Chapter 10 of practical counselling skills: an integrative approach by Geldard and Geldard is all about creating a comfortable closure to the end of a counselling session. In this chapter, the following is discussed: 1. The termination of an individual counselling session, 2. Is there a need for ongoing appointments, 3. How much the client relies on the counsellor and finally how to terminate several counselling sessions.
The termination of an individual counselling session:
Many new counsellors find it hard to decipher when it’s appropriate to terminate a counselling session. Most agencies allocate a length of time to each counselling session which is usually one-hour sessions. The time may differ in relation to different sessions, for example …show more content…
They may have to make another appointment for the client that is leaving. They must see the client out. The most important thing that a client must do in between sessions is debrief after sessions. This is important as the counsellor may experience strong emotions after having listened to their client’s life stories so it’s important to take time to process what they said otherwise you are zero use to your next client as you may not be emotionally ready to listen to what they have to say. In severe cases, it might be best for the counsellor to talk to another counsellor or to their supervisor to make sure the counsellor themselves is ok. It is recommended that the counsellors have a 15-minute gap between each counselling session to carry out the work that needs to be done between sessions, especially if a counsellor is dealing with distressed clients. A longer gap between sessions is recommended for a new counsellor. (Geldard and Geldard, 2005)
It is important to keep the counselling experience dynamic. It is known that clients deal with the important issues during the first three quarters of the hour and then they lose their energy. Once a fixed time has been allocated, the client will discuss their problems comfortably within that time frame. After a session, the client needs time to process what was discussed. After processing the information, they may feel like they need another appointment but in some …show more content…
This occurs when dependency has developed. In cases where progress is not being made and goals are not being met you must discuss with your supervisor what to do next. If the goals aren’t met it might be because the counsellor does not have the appropriate skills or that a new approach is needed to help the client. If dependency has been identified it should be discussed not hidden. This is a sensitive topic as you risk the client feeling rejected. Feelings of grief are normal when terminating a relationship and it’s important that you prepare your clients for this. Sometimes a three month follow up session is advised to check how the client is doing. Saying goodbye can be difficult, whether it be from a series of sessions or from a single session. Terminating a session must be done carefully and sensitively. (Geldard and Geldard,
The termination of an individual counselling session:
Many new counsellors find it hard to decipher when it’s appropriate to terminate a counselling session. Most agencies allocate a length of time to each counselling session which is usually one-hour sessions. The time may differ in relation to different sessions, for example …show more content…
They may have to make another appointment for the client that is leaving. They must see the client out. The most important thing that a client must do in between sessions is debrief after sessions. This is important as the counsellor may experience strong emotions after having listened to their client’s life stories so it’s important to take time to process what they said otherwise you are zero use to your next client as you may not be emotionally ready to listen to what they have to say. In severe cases, it might be best for the counsellor to talk to another counsellor or to their supervisor to make sure the counsellor themselves is ok. It is recommended that the counsellors have a 15-minute gap between each counselling session to carry out the work that needs to be done between sessions, especially if a counsellor is dealing with distressed clients. A longer gap between sessions is recommended for a new counsellor. (Geldard and Geldard, 2005)
It is important to keep the counselling experience dynamic. It is known that clients deal with the important issues during the first three quarters of the hour and then they lose their energy. Once a fixed time has been allocated, the client will discuss their problems comfortably within that time frame. After a session, the client needs time to process what was discussed. After processing the information, they may feel like they need another appointment but in some …show more content…
This occurs when dependency has developed. In cases where progress is not being made and goals are not being met you must discuss with your supervisor what to do next. If the goals aren’t met it might be because the counsellor does not have the appropriate skills or that a new approach is needed to help the client. If dependency has been identified it should be discussed not hidden. This is a sensitive topic as you risk the client feeling rejected. Feelings of grief are normal when terminating a relationship and it’s important that you prepare your clients for this. Sometimes a three month follow up session is advised to check how the client is doing. Saying goodbye can be difficult, whether it be from a series of sessions or from a single session. Terminating a session must be done carefully and sensitively. (Geldard and Geldard,