It is Friday. You woke up, went to the kitchen, and poured some orange juice into a glass. Your week has been very productive so far, and today’s weather is particularly conducive to a good mood. To enhance that positivity, tomorrow the weekend will begin and you have some interesting travelling plans. »
The main purpose of all counselling and therapeutic endeavours is to bring about change. When a person joins a counselling group, it is usually to learn new ways of being, interrelating, and interacting. In a therapeutic small group the specific goals for each member can be varied but would include the expectation that change will occur (Conyne, 1997b). »
In the context of mental health, therapy has vastly changed over time. Long before the scientific approach to the treatment of mental health prevailed, attempts to discover the underpinnings of the human mind produced a wide range of therapies and theories. For many centuries, the therapeutic approach to the human mind was mostly based on supernatural and religious beliefs. »
It is widely accepted that all counsellors, whether experienced or just starting out, will benefit from having regular professional supervision. A supervisor acts in a mentoring role, providing emotional support as well as information and guidance. »
Australia is a land of enormous cultural diversity. Almost one quarter of our population were born in another country, yet most mainstream services mirror only broad Australian values and attitudes. Many of our multicultural clients may prefer to talk with a counsellor from their own cultural background, but often this may not be possible. It is therefore important that as counsellors we are able ... »
Within a counselling environment, the need may arise for a counsellor to work with clients who appear resistant to change or unhappy with external assistance. Some clients, who are attending counselling due to a mandated requirement, may resent the fact that they feel coerced into attending. Such clients may cite benefits such as meeting parole conditions or court orders as their only motivation f... »
Counsellors are often directly involved in the intervention phase of case planning. A counsellor may in fact be a service provider that a case manager utilises as part of their case plan. This article, however, is not focused on direct, personal interventions (although that is generally the core work of the counsellor), it is focused instead on the intervention processes counsellors can utilise wh... »
There are two fundamental evaluation dilemmas for the clinical supervisor. Firstly, as a therapist, the clinical supervisor has highly developed skills in providing a non-judgemental, non-directive, and supportive environment for their clients. »
It's almost a paradox, but the goal of a successful counselling relationship is to, eventually, come to an end! Sometimes therapists and clients build a rewarding relationship and it may be difficult for both to formalise the end of that bond; but nevertheless, it is a vital step to effectively mark the success of the process and move forward. In this article, we will overview the formal ending of... »
Diverse values, specialist development, varied experiences, a unique mindset - mix it up and include a touch of interpretation and you have a human being with a social outlook. Leveraging differences between people is a daily necessity of living in societies, and leveraging our own perspective of the world - and others in it - is one of the utmost challenges in pursuing a healthy and balanced life... »
One of the foremost challenges facing counselling professionals is to understand the complex role that client diversity plays in their work. In counselling, each client's needs and objectives need to be considered and used to guide the counselling process. These needs vary for each individual according to factors such as personality, culture, gender and age. »
Cognitive restructuring, straight thinking or logical reanalysis is based on the belief that the way we feel, behave and respond to situations is based on the way we think. This approach attempts to modify unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs. Cognitive restructuring, also known as cognitive reframing, is a technique drawn from cognitive therapy that can help people identify, challenge and alter... »
Anxiety that is produced as a result of an actual situation (e.g. being in the dentist’s chair getting a tooth drilled) can become associated to events that surround the incident even when the component that originally activated the fear (a noisy drill that results in pain) is no longer present. For example, just sitting in the dentist chair while having fluoride treatment may end up evoking... »
Parents can play the key role in initiating and generating behaviour change in their children. Parents have the potential to inspire their children directly (by applying reinforcers and other behaviour modification strategies) and indirectly (by providing a safe, supportive and encouraging environment). As counsellors, working with parents can enhance our potential to promote successful outcomes f... »
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