Introduction
Helping abilities that are both effective and efficient are essential for establishing trust and cultivating healthy relationships in various settings, including counseling, social work, and healthcare. The capacity for effective communication, empathy, and attentive listening to others’ needs are essential element of successful assistance. On the other hand, inefficient assistance methods might make the healing process more difficult or even endanger the person receiving assistance.
This paper discusses two videos on helping skills: “Good Counseling Skills“ and “Really Bad Counseling Skills” (Kim Lampson, 2019). The purpose of this study is to provide a description of the observed interactions, to identify and discuss the helpful abilities or therapeutic behaviors noted, and to enable the reader to understand what it would be like to be either the helper or the helpee in these interactions. The research also discusses how watching the movies could alter one’s approach to helping and their future goals for participating in helpful partnerships.
Furthermore, considering these videos may influence my approach to helping and my plans for engaging in helping relationships. The principles I’ve gained from these videos will help me improve my assisting skills and become a more successful helper. This research also emphasizes the importance of actively listening, demonstrating empathy, and developing rapport in helping interactions to generate beneficial outcomes for the helpee.
Effective Helping Skills Video
The “Good Counseling Skills” video shows a therapy session with a client who has recently been told they have cancer. To aid the client in expressing and processing their reactions to the diagnosis, the counselor uses active listening, empathy, and clarification. The counselor also encourages the client to discuss their feelings by asking open-ended questions. Active listening, empathy, clarification, and open-ended questions are among the qualities observed in the film (Kim Lampson, 2019a). Most importantly, these abilities enable the counselor to establish trust with the client and create an atmosphere where the client feels comfortable expressing their feelings (Lu et al., 2020). The client’s positive response, such as increasing comfort and openness to sharing, is more evidence of the counselor’s competence.
The most challenging part of this conversation, from my perspective as the assistant, would be maintaining my composure and focusing on the client’s experience. It’s essential for a helper to be compassionate without becoming sucked into the client’s emotions, but that’s easier said than done. As the recipient of the help, you may have been able to open up about your feelings without worrying about being judged. An essential part of recovery is for the patient to feel heard and validated, and the caregiver’s attentiveness and empathy may have contributed to this.
Ineffective Helping Skills Video
A counseling session between a therapist and a client who suffers from depression is depicted in the video titled “Really Bad Counseling Skills.” The therapist constantly interrupts the client, offers unsolicited advice, and gives the impression of being uninterested in the client’s emotional state (Rosenet al., 2018). In addition to this, the therapist is unable to build a relationship with the client, and their tone of voice is condescending and uncaring. Interrupting the client, offering unsolicited advice, and displaying a lack of interest in the client’s feelings are examples of behaviors exhibited by the therapist that give the impression of being unhelpful throughout the contact (Kim Lampson, 2019b). These actions demonstrate a lack of empathy and active listening, both of which are essential qualities for practical assistance. The ineffectiveness of the therapist’s strategy is further demonstrated by the client’s lack of participation and disengagement from the session.
Having a therapist who does not appear to be listening or understanding may have felt frustrating and invalidating to me if I were the helpee in this interaction. The condescending tone of the therapist and the unwanted advice may have come off as judgmental and dismissive, both of which can be hurtful to a person who is dealing with their mental health.
Reflection
The significance of active listening, empathy, and developing rapport in fostering healthy relationships was brought home to me once again after watching these films. A lack of these skills or actions on the part of the therapist, such as interrupting, providing unsolicited advice, or showing a lack of interest, has also been identified as a potential source of harm in this research (Tong et al., 2022). It is crucial for the person assisting to be aware of these behaviors at all times and make every effort to create a secure and encouraging atmosphere for the person receiving assistance.
My goal for the future is to continue developing my helpful skills, particularly my ability to actively listen and empathize with others. In addition, I make it a point to monitor my tone and the words I use to ensure I do not come across as dismissive or condescending by accident. These movies have provided me with a rich learning opportunity, and I intend to apply the lessons I’ve learned in my future interactions with those who need assistance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the two videos on effective and Ineffective helping abilities offer valuable insights into the mechanics of helping partnerships. The “Good Counseling Skills” video demonstrates the value of empathy, active listening, and effective communication in supporting excellent outcomes for the helpee. The “Really Bad Counseling Skills“ video, on the other hand, emphasizes the negative consequences of behaviors such as interrupting, invalidating, and talking over the person being helped. Reflecting on these videos has given me a better understanding of the vital role that successful helping abilities play in establishing trust, rapport, and positive outcomes for the helpee. It has also taught me the value of actively listening, demonstrating empathy, and respecting the autonomy and unique experiences of the person being helped in the helping relationship.
As a future helper, I aim to apply the lessons I have learned in practice and continually seek to improve my helping abilities. I understand that assisting can be difficult, and there may be times when my talents are ineffective. However, I believe that by remaining humble, open-minded, and dedicated to learning, I can become a more effective and compassionate helper. Reflecting on the films that explore effective and ineffective helping abilities has been a valuable learning experience for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to delve deeper into these themes. I hope this reflection paper inspires people to consider their own strengths and approaches, fostering a more compassionate and empathetic community.
References
Kim Lampson. (2019a). Therapy session: Good Counseling skills. Hoarding Disorder. Kim Lampson, PhD. YouTube.
Kim Lampson. (2019b). Therapy Session: Really Bad Counseling Skills 1. YouTube.
Lu, Y., Hill, C. E., Hancock, G. R., & Keum, B. T. (2020). The effectiveness of helping skills training for undergraduate students: Changes in ethnocultural empathy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(1), 14–24.
Rosen, M. A., DiazGranados, D., Dietz, A. S., Benishek, L. E., Thompson, D., Pronovost, P. J., & Weaver, S. J. (2018). Teamwork in healthcare: Key discoveries enabling safer, high-quality care. American Psychologist, 73(4), 433–450.
Tong, D. H., Uyen, B. P., & Ngan, L. K. (2022). The effectiveness of blended learning on students’ academic achievement, self-study skills and learning attitudes: A quasi-experiment study in teaching the conventions for coordinates in the plane. Heliyon, 8(12).