Module Project
Background
The requirement of an academic project on training and evaluating counselors on their abilities of interviewing clients from different backgrounds, lead to the development of this paper. The different theories on counseling, techniques and tips accompanied by analyzing necessary skills and knowledge are critically examined and selected for the module developmental procedure adopted.
The course of action recognized in this traverses through different possible advantages and flaws in psychological context. Established facts and ideas are absorbed to a satisfactory level from successful and scientific domain. Counseling is a process in which the counselor, or therapist, helps you understand the causes for your problems and guides you through the process of learning to make good life decisions. (Definition of counseling how is counseling used 2010). The procedure adopted by a counselor can be felt as something indifferent initially while later stages turn out to be smooth and approachable. These procedures are much affected by the ability of a counselor to handle each individual by observation of the situation. Hence, counselor should acquire certain capabilities helping in any adverse situations to remove expected redundancies of diversities in the conditions of the clients.
What Is Expected From A Counselor
The anticipated values from a counselor are determined by the method of training to be undergone. The most important requirement for a councilor is a pleasing personality. Counselors should definitely be able to conquer the clients friendliness through his appreciable manners and dealings. The other requisites include skills to
Listen
Not judge
Pay attention
Accept the clients feelings
Understand the clients world and feelings, put yourself in the clients shoes. Express that understanding.
Think about the client (Heap, 2004).
The module developed should definitely be focused on perspectives to enhance the above stated talents with much observance to remove disagreeing, warning, mocking, throbbing or solving mentalities while in process. Always better approaches to initiate and contemplate on various queries and reasoning based on summarizing are to be grown within a counselor to dwell in any situations of his work. Based on these the module of teaching is developed and tested for giving scores based on the requirements met by the implementation of the selected module. Different theories are indicated clearly to state explicitly regarding the path that lead to the selection of each step and method in the module. Observation and analytical approach is utilized for the expansion activity.
Module for Teaching and Assessing Interviewing Skills for Counselors
The module has utilized Multi method training approach which s identified as an efficient training procedure when concerned to counseling. Psychology is an area that cannot be identified and assessed in a complete manner with a single or two approach methods. The selection was made by evaluating the benefits that outfits flaws of the system. The adoption of multi method training will eliminate the casing of redundancies of any particular method getting developed around the module. The selected approach provides with vast areas of possibilities.
Teaching Interviewing Skills for Counselors
The interviewing skills can never be at its efficiency by just reading many books or research articles. Many ideas can be acquired from those, but practical exercises leads to a proven and successful result. Levels of interviewing skills are seen as basic and beyond. The basic interviewing talents include empathic listening and effective questioning while the other section includes assessment and conceptualization abilities. Assessment consists of gathering information about the key symptoms of a clients presenting problems conceptualization involves integrating the information to develop hypotheses about the nature and etiology of the clients problem. (Balleweg, 2010). The teaching module will have 30 theory classes on various necessities providing them with ideas on what is required and established theories and 70 practical classes helping them to put the theories absorbed in practice.
Initially, the learners are divided into different groups within which they remain for their entire module completion. The study materials of the module are supplied to each group. The histories and stories on successful utilization of various theories will be included among those. The syllabus will not focus on any particular matter, instead a network touching all possible fields of counseling issues. The syllabus has a single dimensional approach to these areas .But readers will have to think about these in depth for applying these in their practical classes.
Counseling and related theories
This part of the module teaches about varied concepts of counseling with distinguished definitions from distinct personalities. Counseling is something that is not concentrated or bounded by a specific set of procedures but is having certain methods. The appropriate application of acquired methodologies is what is referred to as successful counseling. Counseling deals with human psychology which itself has no specific form or image. Vague and undefined topic of psychology can be dealt with counseling having its adaptable nature. It can intact to cope up with any faced scenario but it is a fact that many theories on counseling has been proposed. The commonly stated theories on counseling are Client Centered (Carl Rogers), Holistic Health (Biopsychosocial), Strengths Based (Positive Thinking Learned Optimism), Cognitive Behavioral (ABC Model), Solution Focused (Where do I really want to be) and Existential (Why am I here). (Step two Common counseling theories, 2008).
Client Centered (Carl Rogers) Counseling
Client Centered Counseling is a legitimate approach with essential distinctiveness like dynamic snooping, compassion, understanding, approval without any conditions and authenticity. This method is utilized to give provisions for the client to expand within and according to his wish and necessity. A counselor has therole of helper who understands a matter without any specifications.
