Counselling Tutor podcast

In this weeks episode of the Counselling Tutor Podcast Ken and Rory look at Phenomenology - Therapeutic Pace - Skill of Questioning and BACP Accredited courses for those who wish to study counselling. A question that came in through our Counselling Tutor Facebook Group asked “I have noticed that I find it challenging to balance client needs when they come in and want results fast, effectively putting pressure on me as a clinician to perform quickly and efficiently.” Isiah Palm. Rory and Ken discuss the pace of therapy and how separate a clients expectations over progress from our own want to meet those expectations. In Theory with Rory, Rory looks at Phenomenology a philosophical recognition that the world as we perceive it is based on the structures of experience we have had. The historical movement of phenomenology was developed in the first half of the 20th century by philosophers and thinkers such Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Jean-Paul Sartre to name but a few,, although the basic ideas can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Plato. It was the German philosopher Edmund Husserl who developed a set of ideas which is sometimes referred to as descriptive psychology.The study of experience or consciousness as experienced from your point of view, sometimes referred to as your frame of reference, and includes perception, habits, social; practices , language and feelings.So why is phenomenology such an important philosophical component in therapies such as Gestalt, Transactional Analysis and Humanistic approaches? Carl Rogers refers to the phenomenological field in his 19 Propositions which puts phenomenology at the heart of the Person Centred Approach to Counselling. This weeks counselling skill is the skill of appropriate questioning. Ken delves deep into what makes a question appropriate and we look at how the counselling process can be derailed by inappropriate questions. Ken also explores what we can use instead of questions to get clarification test keep the client within a feelings based response. BACP accredited courses for counsellors What makes a course BACP accredited and what does that really mean? This weeks Ask Ken and Rory looks at the way that counselling courses are structured. Often learners ask whether their course is BACP accredited, often they are not. Find out what happens if your course is not accredited by the BACP and how you can still end up with the same level of BACP membership even if you are on a non BACP accredited counselling course.

In this weeks episode of the Counselling Tutor podcast Rory and Ken give some counselling assignment tips. In Theory with Rory you will learn about Conditions of Worth and in Counselling Skills with Ken we explore the skill of focusing. The episode ends with a look at ways we can measure our own self development as a student counsellor during our training. Counselling Assignment Tips Rory has been lecturing and training counsellors for over an decade and in that time he has seen what the most common mistakes are that cause assignments to be referred. Rory shares his top tips to give you the best chance of getting through the assignments stress free. Rory has written a number of counselling assignment help guides that have helped student counsellors through the world and in todays episode he gives away a book that is part of his assignment help guide. The book Getting Your Assignment in Order - Top Tips to improve your counselling assignment is packed full of helpful information for anyone on a counselling course. Conditions of Worth In Counselling Theory with Rory, Rory looks at Carl Rogers’ Conditions of Worth and gives us some real life examples. Conditions of worth are the messages we take on board about what we have to do to be valued. Conditions of worth are, and can be very subtle. Nevertheless, this subtlety is all the more powerful Rogers Stated “The need for self-regard or approval is enormous. Children are influenced by their parents and society and strive for approval by doing things to please them which make them feel more loved or valued . However, if their behaviour does not meet with their approval they feel less loved. They may then experience incongruence between self and experience and this may lead to psychological maladjustment hindering personal growth towards self-actualisation (Rogers)” The process of clients moving away from operating on conditions of worth and toward their true self And includes moving ¥ Away from facades ¥ Away from “oughts” ¥ Away from pleasing others Moving towards ¥ self-direction ¥ openness to experience ¥ A greater trust in self. ¥ A greater respect for and understanding of others, The Skill of Focusing In Counselling Skills with Ken, Ken focuses on the skill of focusing. Firstly it is worth mentioning that Focusing, in counselling at least, is sometimes misunderstood. Focusing is not concentrating more deeply of paying closer attention. Focusing is inviting the client to look more deeply at a pice of material that they have brought. You will hear live examples of the skill of focusing used in a simulated skills session and you will get to see the effect this has within the session. “Measuring personal development during your counselling training” is the topic covered in Ask Ken and Rory. Personal development is by its very nature personal. This means it will vary from person to person and there is no template or graph to measure your own development. That said, you can always look to our own experience as an indicator of how you perceive you have grown or developed. Some learners report having “lightbulb moments” during their counselling training, moments when they feel a shift has taken place within self. Other students experience small moments of movements that, when added together, may be seen as growth. In this podcast episode you will hear some personal development ideas as Ken and Rory debate the topic.

