Developing Style of Counselling
Essay – My Developing Style of Counselling
Foreword.
In this, I shall endeavour to detail my development in terms of counselling student.
I intend to describe where I was, where I am now and where I aspire to be.
Perhaps I should start with three questions: ‘Counselling’- why am I doing this? For whom am I doing this? How will I do this?
Why: For the bulk of my 37-year career, my role has been involved with getting information, analysing and delivering the results. Teamwork, management of resources technological, logistical and personnel have been key elements, but the goal was always results-focussed. Only the latter period of my work has been directly involved with people and their personal issues, previously ‘people’ were a ‘resource’. While I have enjoyed a satisfying and successful career, and not been an uncompassionate person, I feel I have only recently discovered qualities within myself that I can put to good use for others. This is more important to me and personally rewarding.
So much for the why, but who will benefit from my training in this field?
Me, certainly. Intellectually; a sense of achievement, but self-discovery leading to greater self-awareness and acceptance are equally if not more important. On the other hand, the clients make up the partnership that is the counselling therapeutic relationship. No point me having all this potential, learning and experience if I am not going to use it, is there?
As for the ‘how’… here we go.
Exposure and education
I must admit, when I first started Bedford College evening classes in 2008, as a complete novice to counselling, but interested in developing my listening skills to be a more effective manager in the workplace, I was not aware of different counselling approaches. In fact, Carl Rogers, and his three Core Conditions, was just ‘slipped-in’ almost surreptitiously.
I thought it was quite telling a short time ago, when a colleague asked, ‘what is the difference
Foreword.
In this, I shall endeavour to detail my development in terms of counselling student.
I intend to describe where I was, where I am now and where I aspire to be.
Perhaps I should start with three questions: ‘Counselling’- why am I doing this? For whom am I doing this? How will I do this?
Why: For the bulk of my 37-year career, my role has been involved with getting information, analysing and delivering the results. Teamwork, management of resources technological, logistical and personnel have been key elements, but the goal was always results-focussed. Only the latter period of my work has been directly involved with people and their personal issues, previously ‘people’ were a ‘resource’. While I have enjoyed a satisfying and successful career, and not been an uncompassionate person, I feel I have only recently discovered qualities within myself that I can put to good use for others. This is more important to me and personally rewarding.
So much for the why, but who will benefit from my training in this field?
Me, certainly. Intellectually; a sense of achievement, but self-discovery leading to greater self-awareness and acceptance are equally if not more important. On the other hand, the clients make up the partnership that is the counselling therapeutic relationship. No point me having all this potential, learning and experience if I am not going to use it, is there?
As for the ‘how’… here we go.
Exposure and education
I must admit, when I first started Bedford College evening classes in 2008, as a complete novice to counselling, but interested in developing my listening skills to be a more effective manager in the workplace, I was not aware of different counselling approaches. In fact, Carl Rogers, and his three Core Conditions, was just ‘slipped-in’ almost surreptitiously.
I thought it was quite telling a short time ago, when a colleague asked, ‘what is the difference
Bibliography: Cain D. 2002 Classics in the Person-Centred Approach: (Paperback) PCCS Books Corey , Gerald, Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy 4th Edition Brooks/Cole Kirschenbaum, & Land. 1989. The Carl Rogers Reader. Houghton Mifflin. Klein, Mavis 2006 The Psychodynamic Counselling Primer PCCS Books McLeod, John. 2009. An Introduction to Counselling. Open University Press Rogers, Carl R A Way of Being. 1980/revised 1995 Houghton/Mifflin Sanders, Pete. 2003 the Tribes of the Person-centred Nation PCCS Books (Paperback) Sanders, Pete. 2006. The Person-Centred Primer. PCCS Books. Shostrom, Everett. 1965. Three Approaches to Psychotherapy aka The Gloria Series. http://www.metafilter.com/69825/The-Gloria-Tapes Yontef, Gary Gestalt Therapy: An Introduction http://www.gestalt.org/yontef.htm