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Counseling Simulation Reflection

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 Counseling Simulation Reflection

A counseling session is under progress between the client and the counselor. The counselor

initiated the listening process in a gentle tone. He allowed the client to open up with ease during

the simulation process by asking general questions in the beginning about his routines and all the

happy things the client felt and experienced during this week. This seemed like a good opening

communication method as it eases his mind and prepared him for all the harder questions. (Baab,

2018)

The tone of the counselor was not inquisitive but more of like a friend as the client was a bit

hesitant in considering this predicament and him for first few minutes to reveal the problems and

issues in life. Jeannette K Roddy talks about this trust building in her article and yes the client was

not that much confidence and initially lacked a bit Self-esteem that his counselor was trying to

build and the client was trying to gain back. After a few minutes, the client started opening and

kept talking about the main issues that the client was facing while the counselor remained silent

and kept listening to the details. It was quite pleasing to say all of these things out loud and say

whatever the client wanted to say about the problems that the client was facing. (Jeff L. Cochran,

2015)

Robert Call talks about the counselor to be a good listener and not forcing anything. If the client

could count, there were only 3 to 4 times that the counselor asked him something in the whole

session otherwise it was all listening to the details of his issues without any interruption. Yes, this

is like most of the sessions that we see in TV shows and Movies but it’s like there was a connection

being built between the 2 of us regarding trust and the client was interacting in a very normal tone

now. The client faced issues related to the feeling of insecurity in his behavior and the client had

full confidence in his counselor’s ways of probing his issues. (Callis, 1963)

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Ruth Davidhizar describes out eye contact as an integral element in counseling to judge the

comfortability level of the Client and the client was maintaining it after a few minutes. the client

became calm and throughout this session, his counselor depicted a sense of security that was

building in him regarding the counselor. There was a sense of longing that the client felt it was

quite impressive considering the issues that the client was facing were normal. In terms of eye

contact, the client was not that much direct regarding that and the client use to look here and there

rather than directly looking at the counselor. (Davidhizar, 1992)

Another important element of the session was that his counselor was trying to free him from these

issues that the client had held on to. There was a deliberate attempt to help him let go of all the

issues that the client was having and this helped him feel a little lighter and fresh. (Nelson-Jones,

1983) The client felt like there was a huge burden on him that got off and his counselor had helped

him a lot in this whole process. The client was feeling independent and free from his worries and

all the strain that the client felt before was gone. The anxiety that had taken control of him went

away slowly and gradually and a certain feeling of calmness grew in his head. (Murphy, 2009)

There was no judging or advice giving attitude in the tone of the counselor that the client liked

most about. Throughout the session, the client felt like gaining back all of his confidence that the

client had lost during the course of the past few weeks. The client felt like all the knots that were

holding him back were set free and the client was feeling self-confident again. The counselor was

not bashing him too many advice on this to do and what not to. Rather he kept on asking him to

keep saying it all out. There were times when his voice went up but his counselor was calm. (SAI,

2018)

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The counselor told him that keep going alongside these issues that the client have will hold him

back and while he was saying it, he leaned forward to put some closure in this whole session. The

client was feeling focused now and had no confusion in his headspace. The counselor led him out

of his issues like a guide and the client was confident to look forward rather than backward. The

client was open to new options in life and exploring the solution himself to the problems rather

than looking elsewhere. The client felt like the client was back on track and the ambiguity was

fading away from his head. The client was motivated to move onward rather than keep to looking

back. (Rogers, 1961)

Another thing that the client noticed was that at no point was the counselor ever emotional and

kept the cool. There were times when the client was getting emotional and the client became sad

but the tone and attitude of the counselor remained the same and that felt good in that regard. The

client felt that the client could say it all without any hesitation and with full confidence. The

constraints that the client had in his headspace has opened and the client was being logical about

the issues rather than being emotional. The client felt clear in terms of his thoughts. (Fitzpatrick,

1999)

Lastly, the client would also like to mention that at every level, his counselor never pushed him

too hard or became insensitive. He asked him before going deeper into his issues and it felt

protected by this attitude. If felt like yes, there was someone who doesn’t become hypercritical at

any level and there was no moment of irritation that the client felt during this session. One thing

that the client liked was that the counselor didn’t show expressions of anger or worry at any level.

Only a pleasant smile was there that was refreshing and endorsed a positivity in his thoughts as

well. (Witty, 2007)

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 References
Baab, L. M., 2018. Listening Skills. In: Nurturing Hope: Christian Pastoral Care in the Twenty-First
Century. s.l.:Augsburg Fortress, pp. 127-148.

Callis, R., 1963. Counseling. Review of Educational Research, 33(2), pp. 179-187.

Davidhizar, R., 1992. Interpersonal Communication: A Review of Eye Contact. Infection Control and
Hospital Epidemiology, 13(4), pp. 222-225.

Fitzpatrick, M., 1999. Client Emotional Involvement and Occurrence of In-Session Therapeutic
Phenomena. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 33(3), pp. 179-195.

Jeff L. Cochran, N. H. C., 2015. The Heart of Counseling: Counseling Skills Through Therapeutic
Relationships. 2 ed. s.l.:s.n.

Murphy, D. J., 2009. The Power of Your Subconcious Mind. [Online]

Available at: https://www.law-of-attraction-haven.com/support-files/power-subconscious-mind.pdf
[Accessed 6 12 2018].

Nelson-Jones, R., 1983. Practical Counselling & Helping Skills: Text and Activities for the Lifeskills
Counselling Model. 3 ed. s.l.:SAGE Publications Ltd.

Rogers, C. R., 1961. On Becoming a Person. 1 ed. BOSTON : HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY.

SAI, 2018. The Importance of Calmness when Doing Therapy. [Online]

Available at: https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/importance-calmness-when-doing-therapy
[Accessed 6 12 2018].

Witty, M. C., 2007. CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY. In: Handbook of Homework Assignments in

Psychotherapy: Research, Practice, and Prevention. s.l.:s.n., pp. 35-50.

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