Strategy in counseling is the method or technique used by a counselor to identify the problem and propose a solution. The counselor may use various approaches, such as listening, interpreting, exploring, responding, and summarizing. Through these strategies, the counselor manages to utilize emphasis skills to converse with the client.
Selected Strategy
One of the most appropriate strategies I would use is to listen attentively. Listening is the ability to pay attention to the non-verbal and verbal expressions of the customer. The counselor should hear the words, receive the sound from the client, and attempt to interpret the information. All counselors should demonstrate the ability to develop and use their listening skills to gain insight into the situation of the client. If the practitioner listens attentively to the patient, he/she creates an impression that he understands the needs and the situation of the client (Geldard, David, and Rebecca 25). In fact, research indicates that the listening is one of the greatest strategies that may be needed in a helping relationship. Indeed, listening skill is the foundation upon which other strategies are built upon. If the care provider has not listened to the client attentively, he/she cannot apply other strategies, such as self-disclosure, responding, confrontation, questioning, and summarizing to collect information from the respondent. As a matter of fact, it is only until the counselor listens effectively that he can use minimal encouragers which include I am listening, is that so? Please tell me more to allow the client to express himself/herself effectively.
With the aim of implementing the strategy successfully, it is paramount to ensure that the client can hear him/her (Keys 615). Additionally, the counselor should ensure that there is a high level of trust between him and the client. At the same time, it is pivotal to ensure that he can identify when the client is timid or shy. Moreover, the practitioner should remove the barriers that hinder self-disclosure. One of the primary areas of concern would be to ensure that I use the language that the client is well-versed in so as to reduce tension and anxiety during the interviews. I would also make sure those important issues, such as socio-economic status, religious background, and gender influence do not inhibit successful conversations between the client and the counselor. As a consequence, it is vital to have excellent interview skills to communicate with the client in a way that allows him/her to express the main issues.
Situations
I would use the listening in various situations. First, I would apply this technique when dealing with conflicts. When the client is involved in a conflict with other parties, it is important to listen attentively to receive information concerning the emergence of the situation. Counselors should have various conflict resolution techniques to ensure that they address the emotional, psychological, and cognitive, and behavioral states of the customers. Secondly, I would listen attentively to a client who is suffering from a psychological or emotional issue. As a result, I would apply reflective listening technique to converse with the customer. Reflective listening is the process through which the counselor restates what the client has talked about. It is a way of validating the responses of the patient, by acknowledging the information, and providing him/her with another opportunity to express him/herself. Thirdly, active listening is essential when offering trauma, grief, and loss counseling. Clients who undergo traumatic conditions or loss of their loved ones require the counselor to listen to them and show a high level of empathy (Keys 615).
Apart from getting the professional knowledge on how to handle the situations at hand, people who suffer from traumatic situations sometimes require an individual who can listen to them and comfort them. Fourth, I would consider the need to use listening strategy to provide guidance to individuals who require post abortion counseling (McMahon 101). Notably, there are various notions and attitudes attached to girls or women who procure abortions. For teenage girls who procure abortion services, they may suffer from rejection from family members and the society. Research demonstrates that almost half of the teenage pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Therefore, many teenagers consider aborting pursuing their education and career (McMahon 96). However, due to societal stereotypes regarding abortions, may feel guilty and develop conditions, such as depression and excess stress. Therefore, it is important to learn the skill of listening effectively to help such people.
The strategy discussed in this paper is advantageous because of various reasons. First, it enables the counselor to summarize the main points effectively. Also, the practitioner can receive feedback information on real-time basis. However, this technique is weak because one can easily forget to interpret the feelings of the client correctly. Sometimes, the counselor may forget and start to diagnose or critique the patient unnecessarily. According to cognitive theory, the counselor should aim at solving the problem at hand. After considering the clients point of view, it is vital to propose evidence-based solutions to the current issue (Keys 616). For individuals suffering from mental health issues, the cognitive and behavioral therapy theories are some of the best approaches.
Conclusion
In conclusion, research indicates that the listening is one of the greatest strategies that may be needed in a helping relationship. Counselors should have various conflict resolution techniques to ensure that they address the emotional, psychological, and cognitive states of the customers. As one of the strengths of the selected strategy, the counselor can gain first hand information.
Works Cited
Geldard, Kathryn, David Geldard, and Rebecca Yin Foo. Counselling adolescents: The proactive
approach for young people. Sage, 2015
Keys, Suzanne. "Values clarification in counseling and psychotherapy: practical strategies for
individual and group settings." (2015): 614-616
McMahon, Mary, ed. Career counselling: Constructivist approaches. Routledge, 2016
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