Introduction
There are many important concepts and theories in counseling practice to help professionals make their work evidence-based, effective, and ethical. During sessions with young clients, it is essential not only to select the most useful approach and theory but also to apply active listening skills, clarification, paraphrasing, confrontation, self-disclosure, and other techniques to demonstrate engagement. As part of my practical experience, I partnered with another student to conduct counseling sessions and develop professionally. The three theories I applied were cognitive, behavioral, and brief therapies. In this paper, I share my reflection and personal evaluation and create a self-care plan.
Theories and Strategies Applied
Research-based theories play a significant role in defining and guiding one’s professional practice, so counselors need to integrate different concepts and techniques. Overall, I applied three counseling theories to the sessions I conducted, and all seemed extremely helpful. Firstly, being interested in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), I applied its two approaches separately to better understand the differences and learn which one suits me best. During our sessions, we worked with depression and anxiety, and the cognitive therapy approach helped me understand the counselee’s feelings, emotions, and thinking patterns (Moll, 2023).
We identified an unhealthy thought, which was “No one likes me, and I will never have any friends,” and targeted changing it to more positive ones, such as “I might not have friends right now, but will make some in the future.” One strength I recognized in my application was the ease with which the client navigated our examination of their thinking and emotional patterns. However, it was challenging for me not to specifically target behaviors, which are generally not included in this approach.
Further, after two sessions, when several negative thoughts were identified and replaced with more positive ones, I began applying behavioral therapy. This theory refers to selecting a maladaptive action or habit that worsens the client’s experiences and reinforcing healthier behaviors (Gotter & Burford, 2023). Together with the counselee, we ensured that their sedentary and closed lifestyle, in which there was no attempt at socialization outside of school hours, maintained their depressive state.
To address this, we decided to replace the pattern with at least one half-hour walk a week in the park to first get used to being around people. I faced no problem determining unhealthy behaviors and finding an appropriate way to change them, which are my strong sides in using this approach. However, it was difficult not to focus on thoughts and emotions, so it is likely that CBT is a more effective theory for my practice.
Lastly, I applied the third approach, solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). Instead of highlighting and analyzing past experiences, it helps build substantial solutions and focus on future goals and circumstances. Following the information that I found, I asked the counselee, “If a miracle occurred while you were asleep tonight, what changes would you notice in your life tomorrow?” (Psychology Today Staff, 2022, para. 3).
This question and the client’s response helped us establish goals to achieve the eventual purpose of eliminating the depressive state, beginning with spending more time outside and having increased communication with their family. I faced difficulty explaining to the client the necessity of changing their behaviors without referring to the causes from their past. However, when applying the theory, I was strong at suggesting those actions that seemed pleasant to the client and had a higher chance of being accepted by them.
Personal Feelings, Reflections, and Self-Evaluation
Overall, I can evaluate my performance as quite good as I managed to learn the client’s concerns and issues, effectively apply counseling theories and strategies, and pay attention to the counselee’s body language. Previously, in my personal life, I had encounters with depressive states in my close friends, and knowing that it is still common for society to stigmatize individuals with depression or believe that this disorder is nothing but laziness is triggering to me.
Therefore, my personal feelings motivated me to be more involved in the situation and apply the theories in a way to help the counselee more efficiently. However, I must admit that I also experienced the pressure of stereotypes and bias when my client shared that their male relative faced gender discrimination, which at some point contributed to the counselee’s mental struggles. I realized I was thinking about gender discrimination only affecting females, and this bias I never knew I had was impacted by the level of engagement.
Regarding the attitude I conveyed to the counselee, I evaluate it as positive, professional, and as emotional as required by counseling practice. For example, I used several techniques to establish a trusting relationship and demonstrate my readiness to help without judging. By stating that we were in a safe environment where all feelings were accepted, and actions were never used to shame clients, I recognized in advance that the counselee might experience anxiety or fear of being judged. Further, when they shared their concerns and issues, I applied active listening and paraphrasing skills (Corey, 2011). They are highly effective in demonstrating sincere engagement and involvement, and they also helped me ensure that I understood the client correctly.
