Initial Meeting Case Study
Why Is the Initial Consultation so Important? What Factors Will an Ethical Therapist Cover at This Time?
In this paper, I will be looking at the purpose of the initial consultation meeting, and considering what happens during this first appointment and why it is such an important part of the client/therapist relationship. I will examine what the objectives of the first meeting are and illustrate how an ethical therapist uses this time to ensure that they have the appropriate skills to deal with the client’s issues or discuss alternatives.
Whilst the first part of the meeting is clearly an exercise in fact-finding, the most important aspect of an initial meeting is to ascertain if the client/therapist relationship will work successfully. …show more content…
Whether there is mutual respect, trust and clarity around what will happen in subsequent meetings. From the moment you meet your client, you will be assessing them; for example: understanding what kind of day they’ve had so far, their journey in. However, you will be trying to create an environment which puts both you and you patient at ease. Therefore finding neutral subjects and shared ground in order to give them time to take in their new surroundings will in turn allow them assess and appraise you. The use of open questions and active listening techniques to glean answers rather than firing numerous questions at them will enable you to avoid thinking too far ahead to your treatment or even the next question. Give the client time to think and answer.
When your client is settled, this is a real opportunity to understand more about them. There are several routes you can take at this point. You could move straight onto filling in a Consultation Form. However, I think that this has the opportunity to switch the client off. I feel it’s key to use this first 5-10 minutes to continue to understand the client. The therapist needs to consider their body language, the tone of their voice and even at this early stage perhaps their modality. Mirroring your client to a certain extent is a good technique to help them become more comfortable with the therapist.
Once you feel the client is at ease, you may need to ask them to fill out some basic details and to be as honest as possible. It may make sense at this point to explain that they can look at any notes you have taken( the notes are taken purely so the therapist can give the best possible experience to the client). Also it’s a good time to share your Client Disclosure Form and explain your confidentiality policy. The form should include the fact that you are accredited (National Hypnotherapy Society and other bodies) but it would be worth explaining this and what this means in terms of code of conduct. Here are the basic details:
Consultation Date
Client Name
Date of Birth
Home Address
Contact Number
Doctors Name
Doctors Surgery and Address
Occupation
Marital Status
Emergency Contact and Number
Are you Pregnant Y/N
Smoker Y/N
Alcohol Y/N: If so how many units a week?
Are any medications being taken Y/N (if yes, add details including milligrams)
This information will be useful to you understanding your clients life. However, one thing stands out clearly and that is the medication. If it is clear that the client is taking medication, set an expectation that you need to look up the affects of the medication. If necessary, with the clients consent you may need to contact their doctor for approval to start Hypnotherapy or Counselling.
It will quickly become clear if there’s no rapport or clearly a lack of trust. If this is the case, it may be an idea to continue through the questions, but at conclusion if this is the case it would make sense to suggest an alternative therapist to the client. Similarly, if there is ‘chemistry’ between yourself and your client then it would be sensible to propose another hypnotherapist.
The therapist should then move onto finding out more detailed information on the client whilst remembering that the question are not only to produce answers but allow observation of the client’s modality.
The client may well still be nervous, so it may be worth explaining ‘the more I can understand of your medical history, family life and expectations the more likely it is that I can tailor the experience to give you the maximum benefit’. Listed below are a list of questions and comments around why we need to know this information:
What understanding have you of Hypnotherapy, what previous experience do you have of it?
This is a great opportunity to understand prior experience that a client has, if any. It will allow you to assess what their perception of Hypnotherapy is, what they’ve seen or read. At this point you will be able to set a clear expectation of what Hypnotherapy and what in reality they will experience with the therapist during the sessions.
What is the problem or issue that you would like to deal with and …show more content…
why?
This will not be the only question that a therapist would ask here. The question is open and the therapist should expect to lead this question into a more detailed understanding around the subject that is worrying the client. Perhaps asking what led them to the problem coming about, its history, how is it affecting their life, how long it has affected the client and so on. In the ideal situation, you would partner counselling techniques here to understand the route cause of the issue. As with many issues, the symptom is not always the cause. It is key to be mindful of this. This part of the discussion is a great opportunity to waking hypnosis, covered again a little later in this paper. This is a great time to ask what goals or results the client would like to see from the Hypnotherapy.
