(M1)Integrating counselling skills is important as they promote the healing of the clients
mental, physical and emotional health. In order for this to work, the client must be open
to sharing past experiences which could help them with identifying themselves as well as
using those experiences to see what aspects of their lives the problems are rooting from.
This is because you are using an approach where different types of psychotherapy bring in
different elements to tackle different aspects. Below are some of the skills you will need
to integrate together as a counsellor in order for your sessions to be effective and
beneficial. These benefits include things such as building trust, understanding the needs of
the client as well setting targets for them to meet. You should also be able to be
recognise barriers and address them with the client and find ways to overcome those
barriers as well as knowing your limitations when talking to them.
As a counsellor, you should first allow the client some time to express their feelings and
emotions as by letting everything out could make the client feel a little more better about
themselves. As a counsellor, you know you have limitations and boundaries when it comes
to clients which means you have to give them space when they become emotional as you
are not allowed to have any sort of physical contact with the clients regardless of their
emotional state. The most you can do is offer them tissue and tell them to take as much
time as they need and give them some space to help them get themselves together and
regather their thoughts and feelings.
You should also give the patient some time as during counselling sessions, silence is very
effective and meaningful as it gives the client time to gather their thoughts as well as
themselves. It also gives them time to breathe and calm down which will help them ease
their mind and get back to themselves.
You should give them some time before asking them questions as asking them too many
questions could make them feel uncomfortable and it could cause them to hold back as
they might feel like you’re putting them on the spot. This could be caused by them being
emotional unstable which makes them vulnerable in a way as they are opening up to a
stranger. When asking questions, you should watch your tone as how you ask the question
can make the client interpret it differently as you should be empathetic towards the
patient as it could sometimes come off as an interrogating manner rather than a helping
manner. By asking questions, it will help you understand their needs as they will be telling
you about what they’re going through and why they are going through what they are going
through. This will help you as a counsellor as you will ask questions to help the client get
to their goal which in this case is to help her with her sexuality, so throughout the
sessions, the main goal is to help her find steps to get to this main goal of hers. By asking
questions, It also helps you understand what the barriers are and helps you come up with
ways to overcome them in a manner which is appropriate for both the client and yourself
as you must remember that as a counsellor, you are not allowed to advise or tell them to
do anything as you will held responsible if anything happens to them.
Another thing you should also focus on is your body language as this shows a lot more than
you think. By showing the appropriate body language, the client will be more comfortable
in opening up as your demeanour is showing that your engaged and interested which shows
your listening to what their saying as well as paying attention to them and what they are
saying. Body language will help you build a trusting relationship with your client which
makes the process easier and more efficient for both the client and counsellor. By having
the appropriate body language, it shows that you are here for them and that you’re not
judging them as they are opening up to you which means they have trusted you enough to
share what's bothering them.
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