Journal Reflection

MACP Weekly Reflective Journal Assignment PSYC 6246 Counselling Skills & Competencies Revision 2.24 Student’s Name Institution Course # and Name Professor’s Name Submission Date Journal Entry Week 1 Explain a time when you believe that you helped someone. What did you say that was helpful? Then, explain another time when helping someone could have been more successful. What must you understand about these two situations that will help you as a counselor? Lastly, reflect on your feelings regarding the meet-and-greet session with your class (if you could not attend in person, please view the meet-and-greet video). What might you be excited about? What might you be nervous about? Post answer here: My friend had just broken up with her partner, and I offered emotional support since she was devastated and heartbroken. She wanted to talk to someone, so I went to her place to see how she was doing. Before she said anything, I began, "I appreciate that you thought of me during this tough time. I understand it might be difficult to share what you have been through. I want to assure you that whatever you confide in me about will remain between us two. What is on your mind?" She then began telling me what had transpired. During our talk, I actively listened to her to ensure I had all the details concerning what had happened. According to Shebib (2019), to build a professional therapeutic relationship with clients, a counselor must incorporate core listening skills to help clients navigate painful experiences. After the talk, she felt much better than before. As a counselor, it is crucial to listen to clients actively. My cousin was experiencing a difficult time in school, significantly affecting his performance. During our conversation, he got upset and angry because I did not appear to understand him. My fault was that I ignored the nonverbal cues during communication to understand that the problem was more significant than simply not working hard (Klevin et al., 2020). Our conversation was not effective since they ended with a remark that, just like everyone else, I refused to understand them. Afterward, I found out that he was being bullied in school. From experience, I learned the importance of obtaining relevant information to contextualize a case. The meet-and-greet session was engaging and informative since I interacted with different people. During the session, I was excited about incorporating humor into the conversations and sharing a hearty laugh. However, I was nervous about being asked challenging questions I needed help answering (Klevin et al., 2020). The session made me identify my strength as actively listening, and I needed to work on giving feedback to others. References Kleiven, G. S., Hjeltnes, A., Råbu, M., & Moltu, C. (2020). Opening up: Clients' inner struggles in the initial phase of therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591146 Shebib, B. (2019). Choices: Interviewing and counseling for Canadians. (7th ed.) Journal Entry Week 2 First, watch your PAS1 video session. Then, explain why you demonstrated a skill and response that went well. Then, explain a skill and response you demonstrated that could have been improved. What is your overall impression of your ability at this juncture? Second, watch a fellow peer's PAS1 video session. Then, explain a skill and response your peer demonstrated that you felt went well and why. Then, explain a skill and response your peer demonstrated that could have been improved. What is coming up for you in watching the PAS1s? Add your feelings and meanings while considering these questions. Post answer here: After watching my PAS1 video session, I was satisfied and content with how I demonstrated reflection on feelings. I was content with how I demonstrated this skill because I could explore the other person's thoughts in depth. Research argues that as counselors, understanding the client's thought process offers guidance on the best intervention plan (Brøsholen et al., 2022). Understanding the patient's thought process can prevent severe outcomes and promote quality, tailor-specific treatment plans. I felt that I effectively paraphrased statements to ensure that I fully understood the emotions. In a session, I can implement the skill to understand the emotions and thoughts of my clients since I was impressed with how I executed the skill. However, I could have done better because I gave the client suggestions to implement with her ex-husband instead of incorporating a person-centered approach. Through the guidance of Professor Melissa, I learned that the person-centered approach improves health outcomes. The client is the problem expert; hence, the counselor efficiently guides them (Yao & Kabir, 2023). I will actively listen to my clients' thoughts and feelings as a counselor. In the future, I will use the information that they give me to guide them in developing strategies that will lead to positive behavioral changes. My peer demonstrated nonverbal communication, which went well during the PAS1 video session. They maintained eye contact throughout the video session, making the other person feel heard and valued. The facial expression aligned with what was conveyed to ensure the other person felt they were following the different counts. My peer could use nonverbal communication to indicate that one needs to be a critical thinker during counseling sessions (Shebib, 2019). After watching the video session, I was challenged and pleasantly surprised. However, my peers should improve on active listening since there were instances when they needed to catch up on what had been said. They can improve by practicing active listening during conversations with friends. After watching the PAS1 video sessions, I am motivated to improve my use of a person-centered approach during counseling sessions. I am also motivated to continue perfecting my reflection on emotions to ensure I understand my present emotions and thoughts. After watching my peer's video, I was happy to see the utilization of core counseling micro-skills. Finally, I aim to improve my active listening to ensure efficiency in counseling. References Brøsholen, P., Ulberg, R., Dahl, H.-S. J., & Thorén, A. (2022). Therapists’ emotional responses in individual therapy with depressed adolescents: An evaluation of the data structure of the Feeling-Word Checklist—28. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159496 Shebib, B. (2019). Choices: Interviewing and counseling for Canadians, (7th ed.). Yao, L., & Kabir, R. (2023). Person-centered therapy (Rogerian therapy). StatPearls Publishing. Journal Entry Week 3 This week, you are to do group work to go over prompts for the assignment. Consider the collaboration process and how this ability to work with others is needed moving forward in your academic and future counseling careers. What were your initial thoughts on noting all the group work in PSYC6246? How did you feel doing the group work? Explain what went well for you with the group process. Then, explain what posed a challenge for you in the group process. Post answer here: Collaborations promote sharing ideas and effective teamwork when achieving a given goal. In counseling, it is essential to work with others since it promotes quicker problem-solving. My initial thoughts were that the group was intrigued by the work involved, and I was concerned about whether my group would handle the work effectively. I was intrigued to find out what the work required me to do. However, I was worried about whether the work would be completed within the allocated time frame. I was also thinking about whether the group would collaborate efficiently. The initial stages of doing the work felt overwhelming; hence, I decided to ask for help. During the group session, I clearly articulated my desire to seek clarification, so I asked for assistance to ensure the group work was completed efficiently (Gladding, 2018). "We have discussed the most efficient way to complete the assignment but I still have concerns about the part I was handling. How about we reassess the instructions one more time?" The research argues that using questions in counseling provides more clarity and can help challenge a client gently. The other group members noted that I needed help and offered to assist me, which I found helpful. The members were energetic and inquisitive during the group session, which provided a learning opportunity. The group members' inquisitive nature made asking questions well-received, and we all engaged in problem-solving once one needed clarification. I could challenge the other group members to a different perspective using questions. The research argues that counselors can incorporate questions for a more patient-centered treatment since the client provides the needed information (Renger, 2023). However, practicing summaries during the group process posed a challenge for me. I found it challenging to give an overview, but I intend to work on this issue professionally and personally. References Gladding, S. T. (2018). T...