From 1-10, what would be your motivation to resolve the issue?
I like this approach, suggested by our tutor, allowing the client an opportunity to really assess how negatively the issue is affecting them. Suggesting that if the score is 6 or below it may be key to ask ‘What would get that score up to 8?’. It may not make sense to go ahead and treat is if the motivation is not high enough.
How quickly would you like to resolve the issue?
This is key to setting expectation. It may be that hypnotherapy will not have an effect, but similarly it may be that it will take one week or six weeks. It may well be that you cannot answer that question during the first session. What is important is to set appropriate expectation.
What made you decide to look into Hypnotherapy and why now?
This creates the opportunity to take the client back to consider their motivations and reasons why. Helping you as the therapist to help manage expectation and understand their goals. It may appear as though we are revisiting certain subjects, but I believe strongly that an ethical therapist will take the time to fully understand their client. As the discussion progresses and hopefully the client builds trust with the therapist, they will give up more knowledge to help shape the treatment plan.
What benefits would you expect to gain from making changes as a result of the Hypnotherapy?
Getting the client consider how they would perceive their life changing as a result of improving or resolving the issue at hand.
What would change and how they would feel about this. This may also help the therapist in understanding how they can shape their treatment plan or screeds. It may also help in waking hypnosis.
Are you aware of any history in your family or yourself of medical conditions, for example, blood pressure, heart issues, diabetes, allergies?
This is a similar approach to the medications question. Proceed with caution if there is history. You may need approval from their GP if they are under treatment. You may need to research the condition more. Retain the session as a consultation only.
Are you aware of any history in your family or yourself of psychological conditions. These may range from some thing as simple as Insomnia, through to Bi-Polar, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If so, what details can you give?
As above. Proceed with caution if there is history. You may need approval from their GP or need to research the condition more. Retain the session as a consultation only. Any clients who self-harm or have history (own or family) of schizophrenia must not be
treated.
What hobbies, fears or phobias do you have (other than the one we are discussing if it’s a fear).
This is important to understand fundamental ‘game changers’ for the client. You would not want to lead a client through a screed only to discover as you lead them down a flight of stairs that they have a fear of falling or heights. It may also shed further light the original issue and open up further discussion that may help you understand why their problem has occurred.
If you were by yourself and had an opportunity to enjoy a day doing whatever you wished, what things would you do? You can give me 3, 5, 8 examples.
You will have explained the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique during the expectation setting around Hypnotherapy. Using this question, depends on the individual you are working with and how relaxed they have become. My experience of asking this question in my practise sessions has brought smiles to the face of the client and often a long think before coming up with some wonderful examples that can then be used in screed.
Now is probably a good time to ask them to sign the consent form if you have not asked them already. Ensure you have made notes on their modality.
Use of counselling skills that you develop are really key to understanding the client prior to considering any Hypnotherapy or other course of action. It is, also an opportunity to understand whether you as a therapist have the skills to deal with the clients issues. There are going to situations where you need to refer a client to a therapist with specific skills in the given area.
The session will give you an opportunity to perform waking hypnosis, perhaps reframing the issue that they are dealing with or even their approach to it. It will allow you to understand the client’s motivations and start to consider metaphors that can be used either in waking hypnosis or as part of the hypnotherapy moving forward.
Once you have spent time working with the client, you can take time to explain what will happen next. It may be that you may need to research their subject in readiness for the session. This gives the therapist and the client a chance to come to a mutual agreement of what will happen moving forward. This is a great time to sign the disclosure form and agree pricing, payment methods, cancellation policies and future sessions. You must keep well documented records of your clients’ sessions.
If there are no issues with medical history or medications point of view; time permitting, it would be reasonable to run a straightforward Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Allow the client to experience the process without the pressure of dealing with the issue at hand.
In conclusion, the preparation shows a professional approach to your field of experience, and consideration to each client, their issues, their confidentiality and validating the trust they give you. This session is about ensuring you are as well prepared as possible for client and that they trust you. At every step, it is important to keep re-enforcing your client’s confidence and comfort during the sessions.