I can also notice that I made an impression of a counselor who respects the client’s boundaries and privacy, softly and nonconfrontationally inviting them to share their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Another technique I tried using was self-disclosure, and according to Corey (2011), “if we model authenticity by engaging in appropriate self-disclosure, our clients will tend to be honest with us as well” (p. 11). I need to practice this method more to improve my understanding of what can be shared to encourage the client rather than create undesired impediments to their growth.
My weakest experience was relating to silence and perceiving and managing it correctly. Corey (2011) indicates that “silent moments during a therapeutic session may seem like silent hours to a beginning therapist, yet this silence can have many meanings” (p. 30). I can relate to the former part of this statement because the quiet moments we had between different parts of communication were overwhelming.
I have yet to learn how to interpret the exact meaning of silence, whether to take the lead or wait for the client to speak, and I have no hesitation regarding moving forward (Corey, 2011). Moreover, I will develop my professional skills to recognize when silence becomes stressful and challenging for the client. My purpose now is to understand what I, as a counselor, should do in such situations to reduce pressure without compromising the established level of trust.
Eventually, after completing the sessions and reflecting, I realized that I was spending too much time absorbing the information I received, deciding how to respond, and then formulating the necessary answer or a new question. In my opinion, the counselor should spend fewer seconds or minutes on this to avoid causing anxiety or losing the client’s concentration. However, if more opportunity to think is needed, it is essential to engage counselees with additional questions or reflection to gain more time, and I have yet to learn how to do that.
Impact of Faith
My faith guided me through the sessions, helping me maintain a positive outlook. As written in the Bible, “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory” (New International Version, 2011, Psalm 73:24). This quote helped me understand that, as a counselor, I follow God and receive advice and guidance from Him, and it is further my duty and vocation to take my client by the hand and lead him along the path of moral recovery.
Plan for Self-Care
Working with young people may be stressful and exhausting, and the energy that counselors put into addressing issues and disorders increases the risk of burnout. To avoid severe consequences and improve my psychological condition during practice, it is my duty to develop an effective self-care plan. The following are the steps and strategies I will take:
- The main professional aspect of self-care for me to commit to is setting up a peer-support group. Researchers recommend this method, and I believe that peer encouragement and presence can help overcome difficulties and professional crises (“Developing a Self-Care Plan,” n.d.). Another activity in this category is being strict with personal boundaries when communicating with students and staff. Although the emotional side of counseling is essential, as professionals, we also need to have personal space and require others’ respect for privacy. To achieve that, I will closely monitor what I can share with others and what needs to remain private.
- To remain physically healthy, I will stick to a regular sleep schedule, eat nutritious meals, avoid skipping breakfast, and use my free time to be outdoors.
- Concerning psychological and emotional self-care, I will have enough time for relaxation by strictly separating my working and resting hours. Having some hobbies will help me be distracted from professional concerns, and spending time with friends and family will allow me to replenish my emotional resources.
These are just the main strategies that help me achieve a life-work balance. Extreme tiredness, bad mood, irritability, and laziness are some obstacles I might face when sticking to the outlined plan. However, I will ask my family and friends to motivate me and remind me of the positive aspects of following the strategy.
Conclusion
To conclude, my overall experience as a counselor was effective and insightful. I managed to successfully apply cognitive, behavioral, and brief therapies to help a client with depression. Although I faced some weaknesses, I am satisfied with my performance. Furthermore, I conveyed a positive attitude to the counselee, assuring them that I was accepting, non-judgmental, and included in the process. At the same time, I have yet to learn how to manage silence and uncover the stereotypes and biases I may hold. Lastly, my self-care plan focuses on professional, emotional, and physical concepts and activities that can help me feel better every day.
References
Corey, G. (2011). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Cengage.
Developing a self-care plan. (n.d.). Reach Out.
Gotter, A., & Burford, M. (2023). Behavioral therapy. Healthline.
Moll, S. K. (2023). What is the difference between cognitive therapy vs cognitive behavioral therapy? The Health Board.
New International Version. (2011). BibleHub.
Psychology Today Staff. (2022). Solution-focused brief therapy. Psychology Today.