Introduction to Counselling Skills
Reflection 1 – Due Week 6 – 20% – Based on your session in Week 4
2-3 pages – approx 500 words. Double spaced, 1 inch margins. Use specific examples and when possible, quotes to support your reflection.
A) In a few sentences, what is your understanding of the service user’s issue(s), problem(s), struggle(s)?
B ) Reflect on the skills/techniques you used (below are some questions to help you get you thinking – you don’t need to answer them all.)
Were your facial expressions, posture, and gestures professional and open? Give examples.
What are examples of minimal encouragers you used in your interviews?
How were your minimal encouragers and open and closed questions helpful in getting the client to disclose their experiences?
Give examples, if appropriate to your situation, of where you could have used a minimal encourager instead of asking a question or doing a reflection.
Did you ask more closed questions or more open questions? Give examples.
Give examples, if appropriate to your situation, of where you could have turned a closed question into an open question.
Were your paraphrases accurate and helpful to the client? How do you know they were accurate/helpful? How did you react when they were not accurate?
Were you able to reflect feeling accurately and if not, what did you learn from this? Give examples.
Were there some skills you relied on more heavily than others? Or skills that you underused?
Were you able to use all the skills today? If not, what was the reason you were not?
C) Reflect on the similarities and differences between you and your clients, your lives and experiences (e.g. identities, social location, etc.): i) What are some of the possible issues related to power and privilege? ii) Reflect on factors related to cultural humility and/or anti-oppressive practice that could potentially lessen issues connected to power and privilege?
D) Using some of the Indigenous Ways of knowing you have familiarity with (eg. Medicine Wheel, 7 Grandfather teachings, etc.), how might one specific facet support you in understanding the service user/what they shared with you more holistically?
E) What are some of your areas of strength? What are some areas to work on?