Holistic Health (Biopsychosocial) Counseling
Holistic Counseling emphasizes on the overall betterment of a person rather than concentrating on something what one wishes for. It involves the integration of matters related to corporeal, rational, communal, poignant, occupational and religious perspectives. The absence of any one among the above stated fields in a human life can create absurd situations putting pressure on him. The capability to endure such state of affairs in ones life is the matter of discussion in Holistic Health counseling.
Strengths Based Counseling
The approach utilized in Strengths Based Counseling is different from the procedures mentioned in above methods. It concentrates on utilizing all possible strengths in ones life for the enhancement of existing and upcoming life of the client. Both the counselor as well as client indulges in evaluating clients positive values to tally up all possible developments by neglecting the flaws from his part. Actually, this approach tries to motivate and inspire a client rather than digging up his entire characteristics to be corrected. The procedure opens up a better domain of encouraging strategies for what can be done instead of what not to be done.
Positive Thinking Learned Optimism
Positive Thinking Learned Optimism is strength based counseling procedure in which optimistic values are evaluated and analyzed for exploitation in future leaving behind the entire thoughts regarding a failure or flaw. The method finds its success from the psychological background that human believing in triumph will in fact succeed. The fear for any redundancy can influence the most confidential activities as described by human psychology which is considered well in performing this method of counseling.
Cognitive Behavioral (ABC Model) Counseling
The method utilized in this procedure is related to the interpretation skills of the client followed by his response to any situation he encounters. Situations are given for the client to analyze and evaluate his cognitive skills. The actual event and the one proposed by client are compared. A simple approach of the client is examined to understand about the possible response from his part leading to a conclusion on the behavioral aspects of the client. Exact procedure usually has three phases in it which involves exposure, approach and results respectively. This can effectively help in many perspectives to identify positive, negative and neutral values of a client.
Solution Focused Counseling (Where do I really want to be)
Counseling done to make the client successful in his area of specialization is termed as Solution Based Counseling. At times he is caught in some situations and approaches a counselor past is kept away with the present and upcoming aspects are kept intact. Counselor seeks out the exact need of client which was obstructed leading him to get counseled. These procedures are adopted to make him accomplish the necessity somehow, independent from the past. The client is asked to speak of the future expectation when the existiong problems are away. These are the goals set to meet through solution focused counseling leading to that position in which client is interested.
Existential Counseling (Why am I here)
The knowledge and idea behind ones existence is the basis of all accomplishments, as per human psychology. The recognition of identity can only help to trigger up success in any field of life. If one knows about what he is and for what purpose is he meant, definitely he will be able to approach with appropriate answer for how. Existential counseling helps a client to understand oneself completely. The ability to locate and state different characteristics of the client helping him out to unveil his personality and create better situations for developing enhanced outward relationships.
Deviation from Normal or Abnormal
When concerned with the studies on counseling the term abnormalities comes into picture. When considered in a verbose approach abnormality is something that is a deviation from the normal condition. The scientific definition given here is covering extremities in humans characteristics plotted as statistical deviation.
(What is abnormal 1999).
People away from the average level of distribution, considered abnormal. In fact an extraordinarily talented person or a genius is counted among abnormal categories itself. The drawback identified for this approach is regarding the nonexemption of exceptionally talented people or non Inclusion of certain usually seen abnormalities of alcoholism, tobacco consumption etc. Anguish creates abnormalities which are often classified under two titles namely
Maladaptive to ones self
Maladaptive to society. (What is abnormal 1999).
The first type of abnormality is connected to ones capacity to get acclimatized to various requirements and variations of life. This has to do only with the personal affairs while the later is linked directly to societal life of an individual. It is an impediment to the communal well being and upsets the social relationships. This will sequentially lead to a personal maladaptive situation as well.
A counselor should definitely be able to identify any minute abnormality in the client as this can affect the counseling procedure as a whole. To counsel a genius or idiot or someone with extra ordinary rough or wild or violent characteristics is in fact a deviation from normal procedures. Though abnormalities are not always recognized as psychological ailments, often they will lead to such absurdness. Counselor can locate the reasons and duration of abnormalities with which the presence of ailments can easily be spotted out. Abnormalities considered as psychological disorder are long periods of discomfort, impaired functioning, bizarre behavior, and disruptive behavior. (What is abnormal 1999). They can create problems to the society as well at many instances definitely disrupts family and other external relationships.