This episode of the Counselling Tutor podcast kicks off with Ken and Rory exploring the roll of the Personal Develop Group. Rory presents a critique of Carl Rogers and Ken delves into idiosyncratic empathy. The episode ends with a debate about what student counsellors should be mindful of what looking for a counselling placement. A big part of studying counselling is self growth and the “personal development group” (PD) or “process group” acts as a respectful and safe place to explore self. Carl Rogers called the PD group an Encounter Group and towards the end of his career Rogers facilitated many such groups throughout the world. Rory and Ken discuss the roll of the process group and they look at some of the challenges that counselling students may face within the group. In this weeks “Counselling Theory With Rory” we look at a critique of the person centred approach to counselling. Rory looks at the arguments against Carl Roger’s work and the varying views of the various schools of therapy. The first, is what could be classified, as a sociological critique, the idea that the very roots of Person Centred Therapy are founded in a specific country and more to the point gained prominence in specific period in history.The second argument against Rogers’s ideas is that notion of the Core conditions being necessary and sufficient for therapeutic change to occur, may not be true in some client presentationsOne of the most popular criticisms , is referred to as the ‘Masson Critique’, In 1990 Jeffery Masson PhD, a former psychotherapist published a book entitled ‘Against therapy’ .In it he critiqued all the main schools of therapy, in the chapter entitled ‘The problem with benevolence’, Masson turned his attention to the work of Carl rogers “What guarantee is there, what guarantee could there possibly be , that any given therapist is the genuine person Rogers posits him to be? The unconditional positive regard that Rogers wants the therapist to feel is something that cannot be legislated in to existence any more than can love…‘Unconditional positive regard’ is not something that seems either likely or desirable (Masson 1990 , 234 ) In other words the way of being, encapsulated in how the therapist offers the client the conditions of empathy, congruence and un-conditional positive regard, is no more than a ‘professional façade an act put on for the therapy to work Counselling courses need to focus on both the strengths and weaknesses of the therapeutic models studied so we can learn to recognise when a model may not best suit a clients presentation or need. In “Counselling Skills With Ken”, Ken explores idiosyncratic empathy. Empathic connection between counsellor and client is recognised as being necessary for psychological contact to take place. Empathy is about perception and communication. First the counsellor must perceive the feelings being shared by the client and then communicate back the understanding in such a way that the client feels they have been heard. The phrase Idiosyncratic empathy was coined by J D Bozarth. He outlined the idea that empathy was dynamic and changed dependent on the context of the therapy. This takes empathy to a deeper level, past mere reflection of words to a more personal and individualistic level that is different in each therapeutic relationship. Empathy is as varied as the different clients we are likely to meet. In closing Ken and Rory look at counselling placements. A level 4 or higher counselling course will require a certain amount of face to face client hours from the learner. Getting a counselling placement can be challenging so we explore what to look for and offer some tips on making sure the placement opportunity is a fit for you.

