Discussion 1

The client I am working with today has recently lost her mother. She is seeking grief counseling and has gone through many ups and down of emotions since her mother's passing.

Sadness has overcome her spirit, and she feels guilty about her last interactions with her mother. In the initial assessment process, I would utilize techniques to learn how her mother passed such as active listening, observations, and open-ended questions to encourage more talking from the client along with what type of relationship they had (Conner, 2014). The body language of the client can help determine how open she might be in the sharing those precious memories.

In this situation I see myself using the person-centered approach due to the sensitivity of the dilemma. Allowing my client to discuss the relationship good or bad any outstanding concerns that were never spoken amongst the two will help her voice her emotions along relieve stress (Kersting, 2004).

Simple actions such as vocalizing and writing down one's feelings can reduce much of the client's anxiety. Often individuals feel that once someone has passed, they need to forget them however it is quite the opposite. It is therapeutic for clients to think of their lost love one in joyful times, times of laughter, and times of love (Kersting, 2004).

Empowering the client to incorporate organization in her thought process along with continuing a healthy internal dialogue with the decrease can help pull them through this stressful time i.e. what would my mother say at this moment.

Being authentic with the client by showing her that the emotions she is experiencing are normal to an extent. Identifying what behaviors are rational and irrational and teaching techniques of relaxation can help the client move through these moments in time (McCarthy, & Archer, 2013). Addressing that getting back to normal is going to take time.

References

Conner, M. G. (2014). What Is Crisis Counseling?

Kersting, K. (2004). A new approach to complicated grief.

McCarthy, C. J. & Archer, J., Jr. (2013). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Discussion 2

A 13 year old female (we will call her Eve) has come to me in crisis. Eve was just rescued from her "owner" of 10 years. She doesn't remember her family, the only life she knows is that of doing what her "dad" tells her to do which involves "dates" with several men a day for as long as she can remember.

She has no family support (it was discovered that her mother sold her to the man when she was 3 years old), she's scared because she doesn't want to get into trouble by her "dad," and she doesn't know what to do with the kindness she has been shown. She appears more scared of what will happen if her "dad" finds her, than concern about her health (badly beaten, scarred, cut, and emotionally stunted) or seeing anything good of her "rescue." She is screaming, throwing things, striking out at people in the safe house, and completely inconsolable.

I do have a benefit in this situation as I already have some preliminary reports that I can go over about Eve. I have police reports and the reports of the volunteers who rescued her about her living conditions, and some undercover information about how long she's been there and how she got there. I do not know her real name, she only guesses that she is 13 years old because that is what she has been told, and I do not know her family history.

I would greet her and ask her if she would like to sit down. It's up to her on whether she wants to sit in a chair, on the floor, or stand. I would then introduce myself to her and ask her if she knows why I am there. Going from her responses (both verbally and peripherally),

I would discuss different things that she was able to do. I would explain the situation with her "dad," and then gauge her response to rescue. Discussion programs, options, and other services available to help her acclimate and possibly recover would be done in the first session.

Answers to her questions would also follow and the session would not end until she was calm and at least marginally receptive to the idea that I was there to help. I would discuss different therapies that she might want to look into, and let her know that she was not alone. I would discuss with her what to expect from some of her options, and ask her what direction she saw herself going. I would apply an empathetic but firm hold on the direction of the counseling. All of these steps coincide with Conner's eight elements of crisis counseling (2014).

References

Conner, M. G. (2014). What Is Crisis Counseling?

Discussion 3

Nice post! Very interesting topic. I like how you start your session by monitoring her body language and tone (McCarthy, & Archer, 2013). Gauging if she is open and ready for a therapeutic relationship is depending on these.

What type of therapy would you use to treat your client based on the information you have? Do you feel that you would try to build a therapeutic relationship with her or give her her treatment options?

I believe it is important to share your perception on what has happened but not until the client and I have talked about her view of her situation. I would like to know what she thinks and what she would like to see happen from this point on.

I like that you tell her that she is not alone. Support of any kind is a start to showing her techniques to build a foundation for support is essential to her progression (McCarthy et al., 2013). Assisting her with basic life necessities such as shelter, food, and stability will go a long way in building trust.

Reference

McCarthy, C. J. & Archer, J., Jr. (2013). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.