Essay On Counselling

Egan’s framework model is used in conceptualizing the healing process and is usually used when working on present or recent past issues. In my role-play in the counseling process with Mick, I used Egan’s framework and managed to achieve a person-centered approach. This model is important in enabling people to manage their real-life problems through living more effectively and exploiting the opportunities that life has presented to them hence enabling them to become better people. I was able to empower Mick through our counseling session (Egan, 2014). His agenda was central and Egan’s model seeks to move him towards making an action that would enable him to have the outcomes that he valued. I used Egan’s model to identify the situation that Mick was currently in, which was a depressing state that had been caused by factors such as not being able to perform any activities after his retirement and not being able to interact with his family like he used to (Corey et al., 2011).  We then identified the preferred picture that Mick would like to be in and finally we set goals that would enable him to achieve what he desired.

 

Egan’s model as three steps that helped Mick to address three questions; the first one being the current picture of what was going on in his life. I was able to provide him with a safe space to tell his story by asking him what the issue was. I listened to him and acknowledged his feelings. He was able to explain his issue from a wider perspective. I also asked him to sign a consent form that showed that he was willing to share his story and seek help (McLeod, 2013). I asked him to tell his story as I actively listened to him. I was able to explore his issue as he slowly unfolded the tale of what was happening. He said that his challenge was that he was suffering mentally, felt depressed, and did not want to go anywhere or be with his family. With the help of empathetic questions, I asked him how this situation affected his life. This enabled him to reflect on the situation and come up with a concrete solution to how his life was affected (Smith, 2013). He said that he was a farmer and that his life has been affected because he has not been productive. Also, he has become old and he does not have as much energy to perform the farm duties. He sits in the house watching television and this makes him feel useless. He is bothered with his current state because his wife and daughter-in-law are also not happy with him and they see him as aloof. His relationship with his wife has also been greatly affected because the wife is busy with some activities such as attending yoga and going for walks. His grandchildren also miss him and e is not in a position to frequently visit them like he used to. He felt stuck and wanted to know the way forward that he could use to get himself out of that situation.

 

The second step of the Egan model is the preferred picture which is asking what one wants to do differently so that their problems can turn into opportunities instead. I acknowledged his feelings and that I understood what he was going through must have been difficult for him. He said that he wanted to change and get out of the situation that he was in so that he could enjoy life. Initially, he could spend time with his family to keep himself engaged but now he is not able to do so because he is already retired. I asked him about some of the interesting activities that he likes doing that would help in salvaging the situation (Tveit et al., 2016). He said that he liked going out with his wife and doing active stuff. I suggested activities that they would engage in together with his wife such as playing gold which would require them to reorganize their schedules and set time for that. He agreed to this idea and was ready to implement it.

 

The third step according to Egan’s model is the way forward to see how one can get to the goals that we have identified in step two such as going to the gym. We discussed and agreed that they would try going to the golf club that is near them with his wife on weekends and sees if he liked the idea (Freshwater, 2003). The final solution was that he needed to visit a GP so that he could enable him to handle the depression that he was going through, which he gladly agreed to. We planned our next meet-up which was supposed to be held in two weeks.

 

I collaborated with Mick to set goals that would help to change his life. Setting goals would enable him to become accountable in his life. Setting goals would help in restoring his mental state and also overcome the depression that he was battling. Goal setting is like a roadmap that Mick could follow to overcome the challenges that he faced and achieve many things in his life. We set goals using several ways such as facilitating behavioral change (Hill et al., 2012). We first identified the activities that he liked doing and he said that it was great when he could hang out with his wife. So we were looking into setting a goal that would ensure that his desired behavior would be retained as we eliminate the negative one. I also looked into ensuring that he still maintained a good relationship with his family. Hanging out with his wife as they went to the golf club would ensure that they spent more time together hence enabling them to bond more. The goal of going to the golf club would also ensure that we enhanced Mick’s effectiveness and ability to cope with the new life. The goal would ensure his general development and ensure that he overcame the barriers that he was facing. We followed steps such as identifying our goal and Mick stated that he wanted to get past the state that he was not feeling well mentally. After identifying the goal we choose a starting point by identifying means that would help towards achieving the goal at the end of the process. We then chose steps that we would use to achieve the goal. Mick was open-minded and was willing to identify the new steps that I presented to him such as the idea of going to a golf club with his wife.

