Confrontational Skills - Essay Example

When talking to a client it is important to make sure that they are gaining insights into themselves and their lives. By confronting the discrepancies that come up, a counselor helps the individual find those insights about themselves. Many times, the client is not aware of their discrepancies because they are close to the situation. They may be exhibiting behaviors that they have used for a very long time and they may not know that these behaviors are destructive. They also may be attempting to move forward with their lives and not be aware of issues, behaviors, or situations that may be stopping them from moving forward.

            When the counselor does confrontation well, the client can get to core issues that may be the reason why they are reacting in certain ways. As an example, an individual may think they are not getting work because of their appearance. In reality, they may not be getting work because they are going after jobs that they do not have the skills for or that are not jobs that they would like. Often clients can sabotage themselves by doing things that are counter to what they need to do to get what they want. In my opinion, confrontational skills are important to use to help the client move forward. They should be used after the counselor has built rapport with the client and when they have developed a comfortable space. Using confrontation too soon can result in losing a client or in creating more barriers for the client to work through. The client must be comfortable with the therapist for this skill to work and the counselor must be confident in confronting the client.