Discussion Question: Your human services counseling clients will come to you suffering at one level or another. Our lectures for the last two weeks, and both the course texts, all discuss the concept of suffering and factors guiding how to counsel those who are suffering.

In fact, a careful reading of the Reading & Study materials indicates numerous concepts and principles that could apply in counseling those who are hurting.

1. As you counsel your hurting clients, what you say to them will be guided by your own beliefs about the role of suffering in human experience (part of your own "theoretical map" as discussed in the lecture).

Considering the numerous points that were made in the course, make a list of at least 5 concepts ("questions to ask myself as I counsel those who are suffering. . . ") that you found particularly helpful, insightful, unique, or had not thought about before.

What guidelines would you particularly emphasize as you counsel hurting people? The five concepts you list should be based on the course materials, so make sure you cite the source you use.

2. Then consider the following scenario. What suggestions from the course materials would you want to apply to this hurting client? Why did you choose those suggestions as most important?

Scenario

You work primarily for an adoption agency but on some evenings, you volunteer your time at your church's free counseling clinic. Your client in that setting, Jamie, was recently divorced, and expresses that she "has no direction" in life. She feels very rejected and alone.

She often cries in session and in her latest session, lashed out at you, her therapist, since she was "not feeling better." She questioned whether you were really helping her since she is still "feeling all this pain." She left asking, "Why can't you help remove this needless suffering?"

Replies: In your responses to at least two classmates, ELIMINATE simple "I agree" statement. Rather, comment on the strength and weaknesses of your classmates' posts.

Were the five points mentioned by your classmate truly insightful or unique, or were they obvious? Please also briefly critique the suggestions offered by your classmates in responding to the scenario.