Long Periods of Discomfort
No human is away from psychological distress in one form or the other. Anxiety can never be detached from any life. But prolonged prevalence of discomfort in ones life is an ailment and requires proper medical and counsel attention.
Impaired Functioning
Same as the case of long periods of discomfort, impaired functioning is identified when a person fails in some matter consecutively. A genius failing to perform a simple thing can be avoided once or twice or thrice but if it continued for a long duration it is an ailment necessitating treatment.
Bizarre Behavior
Behavioral aspects are topics that always matter others as well. Bizarre is something linked with strange or inhuman traits of manners. At times consumption of drugs can lead to such a situation. Phantasms and apparitions are usual characteristics of such persons. They perceive unjustifiable imaginations and trust the existence of such false infatuations.
Disruptive behavior
Disruptive Behavior holds in its hands, the life of others. The people with this disorder regularly tries to disturb and interrupt others rights and divesting them off a peaceful life. This is of course to be considered as a major problem and has to be treated immediately without any delay.
Amalgamated Issues
Case studies will provide learners with sufficient exposure to real life issues. The best ways to develop an enhanced example is to amalgamate different cases into a single complicated problem eventually resulting in a better revelation to facts. Earlier studies can be concentrated on simple cases and with advancement of time and studies complications has to be increased to create best results in students. The tutor should collect and unite different situations enabling varied exhibits of psychological aspects to create more chances of analysis and interpretations. Portrayals of serious depression are particularly useful for this exercise because depression frequently includes clear behavioral, somatic, cognitive and affective symptoms. (Ware Johnson, 2000). The efficient mix and approach to various cases will definitely credit the knowledge and skills of learners for conducting counseling in a superior path. Theoretical studies are very much essential as when exposed to real life scenario, they can relate with these to take up appropriate measures. More complex the case studies are, higher is the benefits of interpretations and analysis.
Micro counseling Approach
Micro counseling is a procedure linked with the discovery of George Kelly on psychological perspectives. According to his views, counseling is based on five basic steps. The five step model is as stated below
What is the clients problem
What are the clients constructs for viewing the world
What is the clients situational and environmental context
What are the therapists basic theories and constructs
What is to be done (Larson, 1984).
This facilitates a wide supported option in counseling to determine any treatment required for the client or something related to it. But there are many criticisms on Kellys five step model claiming both constructive as well as disruptive features of the approach. The major debate against micro training procedure is regarding its generalized approach. There should be a method which should help in extensive application level teaching approach. Multi method training approach is identified as a successful concern. Exactly this is the method we adopted in the module.
Counseling techniques
There are a few factors to be observed by counselors when starting, dealing and ending a counseling sitting.
Develop a constructive, encouraging and affable notion which will help in reducing the stress and vagueness in all sessions.
Set up affinity throughout the first meeting with appreciable exhibits of compassion and assurance.
Communication should be in a method which will reduce the redundancies of speech and listening with ample creation of positive attitudes by avoiding impatience, roughness and sturdy approach.
Listening should be active enough by responding to the talking of the client through conceding, corroborating and expounding activities by counselors.
The utility of previous information and visible demonstrations can be exploited to get better out of the client.
Questions put forward for the client should be away from close ended structuring and inevitably should suit for the situation and mentality of the client.
The relation built must essentially give clients to ask and clarify their doubts and queries.
When a chance to inspire, edify and convey ideas approaches a counselor, he should never spare it as that particular instance can change the situation a lot.
The observance of above techniques with essential knowledge and trick to handle different conditions will help any counselor to win in his field.
Types of Counseling
Counseling is essentially having an important position in this age of pace, race and distress. No field is devoid of tension and discomfort and so counseling comes into picture. Modern counselling and psychotherapy provide clients with a wide range of options for addressing many different kinds of psychological distress. (Mulhauser, 2010). When we come across any firm or organization, separate wing of counsellors can be seen. Due to these requirements of counselling, modern counselling are being classified into three categories based on the approach, utility and guidance. They are
Individual work
Group work
Self help groups. (Types of counseling, n.d.)