In this paper, I will be looking at the purpose of the initial consultation meeting, and considering what happens during this first appointment and why it is such an important part of the client/therapist relationship. I will examine what the objectives of the first meeting are and illustrate how an ethical therapist uses this time to ensure that they have the appropriate skills to deal with the client’s issues or discuss alternatives.
Whilst the first part of the meeting is clearly an exercise in fact-finding, the most important aspect of an initial meeting is to ascertain if the client/therapist relationship will work successfully. …show more content…
Whether there is mutual respect, trust and clarity around what will happen in subsequent meetings. From the moment you meet your client, you will be assessing them; for example: understanding what kind of day they’ve had so far, their journey in. However, you will be trying to create an environment which puts both you and you patient at ease. Therefore finding neutral subjects and shared ground in order to give them time to take in their new surroundings will in turn allow them assess and appraise you. The use of open questions and active listening techniques to glean answers rather than firing numerous questions at them will enable you to avoid thinking too far ahead to your treatment or even the next question. Give the client time to think and answer.
When your client is settled, this is a real opportunity to understand more about them. There are several routes you can take at this point. You could move straight onto filling in a Consultation Form. However, I think that this has the opportunity to switch the client off. I feel it’s key to use this first 5-10 minutes to continue to understand the client. The therapist needs to consider their body language, the tone of their voice and even at this early stage perhaps their modality. Mirroring your client to a certain extent is a good technique to help them become more comfortable with the therapist.
Once you feel the client is at ease, you may need to ask them to fill out some basic details and to be as honest as possible. It may make sense at this point to explain that they can look at any notes you have taken( the notes are taken purely so the therapist can give the best possible experience to the client). Also it’s a good time to share your Client Disclosure Form and explain your confidentiality policy. The form should include the fact that you are accredited (National Hypnotherapy Society and other bodies) but it would be worth explaining this and what this means in terms of code of conduct. Here are the basic details:
Consultation Date
Client Name
Date of Birth
Home Address
Contact Number
Doctors Name
Doctors Surgery and Address
Occupation
Marital Status
Emergency Contact and Number
Are you Pregnant Y/N
Smoker Y/N
Alcohol Y/N: If so how many units a week?
Are any medications being taken Y/N (if yes, add details including milligrams)
This information will be useful to you understanding your clients life. However, one thing stands out clearly and that is the medication. If it is clear that the client is taking medication, set an expectation that you need to look up the affects of the medication. If necessary, with the clients consent you may need to contact their doctor for approval to start Hypnotherapy or Counselling.
It will quickly become clear if there’s no rapport or clearly a lack of trust. If this is the case, it may be an idea to continue through the questions, but at conclusion if this is the case it would make sense to suggest an alternative therapist to the client. Similarly, if there is ‘chemistry’ between yourself and your client then it would be sensible to propose another hypnotherapist.
The therapist should then move onto finding out more detailed information on the client whilst remembering that the question are not only to produce answers but allow observation of the client’s modality.
The client may well still be nervous, so it may be worth explaining ‘the more I can understand of your medical history, family life and expectations the more likely it is that I can tailor the experience to give you the maximum benefit’. Listed below are a list of questions and comments around why we need to know this information:
What understanding have you of Hypnotherapy, what previous experience do you have of it?
This is a great opportunity to understand prior experience that a client has, if any. It will allow you to assess what their perception of Hypnotherapy is, what they’ve seen or read. At this point you will be able to set a clear expectation of what Hypnotherapy and what in reality they will experience with the therapist during the sessions.
What is the problem or issue that you would like to deal with and …show more content…
why?
This will not be the only question that a therapist would ask here. The question is open and the therapist should expect to lead this question into a more detailed understanding around the subject that is worrying the client. Perhaps asking what led them to the problem coming about, its history, how is it affecting their life, how long it has affected the client and so on. In the ideal situation, you would partner counselling techniques here to understand the route cause of the issue. As with many issues, the symptom is not always the cause. It is key to be mindful of this. This part of the discussion is a great opportunity to waking hypnosis, covered again a little later in this paper. This is a great time to ask what goals or results the client would like to see from the Hypnotherapy.
