Counselling Refective Paper

Name: Tso Chun Shun

Uid: 3035238620

After finishing the first video of counselling, I have a great different change in talking to others.

In the second video of counselling, I chose to listen to my clients’ thought and did more reflection of feelings to her. I tended to listen to her thought of issues and tried to find out her emotional state. I believe that helping her to purposefully express her feeling is the first step to let her understand the situation. During this process, I literally bring her to find out what why would have such experience, feelings and behaviors and her belief. After the first meeting, I understand that people tend to say the presenting problem, not the underlying problem. Moreover, they probably do not know the underlying problem they suffer. Therefore, by referring the respectful model, I tried to know more about her family background and her personal style and her life span challenges (D'Andrea, M., & Daniels, J. (2001). According to Erikson’s psychosocial stages (1968), she is at the stage of young adulthood. Owing to her family issues, surrounding environment in residential hall, her sadness is all because of the relationships. When she fails to handle the relationships with other people, the crisis emerges. Therefore, I think that knowing client’s stage of conflict can help me talk with my client smoothly and let her feel that I understand the situation she is encountering.

During the start of second interview, I notice that how to invite the client to talk requires some skills. I would choose to ask the open-ended questions to follow up the last meeting’s concern first and encourage her to share her current concern in order to avoid bringing cumulative pressure to her.

In the second interview, I have tried to asking open ended question at the beginning to encourage her to say more and listen to her thought and behaviors. And I tried to use the closed ended question to get the specific answers from her. However, asking the open ended question mostly can let her feel that I am not only interested in my concern to her. it shows that I am willing to listen to her story and her concerns.  

As for the interactional skills, I tried to use more eye contact and body posture to talk to her. I want to show my care and concern to her. When she was talking about some sensitive issue, I would slightly lean forwards. And I tried to use the verbal responses in a warm and expressive tone. By using the minimal reposes like nodding head, using prompts of “UMUM”, “I SEE” to tell her I actively listen to her (Bramme2003). In the counselling process, I have to make at an appropriate pace to communicate with her. Moreover, I tend to observe her glances, gesture and physical reactions to identify which topic I should help her to deal with first and her emotional state.

Moreover, the reflecting skills are important for my counselling, I tried to reflect the content with fewer words and restate her basic message in similar. By using the word of “I hear from you that” to let her know I actively listen to her thought. And I notice that it can help me to check if my understanding of her statement is on the right track. Apart from this is that, I can try to identify and reflect her feelings by using the word “you feel”.(Cournoyer,2005)

However, I notice that when I ask the “why” question, my client sometimes cannot answer me and I was stuck at this time. I think that my client probably does not know why and it is useless to ask why question. After the interview, it is likely to make people feel embarrassed. And I think I should improve in this way.