Reflection Paper On How To Be An Effective Counselor

1046 Words3 Pages

In order to be an effective counselor, one must remember to keep the client(s) in mind. The goal is to assist the client(s) in living the best life possible for that particular person or persons. With that being said, one cannot forget that they have their own set of morals, values, ideas, and the like. Social workers have to keep in mind that there will be cases that are complex and a favorable outcome may not be possible. In the instance that I am confronted with an issue that conflicts with my religious beliefs, I plan on assisting the client as much as possible by adhering the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics, NASW standards for the Practice of Clinical Social Work, and discussing my concerns with my supervisor while The steps included in the GIM are engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, termination, and follow-up (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). The assessment pinpoints which services and/or resources the client needs. An effective use of an assessment is explained by Leighton. The author discusses an assessment tool called BRAIDS (beliefs, relational, application, integration, diagnostic, and self) which is designed to provide a bridge between psychological methods and religious beliefs while attempting to enable the client to feel comforted about their challenge (2014). To take it a step further, when a follow-up is conducted the social worker will know if the client needs to be reassessed or if contact is no longer The main objective is to help the client obtain the help he or she needs. However, the social worker can reveal details of themselves as long as it is beneficial to the client. This process is known as self-disclosure (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). Self-disclosure is not beneficial if it will cause strife in the relationship between client and social worker. It is beneficial to be honest with the client. If a limitation is not disclosed and the client later finds that the worker is not competent it can negatively affect the process that may have been made during counseling sessions. It is best not to sugarcoat or exaggerate skills. Stating a limitation does not deviate from legality or ethical practices. The social worker has the ability to obtain the skill needed or enlist the assistance of one who has the knowledge needed. An element of surprise in the counseling relationship is not suitable. The planned change process is agreed upon between the worker and the client. The client is to be aware of when the last session will take place. With that being said, the social worker should reconcile their feelings with the needs of the client. If a referral is needed, it should be completed as soon as

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