From 1-10, what would be your motivation to resolve the issue?
I like this approach, suggested by our tutor, allowing the client an opportunity to really assess how negatively the issue is affecting them. Suggesting that if the score is 6 or below it may be key to ask ‘What would get that score up to 8?’. It may not make sense to go ahead and treat is if the motivation is not high enough.
How quickly would you like to resolve the issue?
This is key to setting expectation. It may be that hypnotherapy will not have an effect, but similarly it may be that it will take one week or six weeks. It may well be that you cannot answer that question during the first session. What is important is to set appropriate expectation.
What made you decide to look into Hypnotherapy and why now?
This creates the opportunity to take the client back to consider their motivations and reasons why. Helping you as the therapist to help manage expectation and understand their goals. It may appear as though we are revisiting certain subjects, but I believe strongly that an ethical therapist will take the time to fully understand their client. As the discussion progresses and hopefully the client builds trust with the therapist, they will give up more knowledge to help shape the treatment plan.
What benefits would you expect to gain from making changes as a result of the Hypnotherapy?
Getting the client consider how they would perceive their life changing as a result of improving or resolving the issue at hand.
What would change and how they would feel about this. This may also help the therapist in understanding how they can shape their treatment plan or screeds. It may also help in waking hypnosis.
Are you aware of any history in your family or yourself of medical conditions, for example, blood pressure, heart issues, diabetes, allergies?
This is a similar approach to the medications question. Proceed with caution if there is history. You may need approval from their GP if they are under treatment. You may need to research the condition more. Retain the session as a consultation only.
Are you aware of any history in your family or yourself of psychological conditions. These may range from some thing as simple as Insomnia, through to Bi-Polar, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If so, what details can you give?
As above. Proceed with caution if there is history. You may need approval from their GP or need to research the condition more. Retain the session as a consultation only. Any clients who self-harm or have history (own or family) of schizophrenia must not be
treated.
What hobbies, fears or phobias do you have (other than the one we are discussing if it’s a fear).
This is important to understand fundamental ‘game changers’ for the client. You would not want to lead a client through a screed only to discover as you lead them down a flight of stairs that they have a fear of falling or heights. It may also shed further light the original issue and open up further discussion that may help you understand why their problem has occurred.
If you were by yourself and had an opportunity to enjoy a day doing whatever you wished, what things would you do? You can give me 3, 5, 8 examples.
You will have explained the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique during the expectation setting around Hypnotherapy. Using this question, depends on the individual you are working with and how relaxed they have become. My experience of asking this question in my practise sessions has brought smiles to the face of the client and often a long think before coming up with some wonderful examples that can then be used in screed.
Now is probably a good time to ask them to sign the consent form if you have not asked them already. Ensure you have made notes on their modality.
Use of counselling skills that you develop are really key to understanding the client prior to considering any Hypnotherapy or other course of action. It is, also an opportunity to understand whether you as a therapist have the skills to deal with the clients issues. There are going to situations where you need to refer a client to a therapist with specific skills in the given area.
The session will give you an opportunity to perform waking hypnosis, perhaps reframing the issue that they are dealing with or even their approach to it. It will allow you to understand the client’s motivations and start to consider metaphors that can be used either in waking hypnosis or as part of the hypnotherapy moving forward.
Once you have spent time working with the client, you can take time to explain what will happen next. It may be that you may need to research their subject in readiness for the session. This gives the therapist and the client a chance to come to a mutual agreement of what will happen moving forward. This is a great time to sign the disclosure form and agree pricing, payment methods, cancellation policies and future sessions. You must keep well documented records of your clients’ sessions.
If there are no issues with medical history or medications point of view; time permitting, it would be reasonable to run a straightforward Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Allow the client to experience the process without the pressure of dealing with the issue at hand.
In conclusion, the preparation shows a professional approach to your field of experience, and consideration to each client, their issues, their confidentiality and validating the trust they give you. This session is about ensuring you are as well prepared as possible for client and that they trust you. At every step, it is important to keep re-enforcing your client’s confidence and comfort during the sessions.