Assessment in Practice
There are a variety of ways counselors can use assessment in counseling. According to Whiston counselors use (2017) assessments as a tool used to measure people behavior. Assessments can be informal and formal (Laureate, 2013). One significant part of assessments is to evaluate progress between the client and counselor.
Current Skills
I have not worked with clients in a formal counseling setting. However, I know the importance of clients taking assessments to gain a better understanding. For example, if the client is having difficulty selecting a career, I would have the client take a career assessment to determine client strengths. Then, the client can use the evaluation to research jobs that would allow the client to use their strengths.
Knowing that humans are complex individuals, I know it is essential to listen and watch client behaviors. Therefore, I currently can assist individuals by helping people realize their nonverbal cues. For example, if a client stated, “I am happy.” But the
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client is not smiling and looking at the floor. I would respond, “Can you describe happiness to me? You seem to be uncertain about your feeling; you are frowning.” According to Dr. Buckley, counselors often assign the client a task to work on after counseling sessions (Laureate, 2010). The counselor then asks the client if the task helped the client. As a result, the counselor is using an informal way to assess the clients progress. Developing Skills Counselors should use assessments is to assess client’s behavior and implement an effective treatment for the client (Whiston, 2017).
As a result, I am learning how to assist clients without labeling the client and developing a proper diagnosis. Assessing client problems should happen throughout the counseling process. In the beginning, counselors get background information on their clients to help the counselor develop a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Correct diagnosis of clients is vital to receive reimbursement from insurance companies for counseling services. Assessments help the counselor determine an appropriate treatment for the client. Assessments can help clients realize their strengths and weaknesses (Whiston, 2017). Helping the client understand their strengths can assist the client in building confidence, reach the clients counseling goal, and implement healthy choices in the client’s
life. Options for Development The way counselors assess clients will always change. Therefore, it is vital to attend workshops locally and nationally that would allow the counselor to grow. Using scientific data and research proven assessments can prevent the counselor from harming the client. Conclusion In conclusion, assessments are a critical part of the counseling profession. Counselors use informal and formal assessments to assist clients in reaching their counseling goal. Assessing client behavior and implanting treatment for clients is a huge part of assessments. As a result, it is essential for the counselor to keep up with assessments to properly treat their clients.
The presence of nonverbal messages in our communication is very important. Following the text, researchers have estimated it is up to “65 percent of social meaning we convey in face-to-face interactions is a result of nonverbal behavior” (131). The movie “Mrs. Doubtfire” is a typical example about the interactions among characters, also with audience. Several scenes in this movie show us the effects of nonverbal messages in communication, especially through the character Daniel, who disguises himself as a middle-aged British nanny in order to be near his children.
The purpose of this paper is to examine various instruments utilized to provide counselors with the most accurate assessment in family, couple and individual counseling. Nonetheless, this paper will also explore the interventions that are most appropriate for this case study. As it will further bring a better sense of awareness to the techniques used in family assessments.
Hood, A.B., & Johnson, R.W. (2007). Assessment in Counseling: A guide to the use of psychological assessment procedures (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Case conceptualization explains the nature of a client’s problem and how they develop such problem ( Hersen, & Porzelius, p.3, 2002) In counseling, assessment is viewed as a systematic gathering of information to address a client’s presenting concerns effectively. The assessment practice provides diagnostic formulation and counseling plans, and aids to identify assets that could help the client cope better with concern that they are current. Assessment is present as a guide for treatment and support in the “evaluation process. Although many methods can be employed to promote a thorough assessment, no one method should be used by itself” (Erford, 2010, p.269-270). Eventually, it is the counselor's job to gain adequate information concerning the client and the client's presenting concerns to establish an effective treatment strategy. Using a combination of assessment techniques increases the likelihood of positive interventions and promotes successful treatment (Erford, 2010, p.271). A case conceptualization reflects how the professional counselor understands the nature of the presenting problems and includes a diagnostic formulation. Case conceptualization organizes assessment data into meaningful outline, applying research, and theory to make sense of client’s current problem.
In every society nonverbal communication is one of the most powerful tools that a person can use to interpret the message that is being delivered. Even though verbal communication is fairly straightforward, nonverbal communication allows others to sense the true emotions of the person that is expressing them. For example even though a person may say that they are not irritated, their usage of voice may display otherwise. Nonverbal communication not only reveals hidden messages, but it also complements, substitutes, and exaggerates verbal communication.
