L2/LR - Week 2

Learning Review Week 2

CSK - L2

February 2015

1 - What happens when you reach your limits (1.2/1.3)

2 - Exploration around feedback (5.1/5.2)

1.2     Work within personal limits of ability

1.3     Enable the helpee to find additional sources of support where appropriate

5.1     Describe how reflecting on own personality increases self-awareness

5.2     Describe how reflecting on own personal history increases self-awareness

Today was my first lesson in the counselling class as I did not go to the first lesson.

It was a very big group of learners.

It felt a bit uncomfortable for me having to talk to unfamiliar people about some of the subjects, but you know it’s only a matter of time before you will start to warm to the group members.

The teacher seemed really nice and talked a lot at this point about some of her counselling experiences although after the lesson I realised it wasn’t really very clear what one had to do for the homework though.

5.1

We had to do a practise counselling session in a triad group, and at this point none of us were very experienced or knew what we were doing or had a lot of skills yet so  didn’t really enjoy it much and I wasn’t sure at this point if the class was for me or not and this can be because I am an impatient person at times who wants to quickly get to the point where I understand everything and am doing things the right way rather than feeling like I am going about things in the dark.

What Happens When You Reach Your Limits

When you are working helping others as a counsellor it is important to know your limitations and skills and work within these limits because if we do not it can potentially become a harmful situation where we could do more damage to the person we are trying to help than good, we would also be putting a strain on ourselves and acting beyond our limits which is also irresponsible and likely to do damage to the reputation of counselling or the agency or company that we are working for.

So if we feel that keeping or taking on a client is beyond our skills or limits for whatever reason (and there can be many), then we can make a referral or refer them on to someone we feel who could offer them a better or more appropriate service than we could.

By being dangerous to keep or take a client on, it could be for example that a counsellor is not trained as a psychiatrist and a patient is clearly showing schizophrenic behaviour by not referring the client to the correct person for treatment

(I.e. a psychiatrist or a GP). All sorts of things could happen that could be prevented otherwise.  For example, the client will be getting denied medical treatment that they need for starters, then additionally they may even cause harm to someone and you would also be causing yourself a lot of harm by trying to help them when you are not trained.  It would be mentally exhausting and draining, and if you don’t look after yourself, as a counsellor or helper, then you cannot look after others.

1.2

In skills practise a helpee said to me the problem they had wanted to talk about was a sexual abuse situation of a friend, and I said to them that as I was only a level two student that I would not be able to help with this as this would be beyond my limits of ability and competency.

Counsellors cannot offer houses to the homeless, or they cannot prescribe medicine to depressed clients, so like with all jobs, there is limits to what they can do within their role. GP’s can prescribe medication and agencies like Shelter or Crisis or other hostels can help with homeless so at times a counsellor needs to refer clients to places  where they may be able to get additional sources of support and can be offered practical steps with their situation.

1.3

In skills practise when the helpee told me her situation she had wanted to talk about (sexual abuse) that was beyond my limits of ability to help with I referred her on to another agency that would be able to help her instead, this time a fully qualified and trained counsellor with the relevant experience.

Exploration Around Feedback

·         How do you respond to feedback in general?

I don’t mind hearing feedback in the sense that it’s interesting to hear what others have to say about what I have done or how they may see me, and this also gives me a reality check to make sure my version of what I think, is the same as what others are thinking.

I think that’s true when it comes to things like jobs, although when it comes to more personal things, then that may be a little different.

·         Identify both positive and negative feedback you have received in the past and then express how the feedback made you feel.

Positive Feedback

When I have receive positive feedback such as home looks nice or I am a good owner to my cats, I am comfortable hearing that kind of positive feedback and it makes me feel good.

5.2

I used to get told I was generous and kind and I don’t think that had any effect on me as I heard that quite often but then as I got a bit older I decided I wasn’t rich enough to be generous with money and to only be generous with time etc. to those that were the same with me otherwise I would be a mug and everything has to be about balance and give and take, so I had to be a little more careful.

So instead of feeling good about hearing that kind of feedback, eventually I started to question whether some of my so called good qualities were only in fact good qualities if they were used differently.  So I guess it made me feel defensive as I have always had a fear that if I’m too nice or soft or a push over, others will see me as weak and trample over me or use me or not respect me.

I think this is because I remember identifying more with my father’s characteristics whilst growing up and he seemed like a romantic who would do anything for those he loved and it seemed like my mother would push people beyond their limits unless they put their foot down and once he changed and got harder then she respected him more, and it reminded me of films on tv too where the nice guy always got hurt so I am in conflict with being seen as being too nice even though in reality I am and would want to be myself due to my personal history.

This makes me aware though how sometimes people don’t always act how they feel and have built defences up which is a useful thing to realise in the helper role when dealing with helpees.