In this weeks episode of the Counselling Tutor Podcast Ken and Rory take a look at equality and diversity and how this effects the counselling relationship. In Counselling Theory with Rory, configurations of self is explored and in Counselling Skills with Ken, Ken looks at the opening and closing of the counselling session. Equality and diversity is defined Nonmaleficence (do no harm) is an ethical requirement of the BACP, communicating with clients in a multicultural society is vital in upholding this principle “The practitioner has an ethical responsibility to strive to mitigate any harm caused to a client even when the harm is unavoidable or unintended”. The BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Embracing multiculturalism means having an understanding of the regulation governing diversity to eliminate unlawful discrimination, eliminate harassment, promote equal opportunity, respect and celebrate difference and promote good relationships between different groups. As a student counsellor it is your obligation to understand the legislation that governs equality and diversity, Ken and Rory explore this in depth in this weeks podcast. Configurations of Self Rory explores the concept of ‘Configurations of Self’. This theory is relatively new and is linked to the Person-Centred Counselling. Configurations of self was developed by David Mearns and Brian Thorne. It describes the philosophy that we develop various alternative personalities, or configurations, of self that rise up within us in certain circumstances. ‘A configuration of self is a hypothetical construct denoting a coherent pattern of feelings, thoughts and preferred behavioural responses. This is symbolised, or pre-symbolised, by the person as reflective of a dimension of existence within the self Many writers have made reference to Carl Rogers’ ideas around conditional positive regard, the idea that a client may limit their own self-acceptance because of fear, shame, regret, embarrassment, anger, or a sense loss they have about themselves or others. These negative emotions, or constructs, are sometimes referred to as ‘not for growth configurations’. In other words, the negative side of the personality, the emotional inner voices which brings psychological pain that may hamper both happiness and self-understanding. By helping the client explore and examine these ‘not for growth configurations’ in a safe and non-threatening and non judgmental environment, it is possible for the client to process these feelings, thoughts and behaviours and begin the process of checking the reality and impact on their lives. Opening and closing a counselling session Click here to download the resources pack. The pack contains an auto file of the opening of a session, a transcription of that audio file and an partial assignment exemplar on the topic of opening a counselling session. The top and tail of a counselling session can seem challenging for some student counsellors. Part of training to become a counsellor involves skills sessions being assessed and the top and tail of the sessions often account for a bulk of the marks. Ken examines the structure of the opening and closing of a counselling session with an academic focus on hitting assessment criteria. Ken references a live recording of a counselling session opening against a writer report on advanced counselling skills. The first part of opening a session is to establish boundaries and a working agreement with the client. Therapeutic Boundaries form rules of engagement; principles mutually agreed and put in place during contracting for both counsellor and client. “any good relationship balances the needs and wishes of both parties, and the counsellor needs clear structure at least as much as the client” Pg 129 skills in person-centred counselling & Psychotherapy Janet Tolan. Next the counselling modality is outlined and explained and the client asked if they have any questions. This gives the client choice of whether they feel the modality suits them which in turn may lead to an opportunity for a referral to be made. Health a safety forms a part of the session opening. “Potential harm can be avoided or minimised by considering in advance the requirements, potential dangers and making provision.” (Bond. T 2003) The clients safety is important. By outlining potential health and safety issues, such as a scheduled fire drill, the client feels valued which builds trust. If safety is overlooked and an emergency arises, it could be grounds for official complaint and a breakdown of nonmaleficence which is an ethical requirement meaning the counsellor do no harm. Limitations in confidentiality “The legal concept of confidentiality is based on the idea of equity, or fairness, in that a person who has received information in confidence should not take unfair advantage of it.” Peter Jenkins Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Law published by Sage 2007 page 101 Confidentiality is keeping in

