1 .1 Identify the stages of a series of counselling sessions
The beginning
The beginning of the counselling process starts when the client first meets the counsellor, the saying “first impressions count” is absolutely true for both the client and counsellor, the client will be very nervous and unsure what is about to take place.
The way the counsellor approaches the client in this infant stage is vital for the client to gain trust and has the willingness to open up in later sessions. Some clients may just rush into what is troubling them or say nothing, in both cases the counsellor will need to be patient, observe and listen to what is being said as there will be vital information given and without understanding this it could damage …show more content…
Clarifying to the client how they can pay for the counsellor’s time at the beginning this will show that the sessions are a working relationship.
A working agreement is contract drawn up by both the client and counsellor and can be changed at any time. There are many items that can be included in a working agreement for example:-
Showing your fee within the counselling agreement will help with the awkwardness or distress of asking for money, the client may not want to willingly pay but after all it’s a business and fees do need to be paid. The counsellor may want to give the client an opportunity to pay at the beginning of each session and an option of paying the fee in several different ways i.e. monthly, by cash or direct debit this can be discussed and agreed.
Having a time boundary within the contract will provide both the client with undivided attention from the counsellor, if there was no time boundary when will you end the session? Boundaries within a working agreement are jointly owned and sticking to these boundaries is showing respect to both the client and counsellor and also it gives balance to the working relationship.
Having the counsellor’s holiday times on a working agreement will reduce any misunderstandings, the client will be aware when their sessions will not take place. I feel that it will be helpful