Overview of Strengths and Weaknesses
In starting the Graduates Certificate in Counselling course it was brought to the classes attention that we would not be learning counselling skills from scratch because we would already have some of these skills that we have been using all along whether it be embedded counselling through work e.g. Nursing/Teachers or in the way we relate to other human beings, it is during further study and training that we learn to develop these skills to become better at helping people find a safe space to talk through their issues/problems. McLeod explains this “What happens during counselling training is that the person learns how to use their existing interpersonal skills and awareness in a particular way in order to be able to facilitate the person seeking help to ‘talk things through” (McLeod 2011 p20)
I feel that when it comes to counselling skills my strengths lie mainly with listening, direct guidance, information giving and in helping a person to explore and understand his or her thoughts, feelings and actions. I am most comfortable with these skills as I have previous experience as a support worker with Dundee Women’s Aid and in my role as a support worker I found that these
The aims of this assignment are to explore where I am in relation to counselling skills and to show evidence that I have started to identify and reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses in relation to using counselling skills. I will first look at the counselling skill inventory and give a brief overview of which skills I feel most comfortable using and which I find more challenging, I will then go on to discuss in detail 3 skills that I wish to focus on and develop more during my course.
In writing this essay I hope to gain a better of awareness of my strengths and weaknesses and to understand what my learning needs are so that I can become a more effective support worker, which in turn will help the clients that I work with.
Overview of Strengths and Weaknesses
In starting the Graduates Certificate in Counselling course it was brought to the classes attention that we would not be learning counselling skills from scratch because we would already have some of these skills that we have been using all along whether it be embedded counselling through work e.g. Nursing/Teachers or in the way we relate to other human beings, it is during further study and training that we learn to develop these skills to become better at helping people find a safe space to talk through their issues/problems. McLeod explains this “What happens during counselling training is that the person learns how to use their existing interpersonal skills and awareness in a particular way in order to be able to facilitate the person seeking help to ‘talk things through” (McLeod 2011 p20)
I feel that when it comes to counselling skills my strengths lie mainly with listening, direct guidance, information giving and in helping a person to explore and understand his or her thoughts, feelings and actions. I am most comfortable with these skills as I have previous experience as a support worker with Dundee Women’s Aid and in my role as a support worker I found that these
References: Counselling and Psychotherapy Research: Linking research with practice volume 4 issue 1 Egan, G. (2010). The Skilled Helper. 9th Ed. Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Belmont, CA Feltham,C. (1993). The Dictionary of Counselling, Whurr Publishers McLeod, J. (2011). Counselling Skills. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press Rodgers, C. (1974). Client Centred Theory. New York: Brunner/Mazel My Personal Journal 2009 - 2013 Appendix: Self-Appraisal Statement I found writing this easy enjoyable but a bit difficult, it’s been difficult as in finding the time and space in between family life and work to sit down and concentrate. It has also been difficult trying to write about my experiences without going off on a tangent. I hope that I have written down enough information to cover all aspects of the essay and that it is clear and understandable to however is reading it. I have lost a bit of confidence in writing essays as it’s been a while since I have had to do so and the style in which we have had to write it is also different from what I’m used to so I have found it confusing at times. I have always struggled with referencing correctly and this time has been no exception. I have enjoyed writing this essay though and I feel that I have learned a bit more about myself in doing so, it has been useful keeping a journal and I am glad that I also kept my journals from my previous study as they have proved to be invaluable when reflecting on past experience.