In this weeks episode on the Counselling Tutor Podcast we explore Transference, countertransference, the skill of paraphrasing, self care as a counsellor and we speak about unconditional positive regard in relation to being non judgmental. Turning down our Way of Being Carl Rogers identified that the Person Centred approach to counselling is not about the way you do things but rather it is a way of being. This is all and well however it can pose challenges outside of the therapy room. How do we separate our counselling skills from our everyday life and how do we maintain boundaries between family and friends when they are tempted to bring their problems to us? Empathy is a way of being we are encouraged to develop as a counsellor but how do we turn that empathic side of us down when we are with family and friends? Do you find yourself slipping into counsellor mode in everyday conversations? These questions and more are debated in this episode as Ken and Rory explore the volume control that we can use to turn down the conditions we have developed as counsellors. Transference and Countertransference In “Theory With Rory”, Rory looks at the dangers of unchecked transference leading to countertransference within our counselling relationships. Transference, it may be argued, is a necessary part of the therapeutic relationship as it aids empathic understanding. The term transference originates from psychoanalysis and the original definition of transference can be summed up as “a redirection of, mostly unconscious, feelings and desires rooted in childhood that are directed towards a new object or person”. Sigmund Freud was the first to describe transference and recognise its importance in understanding the client’s feelings and the idea was embraced by the psychoanalytical practitioners of the time including Carl Jung. Transference is encouraged in psychoanalysis and the therapists non disclosure, or distance in the therapeutic relationship, is theorised to promote transference as the client is likely to make assumptions as to the therapists likes and dislikes about them based on relationships that have experienced with others. Rory explores what transference is and how this may effect our clients journey, and indeed our own perceptions, in the counselling relationship. Countertransference If transference is the redirection of the clients feelings, posable towards the the therapist, countertransference is the redirection of the counsellors feelings towards the client. This muddies the relationship as the therapist is unconsciously treating the client as if they were someone else. Rory looks at ways to identify countertransference by monitoring self and taking relevant material to supervision. The Skill of Paraphrasing Of all the counselling skills the paraphrase is arguably the most widely used. No matter what orientation your counselling practice reflects you are likely to use paraphrasing numerous times during a session with a client. A Paraphrase is repeating your understanding of the client material back to them in your own words. The counsellor is looking to paraphrase the essence of the material by cutting through the story and focusing on the underlying emotions that the client is bringing. Paraphrasing in counselling is perhaps often understood and seen as an easy counselling skill requiring little practice to master. Nothing could be further from the truth. A well honed paraphrase is be a powerful skill and can have significant meaning to a client. In todays” Counselling Skills With Ken”, Ken explores this topic in depth with simulated skills session examples that you can listen to. When a client hears their material back they feel they have been heard and this helps deepen the empathic bond between counsellor and client. Paraphrasing can be used to invite the client to focus down on a specific part of their material. We can use paraphrasing as the counsellor to check our understanding of what the client is bringing. Ken looks at how we can look through the narrative of the clients story and paraphrase not only the material but also the feelings and emotions that underpin what is being spoken about. Unconditional positive regard and judgement The topic of UPR comes up often with questions like “how do I practice try UPR and surprise my own natural judgments?”. Ken and Rory debate this fascinating topic in the professional care section of the Counselling Tutor Podcast.

In this episode Ken Kelly and Rory Lees-Oakes discuss parallel process, Carl Rogers' 7 Stages of Process and the skill of reflection. As counsellors we can sometimes find ourselves in a clients material and finding elements of the clients journey that may be simpler to difficulties we have faced ourselves. As soon as we are referencing our materials and relating it to the clients story we are running a parallel process. The danger is that we may feel the solution we found from our hardship is the solution the client needs to follow and we may find ourselves having an agenda within the therapeutic relationship. We explore how to recognise parallel process and what we can do to deal with this within ourselves. The 7 Stages of Process Rory examines the theory of the 7 stages of process by Carl Rogers. Carl Rogers theorised that people move through different stages of process from a place of rigidity to becoming a more fully functioning person. Rogers identified that this is not a liner journey and that people were likely to move to and fro through the stages. In essence the 7 stages of process are fluid. We are unlikely to see clients enter therapy in stage 1 and 2 as they will most likely externalise the reasons for their distress. Clients in these early stages tend to feel their discomfort is caused by others and by circumstance and there is little ability to accept responsibility for own feelings. Rory explains at what stage we are likely to see clients enter therapy. he looks at how clients move from “it’s you that causes me pain” to “It’s me that holds responsibility for my feelings” Carl Rogers 7 stages of process Stage 1: People at stage one will not speak about feelings