JOURNAL REFLECTIVING USE SELF AWRENESS IN HELPING WORK - Coursework Example

November 4, Self-Awareness in Counselling Self-awareness for counsellors refers to the process of knowing their strengths, weaknesses, biases, and issues that can affect workplace attitudes, thoughts, and behaviours (Uhlemann and Jordan, 2012, p.70). Counsellor self-awareness is important because it can help them become more effective in doing their work. It makes them more aware of what their values, ideas, assumptions, and skills are and how they impact their roles and responsibilities to their clients.

Counsellors should practice self-awareness to improve how they express their intentions and how they interact with their clients. Self-awareness entails consciousness of communication styles and how they affect the clients’ perceptions of counsellors’ professional abilities and empathy. Self-aware counsellors know how to choose proper communication styles that are best for clients, in order to make them feel that client welfare is their counsellors’ main priority (Uhlemann and Jordan, 2012, p.71). Some self-awareness practices involve appropriate sitting position and distance and eye-contact considerations.

Counsellors should be able to sit at the right position and distance that respect clients’ personal space. They must be close enough though to easily show their empathy for them. Counsellors should also be able to know how comfortable clients are with eye contact through observing their nonverbal reactions to it, although many people trust others who can see them literally eye-to-eye. Being aware of these behaviours can make clients feel more comfortable in communicating with their counsellors and improve the ease of establishing counsellor-client trust.

Besides communication behaviours, self-awareness also means being aware of their strengths and weakness, including biases and limitations. Self-aware counsellors recognize their skills and abilities (Uhlemann and Jordan, 2012, p.71). They know how to be concrete and specific with their advice and how to help their clients improve their ability to make action plans. An example of strength is being able to discuss various coping options for clients because of the knowledge of different coping mechanisms across cultures.

Apart from strengths, self-aware counsellors know their weaknesses. An example of a weakness is getting frustrated with female clients who cannot leave their irresponsible husbands, even when these men are violent and unfaithful. Some counsellors may sense anger and frustration in their voices and behaviours when they hear about men taking advantage of these women. These counsellors must work on improving how they control the upset tone in their voices when clients justify these men’s inhumane attitudes and actions.

They must concentrate on the client and how relationship interventions may help, instead of feeling anxious for her welfare. Self-awareness means knowing their limits, what they can and cannot do, because they are human beings with weaknesses too. Nevertheless, their job comes first than their assumptions and biases. As self-aware counsellors, they must become more knowledgeable of who they are and how their values, beliefs, and attitudes affect their work. They must also become more conscious of how their words and actions affect the clients’ perceptions of their counsellors’ abilities.

Self-awareness is important to continued learning and development and something that all counsellors should practice to make them more effective communicators.Reference ListUhlemann, M.R. and Jordan, D. 2012. Self-awareness and the effective counsellor: a framework for assessment. Canadian Counsellor. [Online]. 15, pp.70-73. [Accessed 2 November 2014]. Available from: www.cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php