ISSUES FACED BY BEGINNING THERAPIST

Dealing With Anxieties

- Most beginning counsellors have ambivalent feelings.
- Our willingness to recognize and deal with these anxieties is a mark of courage.
- Self-doubts are normal but we have to learn how to deal with them.

Being and Disclosing Ourselves

- If you feel self-conscious when you begin counselling, you may have a tendency to be over-
concerned with what the book say and with the mechanics of how to proceed.
- Novice psychotherapists tend to be too professional or too human.

Avoiding Perfectionism
- One of the most common self-defeating beliefs with which we burden ourselves is that we
must never make mistakes.
- Though we know that humans are not perfect, we often feel that that there is little room
for error.

Being Honest About Our Limitations

- We often fear losing our clients’ respect once we say our limitations.
- Be honest enough with yourself and with your client to admit that you cannot work
successfully with everyone.

Understanding Silence
- It is not uncommon to feel threatened by silence to the point of doing something counter-
productive to break the silence and thus relieve our anxiety.
- Pursue the meaning of silence.

Dealing With Demands From Clients

- Therapists feel they should extend themselves in being helpful, they often burden
themselves with the unrealistic idea that they should give unselfishly, regardless of how
great clients’ demands may be.

Dealing With Client Who Lack Commitment

- Some clients seem to have very little investment in counseling or psychotherapy and we
are challenged to establish a working relationship.
- In working with involuntary clients, it is very important to prepare them for the process by
discussing the fundamentals of psychotherapy.

Tolerating Ambiguity
- Many beginning therapists experience the anxiety of not seeing immediate results, They
ask themselves: “Am I really doing any good to my client?”, “Am I just deceiving myself that
we are making progress?”, or “Is the client benefiting from this therapy?”
- Do not get plagued by your self-doubts and skepticism.

Becoming aware of your Countertransference

- If a counselor is unaware of their personal dynamics, they are in danger of being
overwhelmed by the client’s emotional experiences.
- If we become lost in clients’ struggles and confusions, we cease being effective agents in
helping them find solutions to their problems.
- “let clients go”

Developing A Sense of Humor

- Psychotherapy is a responsible matter but it needs to be deadly serious.
- Both clients and therapists can enrich a relationship by laughing.
 - It is important to recognize that laughter or humor does not mean that work is not being
accomplished.

Sharing Responsibility With The Client

- One mistake is to assume full responsibility for the direction and outcome of the therapy.
- Another mistake is for you to refuse to accept the responsibility for making accurate
assessments and designing appropriate treatments plans for your clients.

Declining to Give Advice

- Quite often, clients who are suffering come to a therapy session seeking and even
demanding advice. This wants a therapist who can resolve a problem or make a decision
for them.
- A common escape by many clients is not trusting themselves to find solutions, use their
freedom, or discover their own direction.

Defining Your Role as a Counselor

- The central function of counseling/psychotherapy is to help clients recognize their own
strengths, discover what is preventing them from using their strengths and clarify what
kind of person they want to be.

Learning to use Techniques Appropriately

- Relying on techniques too much can lead to mechanical counseling/psychotherapy.
- Avoid using techniques in a hit-or-miss fashion.

Developing Your Own Counselling Style

- Psychotherapists-in-training needs to be cautioned about their tendency to mimic the
style of a supervisor, therapist or some other model.
- You may initially borrow styles from others but remember to find an approach that is
distinctive to you.

Maintaining your Vitality as a Person and as a Professional.

- Consider how you can apply the theories you will be studying to enhance your life from
both a personal and a professional standpoint.
- Self-monitoring
- Self-care