Essay Example on Counseling and Self-Assessment

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School presents a lot of new things for one to learn. Some of them are easy to take others are challenging. School set up has many sources from which learning comes from (Jongsma et al. 2013). These include teachers, students, support staff and other learning materials. I have been able to rediscover myself from the interaction with teachers, fellow students and help students. It 's hard to know oneself completely all by own but through others it is easy. It was through interaction tutors while attending class sessions and presenting work to them. While holding group discussions, playing and having friendly chats with my fellow students have learned a lot.

My challenges range from low esteem and sleep. Low self-esteem is having an overall negative view of yourself, judging oneself, or placing a negative value on oneself as a person (Fennell 2011). Sleep is characterized by spending a lot of time awake reducing the time for adequate sleep. It has been depicted in my class work. Over years have been having spelling and grammar writing that the teacher keeps on highlighting as an area of development. I also prepared a questionnaire for my fellows students, and they said I have reserved my empathy.

Low esteem has resulted from me coming from a family where my dad is so dominating (Sorensen, MJ 2006). Since childhood have learned to take a back seat and let dad lead all activities. It has nurtured a culture of letting others be even in areas where I can join the lead by taking a reserved role. The sleep disorder attribution is to the lots of time I spend watching movies late into the night and worries about studies activities. My body has recognized this scheduled which have become a routine. It has created a rhythm that control sleep process.

Identification of strengths and areas for development

On the contrary, I have strengths despite the weakness I face. I am empathetic in that I can understand others. I strive to build long lasting relationship with students, teachers and support staff. I like consulting teachers, playing with others students, and saying hello and engaging small chats with support staff. It has enabled me not only connect but build a good rapport. I like giving people communicate without judging them; I neither condemn them nor make them feel guilty (Pretorius et al. 2010). It has enabled us share openly with mutual respect and being understood well by others.

I have strengths in being patient, which is expressed in an assurance calm character (Ward et al. 2011). My tutors feedback is contrary; I feel its mistaken that am not empathetic enough. Though I am a strong empathetic person, I also reservations as a protective way. It has a great influence from my father, who is a dominant character who rarely expresses many emotions. He is someone who has always set boundaries for me while encouraging and challenging me with different tasks in my lifetime. He is a role model through which have been mentally sketched through his empathy (Brigman et al. 2001). He being a person I respect, adore and respect I have taken after him. This kind of way of not physically expressing myself may have seen many refer me as not empathetic. It is a challenge I have taken up so positively and willing to invest a lot of energy and devotion to improving and develop myself.

I like making people believing in me; this is earning their trust for me. I dont choose friends nor do I look down upon anyone. Since childhood, I have been able to blend well with others by creatively engaging in group activities. It has allowed me indiscriminately share my feelings and create a friendly and environment for friendship to thrive (Lauwers et al. 1999). This nature has helped me earn a lot of friends who want to spend time with me catching up. It has been achieved through by sharing class work experiences and social lives experiences that we have faced. It has enabled us work in harmony during group discussions and other activities.

Having grown with a dominating father it has taught me the virtue of listening. My dad has been making the decision about where to spend the New Year holiday and which toy I should buy. It has taught me that for any success in a relationship is not only about communication but also listening (Jacobs, 2006). Listening will enable me understand another person better. I will know their experiences, perceptions and their expectations (Blonna et al. 2005). It will let me know friendship zones and boundaries not to exceed. It has earned me many friends for people have a liking for me for they say am not judgemental.

Since time immemorial, laughter is the best medicine to keep you young (Raabe, 2002). I like fun, sharing and listening humour and watching comic videos. It is a way learnt throughout my lifetime growth I have an attraction to people who made me laugh and have fun. Laughter is a foundation for building trust if its not sarcastic and done at the right place. It reduces the pressure that has built up on class work that may be causing anxiety for me.

How their level of skill has developed?

The learning process of class work has been a real challenge. Reading materials, theories and literature looked so hard to conceptualise at first (McSean et al. 1995). Exposure to the materials has broadened my thinking, and grown my knowledge and skills in the area of study. I have lots of information as an Integrative Counsellor that I may use and pass to my clients. The methodology may vary from one therapeutic approach to another depending on the personal problems they are experiencing. Knowledge about how to best structure a therapy session that suits the client needs (Mapping the terrain of learner autonomy, 2009). The academic process has enabled me acquire specialised skills that are the crucial development in the counselling profession.