openly, they are in a place of rigidity. This is a stage of rigidity where blame is external to self. At stage 1 people may make statements like “ If they did such and such then I would feel better” Stage 2: At Stage two people tend to be slightly less rigid than stage 1. There is still a difficulty accepting that feelings are part of self and there is still a tendency to externalise the source of psychological pain or discomfort. A person at stage 2 may make a stamens like “ It’s not me it’s them. At least I think it’s them. It is isn’t it?” There is almost a slight movement to asking if responsibility should be taken by self but certainly no taking of that responsibility. Stage 3: We may see a person at stage three enter our therapy room. The person is beginning to consider acceptance of responsibility however there tends to be a generalisation that all people feel as they do. At stage 3 we may here statements like “I feel like this but then everyone does, don't they?” There is a tendency to favour speaking about feelings that are past and less comfort exploring here and now feelings. Stage 4: At stage four a plaint begins to describe their own feelings. There is still a tendency to focus on past feelings but they are processed more in the here and now. There is a difficulty accepting the feelings as part of self and a tendency to be critical of self for having the feelings in the firs place. We may hear statements like “I feel guilty about that but I shouldn't really”. Stage 5: Stage five sees clients expressing feelings more openly and being willing to explore the feelings within the here and now. Current feelings are accepted and processed however there is still difficulty for the client in trusting these feelings. It is likely the client will be experiencing moments of movement towards being a more fully functioning person. Clients are likely to express that they are seeing things more clearly. We may hear statements like “I can now see how angry I am at him and I guess I feel ok with that anger considering what I have been through” Stage 6: At stage six the client is recognising feelings as part of self and holding responsibility for those feelings. The client accepts the feelings and recognises they hold the key to their self actualisation. Feelings flow freely in the here and now and a sense of self acceptance emerges. We may hear statements like “ I recognise that pain within me and thats ok. I feel accepting of what I did and I feel a warmth and compassion for where I am at. Carl Rogers believed that clients at stage 6 made irreversible progress and that self growth would continue without the counsellor. Stage 7: At stage seven we are likely to see a fluid, self accepting person who is open to the changes that life presents. The skill of reflection in counselling Ken Kelly explores how the skill of reflection can be used by the counsellor in the therapeutic relationship. Reflection may seem simple as it is merely repeating the clients words back to them as they said then however there is a deeper side to this counselling skill. You will hear a simulated counselling skills session where reflection is used. Reflection is used so that the client feels heard. They hear their own words reflected back to them and this can have prof

Counselling Tutor Podcast about contracting in counselling, the skill of silence and theory talk about the core conditions of Carl Rogers. In this the first podcast episode of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, Ken and Rory speak about contracting as a counsellor. The theory section looks at the Core Conditions of Carl Rogers and in the skills section of the podcast Ken introduces the skill of silence. The counselling contract As counsellors we are expected to contract with our clients before therapy begins. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) recognises contracting in the counselling relationship as part of client autonomy offering respect for the client’s right to be self-governing. Rory and Ken explore what contracting is and why we need it at the beginning of the therapeutic journey. They look at how legislation effects what might be covered in a therapeutic contract and how the four corner rule applies to us as counsellors. The Core Conditions of Carl Rogers Rory explores the core conditions including looking at the real origin of the term "core conditions". The facilitative conditions are outlined and compared against the "hidden conditions" or "counsellors conditions". Each of the core conditions is examined individually giving an overview of what part empathy, unconditional positive regard (ups) and congruence play in the counselling relationship. Rory shrines a light on the "hidden conditions". He gives an explanation of how psychological contact, the client being incongruent and the client perceiving, at least at some level, the presence of empathy and upr from the counsellor, influences the counselling relationship. Use of Silence in Counselling Silence is a counselling skill that may be challenging for some students of counselling. Ken Kelly delves deep into the meaning of silence and how the skill can be used effectively in the counsellor client relationship. Ken explores how the use and benefits of silence may differ for the counsellor and client. Silence is directly linked to the counsellor having unconditional positive regard for the client. It allows the client to set the pace of the session whilst trusting that they will find their own way without the counsellor needed to lead or guide.