Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify common self doubts and fears of helpers
- Identify beliefs associated with effective and ineffective helping
- Challenge assumptions about clients
- Describe the stages involved in the helping relationship
Review lecture material
Step 2: Complete Discussion Board thread – Striving for Competence
Step 3: Respond to two classmates’ threads
PSY350 Careers in Psychology
Common Concerns of Beginning Helpers
The Helping Process
Exploring Self-Doubts and Fears
Some common concerns of trainees:
Fear that one’s mistakes or uncertainty will harm clients
Expecting oneself to help all clients
Anxiety about what to say to a client
Fear of conflict and confrontation
Concern that clients may be overly demanding
Corey & Corey, 2016
Understanding Transference
Some clients may respond to you by:
perceiving you in distorted ways.
experiencing political transference.
seeing you as perfect.
falling in love with you.
making unrealistic demands on you.
displacing anger on you.
Corey & Corey, 2016
Dealing with Transference
Some pointers in effectively dealing with clients’ reactions to you:
Monitor your own countertransference and seek supervision with difficult cases.
Avoid blaming, judging, or labeling the client and demonstrate understanding and respect.
Help clients become aware of how they are keeping old patterns functional in current relationships.
Corey & Corey, 2016
Understanding Countertransference
Countertransference:
A helper’s total emotional response to a client (feelings, reactions, associations, fantasies, etc.)
A few illustrations of countertransference:
“I hope he cancels.”
“If only you saw things my way!”
“You are too much like me.”
Corey & Corey, 2016
Dealing with Countertransference
No one is immune to countertransference, so remain alert to its subtle signs.
If helpers are unaware of unresolved personal issues, empathy fatigue can ensue.
Countertransference becomes problematic when it is not recognized, understood, monitored, and managed.
Common Problematic Client Behaviors
Which of the following types of clients would you have difficulty counseling?
Involuntary/ court mandated clients
Silent and withdrawn clients
Excessive talkers
Clients who overwhelm themselves
Clients who often say “Yes, but . . .”
Corey & Corey, 2016
Common Problematic Client Behaviors
Clients who blame others or deny needing help
Clients who are overly dependent on you
Clients who manifest passive-aggressive behavior
Clients who rely primarily on their intellect or conversely, use emotions as a defense
Corey & Corey, 2016
Dealing with Problematic Behaviors
Avoid getting defensive and reacting with sarcasm.
Express your reactions to clients respectfully.
Encourage clients to explore their fears.
Do not judge clients, but describe to them the self-defeating behavior you observe.
Corey & Corey, 2016
Dealing with Problematic Behaviors
Avoid being dogmatic and using your expertise to intimidate clients.
Be sensitive to clients’ cultural backgrounds and avoid cultural stereotyping.
Corey & Corey, 2016
Striving for Competence
Competence is both an ethical and a legal concept.
Striving for competence is a lifelong pursuit.
Practice only within the boundaries of your competence.
Consult with other professionals if you lack experience dealing with a particular client problem.
Corey & Corey, 2016
Striving for Competence
Making referrals, when appropriate (e.g., lacking competence) is the ethical responsibility of helpers.
Extend your education beyond graduation: Stay abreast of new developments in your field.
Corey & Corey, 2016
The Helping Process
Effective Helpers
Hold positive beliefs about people
Have a healthy self-concept
Ground interventions in a theoretical rationale
Respect cultural differences and possess empathy, warmth, congruence, etc.
Ineffective Helpers
Are rigid and judgmental
Tell clients how to think and solve their problems
Do not see their clients as having the means to control their own lives
Corey & Corey, 2016
Critically Evaluating Assumptions
Examine your beliefs regarding a client’s capacity to change and the role of the helper–client relationship in bringing about change.
If you live in an encapsulated environment, you may see only what confirms your existing belief system.
Approach situations with an open mind.
Corey & Corey, 2016
Stages of Change
Precontemplation stage
Contemplation stage
Preparation stage
Action stage
Maintenance stage
Corey & Corey, 2016
Brief Interventions
If you work in an agency setting, you may need to be skilled in making brief interventions.
Brief therapy traditionally involves 12 to 25 sessions (or fewer).
Brief interventions are time-limited, solution-focused, structured, effective strategies that can empower clients to make specific behavioral changes.
©2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Becoming A Helper – Chapter 6(4)
The Helping Process: Stage 1
Stage 1: Establishing a working relationship
Create a relationship that allows clients to tell their story.
Create a climate for change.
Establish a working relationship; make use of basic listening and attending skills and establish rapport.
Educate clients and obtain informed consent.
Corey & Corey, 2016
The Helping Process: Stage 2
Stage 2: Identifying clients’ problems
Create a therapeutic climate.
Strive to understand the social and cultural context of the client's problem.
Conduct an initial assessment.
Help clients gain a focus.
Identify exceptions to one’s problems.
Corey & Corey, 2016
The Helping Process: Stage 3
Stage 3: Helping clients create goals
Assist clients to identify specific goals.
Establish and refine goals collaboratively.
Help clients in crisis to consider their options.
Avoid moving too quickly into a problem solving mode.
Corey & Corey, 2016
The Helping Process: Stage 4
Stage 4: Encouraging client exploration and taking action
Confront clients with care and respect.
Make use of appropriate and timely self-disclosure.
Identify ways to accomplish goals.
Develop and assess action strategies and carry out an action program.
Corey & Corey, 2016
The Helping Process: Stage 5
Stage 5: Termination
Help clients bring closure to their work and consolidate their learnings.
Assist clients in developing a plan for continuing the change process on their own.
If clients are not benefiting from counseling, ethical standards prohibit the relationship from continuing.
Corey & Corey, 2016