 

I also gave Mick ample time to express himself as I listened to him keenly. I asked him questions that have my information that I would use to provide him with the best solution. We also agreed to do a follow-up after two weeks (Jones-Smith, 2016).  This would help Mick to develop accountability and act responsibly in the occurrence of challenges and distractions hence enabling him to make positive choices. We were able to come up with a routine where he would visit the gym on weekends together with his wife. We were also mindful of the desired outcomes after setting the goals. The goal that we - set was SMART. It was specific which referred to a particular activity-going at the golf club with his wife. The goal was also measurable in that it would measure the success rate of the activity. The goal was also attainable according to its capabilities of Mike. It was relevant and applicable to the challenge that Mick was facing.

 

As a counselor, I performed excellently despite having a few limitations. To begin with my strengths, I was a good communicator and upheld my best skills. I was able to confidently set boundaries by requesting Mick to stop me in case I asked questions that he could not handle. Mick was able to trust me with his challenges and that I would provide him with the best solutions. I was also patient and listened to Mick as he shared hide struggles so that I could help him find a better way to live a healthier and more active life. I was also confident that I would provide Mick with solutions that would help him. I was able to understand his situation and we came to the end of the session with an amicable situation. I was non-judgemental and focused on leading my client toward a space where they would feel confident and empowered to live their best life (Kennedy et al., 2012). He was comfortable and was open to sharing all the challenges that he faced. I also had great listening skills and did not interrupt him as he was expressing himself. I was able to keenly listen to our thoughts, emotions, and the experience that he had. I also let Mick know that he could trust me by creating a warm environment for him to express his emotions and showing my dedication to helping him overcome the challenges that he was facing. I was also respectful and did not shame the problems that he was facing. I was also ready to accept and meet Muick from the point of struggle that he was at. I was empathetic and compassionate towards him and his situation. I was dedicated to helping Mick find a solution that would enable him to lead an active life as he did.  As a guide, one may sometimes go over conditions in which individuals may not be totally fair with you. Nonetheless, I had the option to recognize ways of bettering help Mick by utilizing my abilities of perception to fill in the spaces. I had the option to acquire significant information about Mick by figuring out how to peruse non-verbal communication, like side effects of despondency. I was also open to diversity.  I was ready to have my oath crossed by different types of clients. They most likely come from a variety of distinct financial, racial, and cultural origins. Along with sexuality, differences in gender presentation and identification will also cross my path. I was accepting of this difference in your role as a counselor. To offer each client the attention they deserve, one must be open to and tolerant of this variety. I was ready to accommodate Mick with all the flaws that he had.

 

I faced a few limitations such as being a bit anxious before meeting Mick but I managed to overcome the feeling. I also thought that I would need to be supervised to enable me to stick to the guidelines of counseling and respond accordingly. I had not practiced enough in the classroom hence this gave me tension before handling the client. I was also afraid of coming along with ethical dilemmas that I would not know the right ways of handling. Also, I did not have the right sense of humor that I could use in between our conversations With Mick to break the tension. I felt uncomfortable with the therapeutic silence that happened occasionally in our conversation. I struggled with finding many options that I could present to the client to select in his goal-setting process (Messer et al., 2011). Due to this, I ended up giving him only one goal option that he could use which was attending the golf club. I wished to have had several options that I could give Mick to try and work around his situation.

 

There are several things I could have done differently such as being more organized in the counseling practice that could help me to be more effective in counseling different people. I would also have worked around my sense of humor to make our session a little bit lively. I could also have been more open-minded and found more solutions that could help Mick in his situation. Finally, I would have practiced enough in class to boost my professional counseling skills.

 

Individuals, families, and communities can all benefit greatly from counseling delivered by qualified specialists. This service aids people through challenging life circumstances like the death of a loved one, divorce, natural disasters, stress at school, and job loss (Nelson, 2005). It offers the methods and understanding needed to deal with mental health problems including sadness and anxiety. In the end, counseling gives people the ability to have happy, healthy lives.

 

 

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Tveit, A., & Sunde, A. (2016). How Different Insights from a Variety of Theories Might Help Ethical Decision-Making in Educational Counselling. Interchange, Vol.47(2), pp.121-132.

 

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Kennedy, T., & Chen, C. (2012). Career Counselling New and Professional Immigrants: Theories intoPractice. Australian Journal of Career Development, Vol.21(2), p.36-45.

 

Messer, S. B., & Gurman, A. S. (Eds.). (2011). Essential Psychotherapies: Theory and practice (3rded.). NewYork: The Guilford Press.

 

Nelson-Jones, R. (2005). Practical counseling and helping s******s (5th ed.). London: Sage Publications.