Therapeutic Relationship

This essay will explore the nature of the therapeutic process; using my fifty minute long real play session with one of my colleagues. Also, I will explore my experience of the therapeutic relationship and how it influences therapeutic change and increase the affectivity of the therapy.

A therapeutic relationship is a key component in the nursing profession. Without therapeutic relationships, the best possible care can never be provided. The foundation in which trust is built upon is created from the nurse’s ability to truly listen and respond appropriately. Listening creates the base in developing a strong, trusting relationship. Sometimes it is simply hearing what a patient says that makes all the difference, empowering them to open up and become more comfortable with the nurse (Hawkins-Walsh, 2000).

Human service professionals continue to use soft skills to help interact and effectively work with the family members. The ability to show compassion and empathy is essential as it allows the therapist to understand how the family is feeling even though they may not have had similar experiences and help to change the family dynamics. Working alliance is established though the counselor conveying warmth, interest, and respect to the client (Safron & Muran, 1988 as cited in McCarthy). A therapist must also display non-verbal behaviors that relates to client sensitivities of empathy, such as eye contact, concerned, engaging, acknowledgment of understanding, tone of voice, and not interrupting.

Barbara Bloom, there is not just a high likelihood that they had a substance abuse problem, but also a history of physical and/or sexual abuse. This can be one of the most important aspects to consider before interacting with the inmate, simply because these past events in their lives could trigger an episode once behind bars. Women who had a history of abuse may become scared or frightened in certain situation behind bars such as strip searches, seclusion, and restraints (Bloom & Covington,2006,p.7). Women need to feel as though they are safe wherever and whenever they become involved in rehabilitative treatments. Many women participate in what is called “therapeutic milieu” which is a “carefully arranged environment that is designed to

Another issue in Anna’s circumstances is of trust. Bond (2015) reminds that a good therapeutic relationship requires a high level of confidence between the client and counsellor. A counsellor is always striving to provide conditions where the client feels safe enough to disclose their concerns and to encourage that trust and the therapeutic relationship (Bond, 2015). There is a possibility that Anna might not reveal because she does not trust the counsellor; therefore, Anna’s counsellor will need to work with her to build up the confidence. Flatley (2016) found that victims of abuse do not disclose being abused due to humiliation and fearing no one will believe them. The counsellor needs to work with Anna to overcome barriers to building trust.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics and roles of me as a counselor and the counselor’s disposition that I would like to bring as I start working in the field. The roles I will take as a counselor when working within community and private mental health system. I will also refer to the counselor dispositions to incorporate into counseling relationship and how the disposition will help me and my client. Finally, I will use techniques, skills to help me practice and build a strong relationship with my clients.

As a relationally-oriented therapist, I approach therapy with the general goal of helping you better understand yourself, what matters to you, and how you exist in the world. Based on what you want to accomplish, together we can uncover your true self so you can lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life. This process often involves a combination of making sense of earlier experiences, working with ongoing patterns, and re-evaluating future expectations or assumptions. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will focus on issues and perceptions that may be holding you back or keeping you stuck.

Historically, the alliance construct refers to the effective relationship between the therapist-patient and varying aspects of the alliance have been studied, for example, the relationship and outcomes (Horvarth & Bedi, 2002, Lustig et al, 2002), the role of the alliance (Horvarth & Luborsky, 1993) and the therapist’s behaviours that predict the alliance (Duff and Bedi, 2010) and failures in the alliance (Duff & Bedi, 2010). Lambert & Barley (2001) argue that a supportive alliance accounts on average for 30% of the variance in outcomes, whereas theory and techniques only accounts for 15% of the variance in outcomes. In comparison to the coaching relationship, the reverse is true as the same study (Grant, 2014) indicate theory and techniques account for 18.49% of the variance in outcomes whereas a supportive

Solidarity is generally considered as a communicative approach to improve personal relationships. Individuals may express their feelings, attitude, opinions or belief which are rather indicative of an orientation towards solidarity (Koester, 2006). The core intention of individuals expressing solidarity is mutuality. The individuals convey their solidarity in different ways, which include expressing approval, showing interest, sympathy or claiming common grounds (Koester, 2006). In health care context, solidarity approaches in conversations were used the health professionals to attain various aims. For instance, it is used as a simple way for a medical professional to find out more about the

Working as a counsellor, it is important to create a genuine relationship with the client. However, this can be challenging due to certain differences and diversities that each individual has. Our society is very multicultural. Often, individuals are misunderstood due to lack of knowledge and prejudices that our society has of other cultures, beliefs and religions. Pittu Laungani believes “Each culture has something of value to offer to another culture and equally importantly something of value to learn and imbibe from another culture”. (Pittu Laungani ‘University of Toronto 2005) Every individual has their own set of morals, values and beliefs and this is what makes each of us so different and diverse from one other. As a counsellor, it

In this essay, I am going to give a structured reflective account on the development of a therapeutic relationship with a client on one of my clinical placements as part of my training as a student nurse. I will be using a reflective model which explores the processes involved in developing and maintaining such relationships bearing in mind theoretical knowledge and how it applies to this clinical experience. Jasper (2003) describes reflective practice as one of the ways that professionals learn from experience in order to understand and develop their practice. As a trainee health care professional, I have learnt the importance of reflection in

There are many variables that influence the success of therapy for the client, none more so than the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship is defined as the strength and collaborative relationship between the client and therapist that emphasises mutually agreed goals and tasks within the context of a strong affective bond (Horvath, 1994.) In the therapeutic relationship, the clinician offers care, touch, compassion, presence, and any other act or attitude that would foster healing, and expects nothing in return (Trout, 2013.) Some clinicians believe that the “therapeutic relationship is a precondition of change, others as the fertile soil that permits change, while others see it as the central mechanism of change itself” (Norcross, 2010.) This is not to devalue other variables that impact the success of the therapy such as client involvement and the treatment method.

Over the course of the term we have looked at basic aspects of counselling and interpersonal skills, how we understand and relate to them as well as how we have experienced them within our counselling triads. Within the Humanistic schools of theory, we have looked at Person-Centred Counselling, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt, under the heading ‘Integrative learning’. This has allowed me to identify my own preferences and strengths in relation to each theory and apply them in learning triads. I shall also be focussing on interpersonal skills of a more generic nature, and how they can be applied to ease, encourage and explain interactions. Repeatedly this term I have found myself fascinated with the importance of the ‘Therapeutic

The whole reason for a therapeutic relationship is to facilitate a successful patient outcome. Each person is unique and has different needs.

In life we all have something that has changed the way we perceive things. Most things that change a person’s perception happens to be an experience that they have gone thru and learned from. In my case it wasn’t necessarily an experience, it was a dog that changed my perception on life. My mind and heart was opened in a whole new way. I never thought I could love an animal just as much as I loved the people in my life. I always thought it was strange that pet owners loved and treated their pets the same way they treated their children. My perception on dogs or pets in general definitely changed. Throughout this paper you will see why I am a totally different person because of a dog that entered my life.