9:30am

[I was late because of court and driving to Chikkita at Uni to give her laptop.]

Brief motivation

Dealing with the here and now, not historical traumas, etc...

10:44am

The benefits of repetition...
In time, your behaviour starts to change.

When people believe they are not good enough, they have believed a lie.

Ashliey: Ever stuck with a client that is really stuck?

Ant: Would just go back and validate the experience, "I can see that everything seems to be so against you and you are wrestling...."

I would say, "Humor me for a moment, close your eyes and imagine for a moment what you feel, smeel, sense..." to provide some type of motivation. Then , "What did that feel like?"

This person would benefit with a little bit more of intense therapy than a brief.

Nicole: What if your environment is problematic, like your family and friends are opposite in belief to yours?

Ant: I help clients to be in control of themselves and their own decisions – locus of control.

Morning tea...

Come back 11:20am

11:20

VALUES

Ant: Any one dealt with values? What values are important?

Understanding values is best guide for important decision processing.

JAG: Explained FFT experience

ANT: Best life is lived aligned to values. e.g. Personal Growth

If you have client stuck with particular habit, try to tap into their values – around health, money, family?

Decisional Balance Sheet

Help client think in ways they would not normally.

Benefits/Pros | Costs/Cons
of making a change or not making a change

eg. Costs and cons of smoking

Cons = Discomfort, unpleasantness, emptyness
Pros = Socialising, maintaning image, keep coping mechanism, stay in comfort zone.

We get clients to think more widely, from different angles.

e.g. What would the cost of not quiting smoking? Financial, health problems, smell, children may smoke

Is there anything else you want to add into the Decisional Balance Sheet.

Once this visual chart is filled out, then what? Get client to look at the lists, does anything stand out? Is this helpful in any way? What does this mean? Take your time to think about it... is there anything else?

Ashleigh: Is this something you would send out for homework to client or to work with them?

Ant: Would want to work with client for the most part, to make sure they have thought things through. To guide them in the process and then reflect on the results. Does this change the way you think about...

It's pros and cons of making and not making a change.

Not changing and not making a decision, is actually making a decision.

We want client to make their own decisions.

e.g. Domestic Violence at home

Maybe they stay because there are not resources out there.

Ant: (Force creates resistence)

Ant: I would inform client, ask them what they would tell a loved one going through their same problem

Ashley: Had a great help with a counselor who did not see things black and white and was able to help.

Our job is to help, not judging, validate and use empathy... discuss the potential harm and danger... most people would have an inclination to tell people to leave, without hearing.

Masih: We need to help client come up with decision to change themselves

Our job as counselors is not to tell clients what they should could and want to do... they have different life and values, they have experienced things we havent.

We need to validate the client... "That's pretty rough what you are going throguh...."

Another technique to be able to help client with decision making.

SWOT

Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportinuties / Threats

Help client not to give quick short answers, but help them think deeper.

Ant: Any other ideas of models to use to help clients?

Ashleigh: Circle of Influence, what I can control and what I can't control.

Ant: What can you do if you are in a DV situation?

Can't control the person? So what can the person beong abused do?

Be out of violent environment less
Stay with friend
Call the poilce
Call external support services
Increase own personal/internal coping mechanism (stress management)
Identify triggers
have a go bag packed
Have people around more
Create a distraction
Put up cameras
Get counselling
Take out a hobby
Support groups
Educate yourself
Leave!

When listing these ideas we are helping client that they are not necessarily stuck, they have control of things in themselves. This demonstartes that there are a lot of options.

We want to help clients make their own decision.

Asheligh: What about confidentiality?

Ant: If there are children around, then tell client that if there are children at risk of harm that you may have to report it.

Mick: If you are dealing with an offender, then you don;t need to tell the offender that you are reporting them

Ant: I would always tell clients, "based on your situation, or vulnerability of your children, we need to get more support around them..." We don't tell them that due to "your duty of care". Instead, because of this RISK, we need to get SUPPORT. Move away from me what I need to do legally to benefit for client.

If there are vulnerabilities, we need to help client and children.

Going to lunch... to 13:10 then start looking at assessments...

13:10

Working through Assessment 1 due March 19

In self learning gop through