Usually a counselor will discuss with a client during the intake process, why the client is there and determine what the presenting problem is. This direct approach is not
The counseling session should be centered on the client and their understanding of their world and/or problems not heavily weighted on the counselor interpretation of the client’s situation. The role of the counselor is to examine a problem needs changing and discover options in overcoming their problem. Bringing about change can help change the client’s narrative on their problem in the future and/or on life in the process.
Counselors should use a diagnostic system to accurately identify or deny a mental disorder. This system can be a hybrid of structured and unstructured diagnostic tools to develop “assumptions and about the etiology and nature of disorders” (Manderscheid, et al., 2010, p. 3) to mitigate contradiction between DSM descriptors and validators that would lead to an inaccurate
Moreover, an assessment is a more in-depth line of questioning of the client that goes in to the client’s background such as childhood experiences, social life and psychological health; the assessment can also go into a series of testing. Additionally, the assessment is also used to determine a diagnosis of the client (Substance Abuse Counselor, n.d.). Many times clients with substance abuse problems do have psychological issues.
...counselor want to make sure that the counselor provides the best services possible. The retrieval of new information is valuable when trying to make a diagnosis. For a clinical and therapeutic plan to be developing the biographical information that the client provided, direct therapist observations, and data from specific psychological tests is what help to determine the treatment plan.
Nonverbal behaviors, such as body posture, head nods, facial expression, and eye contact, are important for effective therapy. Nonverbal behaviors convey a variety of messages to clients that can show empathy or understanding. If done incorrectly, the client can feel closed off, judged, or ignored. For example, too little eye contact can make the client feel like the therapist is not listening or does not care about hat is being discussed. Or, sitting with crossed arms or an unamused facial expression can have the same effects. When paying attention to it, I believe that I can execute adequate nonverbal behaviors, but in the heat of an intense moment, where I am thinking deeply about the client’s situation, I fear that I will be challenged with reacting to my own inner thoughts. In other words, I do not want to scrunch my face when I am deep in thought or look off in another direction—which I tend to do when I am focusing. Although this is undoubtedly a challenge, I am confident that I will eventually become comfortable with nonverbal behaviors with
The client should be honest with the counselor, discuss concerns, and listen to the counselor. I would expect students to trust in their abilities to make their own choices get in touch with their feelings. I believe client roles are resourceful in helping people take more responsibility for their lives and solve their own problems. I believe the client is fully capable of fulfilling their own potential for growth.
The verbal communication goal is to encourage the client to fully express the changes and wants of set outcomes established. Both verbal and non- communication can have an impact on the client once interaction is met. Non-verbal communication consists of body language, facial expressions, closeness, and eye contact (Schore, 2008). If a client senses the listener is uninterested or showing signs of discomfort due to their diagnosis or disability, it can cause one to be unengaged in the conversation. Verbal communication can also result in the same disengagement due to the social worker/ therapist tone of voice. Social workers are to be mindful and educated on the background of the client being served to be aware of the different approaches to take when engaging with the individual. The social work intern effective of non-verbal communication skills as the client continued to discuss her life before her recent hospitalization. The social work intern ensured to make steady eye contact, in which the client was receptive of. The social work intern also created a posture that created empathic body language, allowing the client to be more open during
To some extent I feel comfortable being a non-professional counselor. I obtain the characteristics of being a good listener and being able to empathize with others. However, I feel that my counseling skills will increase once I have more experience consoling patients and family members. Speech-language pathology and audiology are both helping professions. Consequently, it is important that the those professionals comfort the patient or family member during their time of need. If I feel that the patient or family member is having a difficult time coping with the situation then I would refer them to a professional counselor and a support
In counseling, there are many processes used by a counselor in his sessions with a client. These may be done in a specific order or however which way the counselor sees them to be appropriate. Listed below are the different processes that may be undertaken during a counseling session. 1. Before meeting a counselee, the counselor tries to find out as much as he can about the former. This is done so that he may discern what will help the client most. Also, he has to fathom the counselee's past so that he will know beforehand how he can help him. 2. The counselor and the counselee take some time to get to know each other. This is a process that works both ways, as does the entire counseling process upon which they are about to embark. In the process, the counselee's needs are assessed and appropriate therapy may be chosen. 3. Questionnaires or tests may be given to the counselee to prove or disprove the counselor's initial findings. It may be too early to judge the counselee right away but this may help the counselor in the totality of the sessions. 4. The counselor needs to determine, with greater accuracy, the nature of the emotion and experience that is behind the counselee's current difficulties by further detailed examination of the latter's history. Some of the issues and patterns raised in the questionnaires or tests may be raised and any relationships that may be analogous to initial observations may be noted with the behaviors and feelings involved. 5. The counselor ...