Fred Arthur Fisher

COMS 5211.50 - Counseling in A Cross-Cultural Society

Week 5 Assignment 2:
Considerations for Building the Therapeutic Relationship

Engage in joint decision making. I anticipate struggling with this consideration because I tend to dominate
conversations. Even when I feel I am engaging in joint communication the other party might feel like I am the one
making all the decisions. I plan to change this behavior by engaging more with questions. When trying to determine
a course of therapy, I will rely on open questions, as closed questions can feel leading. If a client were to need help
with multiple areas of speech, rather than flat out telling them which parts we will be addressing first, I will explain
which parts exists on which tier of treatment and ask them which we should focus our treatment on at each tier.
Facilitate identification of barriers. Much like with joint decision making, I find this might present
difficulties as I tend to want to explain what is wrong, rather than helping the client come to their own conclusions. I
plan to change this behavior by identifying some of the physical, observable issues with speech I observe, and
asking the client to identify others they perceive, rather than saying the diagnosis outright.
Know when to refer an individual to mental health professionals. This is one with which I feel I will stumble the
most. While it is within an SLP’s scope of practice to counsel clients, it is well outside of our scope of practice to act
as a mental health professional. Just as I wouldn’t give a client activities to help with their physical therapy, I
shouldn’t attempt to engage in the sort of treatment a professional therapist might. Even if a client might seek to use
an SLP who has created a good therapeutic relationship as a therapist, I must engage in behaviors which clearly
define that boundary. Even if a client is reluctant to see a mental health professional, I must still make clear the
boundaries of my scope of practice and clearly define our professional relationship. Even if it were my responsibility
to solve all the world’s problems, I must engage in behaviors which acknowledge I am not qualified to do so.