Critical Reflection on my Counseling Practice - Coursework Example

Critical Reflection of my Counseling Practice Critical Reflection of my Counseling Practice Introduction After a close analysis of my interest and the content covered throughout the course, I have become more self-aware concerning the type of counseling I would like to take up. I am specifically interested in being a therapist in private practice. This will entail dealing with a diverse range of clients, and I will need to develop competence in counseling field in order to excel in my practice. Becoming a counselor is not an easy task because each day revolves around handling issues presented by clients and helping them to handle problems in their lives. However, there is a rewarding feeling that comes from the realization that one is making a positive impact in the lives of people and the society. This is the kind of feeling derived from counseling. The financial benefits of being a counselor do not prove to be comparable to the satisfaction gained from helping an individual get back on the right track. Such a feeling serves as the required motivation to face each day and the challenges pertinent to the practice. This paper will offer a critical reflection of how I handle different issues emerging in my practice on a daily basis. On a typical day as a therapist in private practice, it is expected to handle a diverse range of clients. These clients have different circumstances that necessitate their need to seek advice or help from a therapist. Therefore, handling each client effectively can prove to be highly distressing. This has served as a salient need for me to develop values that can be helpful in helping me cope with the daily challenges in the counseling field. One of the critical values that I have struggled to develop is being self-aware. This means that I continuously indulge in a self-analysis process in a bid to establish my strengths and weaknesses both as an individual and as a counselor. This is the basis of being an effective counselor (Corey & Corey, 2011). For background information about the self has the potential of influencing my perspectives, I have critically considered several aspects that define my life and evaluated their impact on my life. For example, I have considered my personal growth through different stages of life as described by Erikson Erick. I have also considered the influences of the influence of family on my thinking and dispositions (p. 67). All these analyses have been designed to help me increase self-awareness, so that I may understand the self-better before I venture into understanding situations about other people. In this analysis, I have considered both the advantages and disadvantages because some factors have the potential of affecting my career either positively or negatively. Other questions addressed in self-reflection include my potential to challenge into a victory as well as how the experiences of the past have shaped my thinking and behavior. An additional value that is critical to me is exhibiting genuine concern for my clients. Since clients come to me expecting help, I thrive to listen and help them with a genuine spirit. This does not mean that I let my personal feelings towards their issues affect the counseling process. Rather, I exhibit concerns by offering time to listen to their story and asking questions in a bid to gather more information and establish the background information about their case (p. 127). Moreover, I realized that exhibiting a commitment to human rights and dignity is a critical aspect that can determine my success as a counselor. This means that, I should highly regard my clients as they deserve a measure of dignity and have the rights to privacy and confidentiality, as well as expression. Understanding the basic human right have been a critical advantage as it positively affects how I deal with different clients irrespective of the situation. Notably, exhibiting an appreciation of different cultures as well as evident differences in human experience is also a core value in my practice. This ensures that I understand different situations presented by clients. Application of different ethical principles has also been a benchmark of success in private counseling (p. 220). Since each day entails handling different clients, issues of transference and counter transference often emerge. For example, some clients are likely to consider me as an enemy, hence become aggressive because of the kind of treatment they have received in their lives before. In other cases, some clients view me as the ideal parent or friend and expect emotional support which is beyond the need for counseling (p. 257). In some serious cases of transference, some clients that I have counseled for a long time, especially members of the opposite sex have revealed that they have developed a romantic attachment. In all these cases of transference, I have had to evaluate my reactions critically. It is a common habit for a counselor to exhibit counter transference towards clients who exhibit transference. In some cases, it proves difficult to control my anger when clients become unbearable and aggressive. However, I have learned to control my emotions and seek the help of supervisors or colleagues in handling the situation. Although it is easy to place blames n clients who exhibit transference, I have learned that blaming them does not solve the situation. Rather, I exhibit understanding and respect and I am always willing to discuss the clients behavior and see whether they can improve (p. 267). If the dialogue does not work, then I refer the client to a different therapist. The most critical aspect in handling transference is ensuring that I do not exhibit counter transference as a solution. Often, I am compelled to handle difficult clients. Although there are different categories of difficult clients, I face the most difficult when handling silent and withdrawn clients. Such clients are not willing to disclose any information during the counseling session. Therefore, it becomes difficult to establish some background information concerning their case or the situations they are facing. In a bid to address their silence, I initiate writing instead of talking. In other cases, I move the client to a serene environment that encourages them to talk. In most cases, one of these strategies proves effective (p. 188). In many of my counseling sessions, I rely on the cognitive behavioral therapy approach. This is because I have the conviction that many problems that my clients face, especially those struggling with different types of addiction began with a cognitive problem. A cognitive problem in this case denotes the development of irrational thinking that leads to negative thoughts. Such negative thoughts eventually affect the behavior. In order to ensure effective therapy, I encourage my clients to identify the factors that led to irrational thinking in the first place (p. 157). In many cases, those factors form the core of the problem. Therefore, when they are replaced with factors that encourage rational thinking, behavioral change becomes a possibility. Notably, the counseling field presents a high level of diversity. People seeking help have different problems fueled by various factors. Their reactions to the situations are very different and their perspectives during therapy vary greatly. Although some cultures have some similarities, every client exhibits a unique way of thinking and of viewing his or her problem which determines the level of success after therapy. This has encouraged me to view each client as an individual and avoid any form of generalization. Conclusion Evidently, the counseling field had presented me with intriguing challenges on a daily basis. Despite these challenges, it is thrilling and satisfying to realize that I made a positive contribution in an individual’s life. It is encouraging to see clients put their lives back together and have a positive approach towards life after counseling. The diversity evident in private therapy practice is overwhelming and I have to be prepared to handle different type so of clients. Reference Corey, M. and Corey, G. (2011). Becoming a Helper. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More