How their level of knowledge has developed?

Counseling focuses on human behaviour and how to make it best, when some unwanted behaviour occurs in some people. I have learnt that the unique model to respond to this action is by use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (Blonna et al. 2005). It focuses on relating the client's response to their thoughts and feelings. Integrative studies have opened my knowledge access to other theories that have found very relevant and useful in counselling. Such like Psychodynamic Approach that links a persons past to their present emotions (Chan et al. 2004). This scope of knowledge will enable me as a professional to have an inner analysis of particular behaviour from different angles.

How apply CPD to improve their performance

As a norm, I will be introducing myself to a client. The most important thing to do is to make myself known to a patient as an expert and explain my ability and excitement to help them with issues they are facing (Sue et al. 2007). I will most define my expert identity by defining what I am and which I cannot administer as a qualified medical practitioner medicine. I go on to say that professional counsellors are licensed to help resolve mental and emotional problems (Degges et al. 2011).

I have known that professional development on oneself is hard so ill engage professional services for mentorship. The mentor should have adequate time and stamina not only to act as a leader but also as act as a teacher. Building a professional career requires more than just going for attending seminars (Prout et al. 2007). But the process of building qualities focuses on creating lasting bonds with other practitioners in the field and fellow workers who have similar ambitions. I will subscribe counselling professional ethics and other frameworks that protect both the public and our responsibility to provide services that meet standards of care. Ill join professional organisations that will act as guidance to me in my career growth.

How to reflect on the feedback given by the client?

Client feedback is also an important factor in counselling reflection. There some of the ways in which as a counsellor I would use to reflect on a clients feedback.

Empathic Responding

Empathy is taking another clients frame of experience while leaving yours behind (Wortham, 2001). It will enable in exploration the clients world fully and in an elaborate way. It should be employed throughout the counselling process. It can include using a phrase like I sense your frustrations. All personal thoughts in the mind are brushed away in this process to be in the clients shoes. It will enable you to feel the clients deeper feelings of frustrations that lay in their voice and calm exterior. The client will accept the reflection and will go a mile to explain these failures better. An empathetic response makes the client trusts you to it gives the sense of concern, and it is through that a counsellor can earn their trust.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the counsellors reflection of the understanding of what client has said (McLeod, 2013). It is an important point and shorter with main points of what client had said. It also helps the counsellor have accuracy and grip of the whole story. After the client who had booked an appointment you can state their problem as you would like to talk about work challenges. It can be a paraphrased story of one who is facing disciplinary cases in the organization they are employed. And a further paraphrase you want to handle them but you dont know how. It will show the client you are aware of the story, and you have the correct information with you. If it is true, they will accent, and it will form a verbal contract of what the counselling sessions will be based (Canadian Guidance and Counselling Association, 1986).

Questioning

Questions posed in the process should be relevant to the story and information at hand. Open-ended questions encourage the client to talk more and more while closed questions require one word or two responses from the client. How do you feel? is an open-ended question. It catches the client unaware for they fall for it and give you the required information about what is bothering them. After asking about the past period, pose a question that relates to the present moment how are you feeling right now? It gives information broadly, and closed-end questions will be used for clarity at the end of the response (Tan, 2011).

Challenging

The objective of challenging a client is to discover what strengths and resources they possess and are unutilized (Maher, 2012). What would you say about your son? It is a question that a parent may be asked this question to talk about what they see best in a child who is under drug addiction (Lister, 2002). It is a provocative question aimed at revealing the other good side of a coin.

Summarising

Short notes that which will be used to show aim and direction of the session.At the end of the session compile core issues that had been raised in the discussion with the client. Then state any missing links and areas to be subjected to a further investigation (Smith, 2012).

Effect of counseling theories to thinking and practice

I can identify myself with the Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach(Gupta, 2007).. My characteristics seem well catered in this theory. In my work as I look forward to being practical by giving services to solving people present problems. This immediacy makes me unleash my whole stamina and focus on providing solutions to current and ongoing problems. Such solutions to a client can be CV writing and review assistance, motivation, self-esteem and career advice among other issues. I have noticed a very focused person when working on a planned activity according to a schedule. I can plan while the time is working for future events. It is in line with the CBT appro...