Individual work comprises of a single counselor with a single client or two people counseling a group of members like a family. Group work consists of a single counsel guiding a group of people. In the last category, no trained counselor will be there. Instead the members within the group observe, guide and help mutually. The types of counseling have not much to do with a particular concern. They are selcyed appropriately by the required people.
Beyond Theoretical Sessions
The above theoretical classes are put forward to get scientifically proved ideas on counseling and different concepts and approaches available. Following these skills acquisitions, each group is to be entered to practical proceedings like live exposure and visual aids adoption. Mock interviews of counseling are to be conducted for different situational set ups by proper intervention and supervising of the tutors. Practical sessions should be made interactive and interested with required introduction of multi method teaching techniques. In order to achieve maximum level of enhancements in skills and techniques of counseling, different sources of information like audio, video, internet and other learning tools are to be employed.
Assessing Interviewing Skills for Counselors
The teaching becomes successful only if the outcome meets the requirement. Here, the learners have to be in a position to meet the skill and talent requirements of counseling. The evaluation of the acquired skills is to be accomplished through five different levels. The five hierarchies of assessment are explained as follows
First Level Written Test (Individual)
This level of examination consists of a written test of subjective and objective type. The objective type questions are given with a stipulated time giving very short instance to answer each question. Then it starts the subjective one. Various cases are given to solve with time to think, interpret and conclude. The situation and characters should be placed in a position to imagine the scenario and solve. The scores given will be according to the practicability, genuineness, authenticity and uniqueness of the solution. The better understanding of scenario, application of learned theories along with integration of self acquired ideas will gain enhanced scoring. The entire presentation in systematic approach will attract additional points. Grade given will depend on the time aspect of objective test as well. The evaluation made will not be based on a single assessor instead tutor as well as other groups will be entitled to score every learner. This will give two ways utility as valuation made by many stands unique always and getting a chance o score another paper can help one to compare and contrast theirs with another. The scoring will be tabulated to individual and group scoring.
Second Level Group Discussion
Second level involves group discussion forum. Cases given in the level one will be discussed among the group members to gather ideas form varied ranges and accumulate to dig out the best set of procedures. Tutor will observe every group to detect whether any one staying back from the discussions. The scoring will be started from the beginning of the discussions within the groups itself by seeing to the involvement and concentration of each members of a group. The deduced ideas are then presented by each group in front of other groups and the tutor. Tutor as well as other groups will remark and scoring will be given accordingly. Also the answering to the queries and substance in each sentence will be evaluated. Speaking too much with lower potential of points will give minus scoring as well. There is provision for counter scoring as well. The queries asked turning out to be genuine and important will give points to individual as well as group grade.
Third Level Group Case Development
This phase requires development and solving of cases of counseling procedures within the groups. Similar to group discussion level, the valuation will be from the start of the discussion itself considering the involvement of each member in the task. The developed cases will be analyzed by breaking the scores into various values including topic selected, approach, involvement of scientific aspects in psychology, implementation steps, number of research techniques utilized and problem solving approach. Again presentation is necessary for which scoring mode will be as same as the group discussion presentations.
Fourth Level Individual Case Development
After the completion of level three, each individual will be in a position to develop and analyze cases and deduce the required solutions as well. The imaginative, creative and logical approach with sturdy base of intellect and cognitive skills will be unveiled at this stage of assessment. The scoring essentially covers the overall developmental, analytical and scientific backgrounds of the presentation. The grade achieved will definitely represent the actual capability of the individual in counseling.
Fifth Level Mock Counseling Interviews
The last and final level of assessment on the interviewing skills of counselors is mock counseling interviews. Each learner is exposed to real mode counseling sessions. They are given clients to conduct a three or four level sessions to recognize and conclude on the topic of concern. There can be heavily downtrodden cases or simple ones but the identification and evaluation procedures and conclusions will add to the scoring. The interviews will be taped to assess on the communication advantages, tone appropriateness, approach adopted and entire speech. Vague and lengthy sentences will create bad remarks while criticizing, impatient and discouraging converses will produce negative markings. The actual problem determination will give a pass in the test with other supporting factors of evaluation creates an enhanced grade position.
Critiques on the Module
The module developed is based on Multi method training approach. The appropriateness is seen from the entire module description. Though the utility and suitability of the module was explained along with each step, the overall evaluation is essential at this instance of project conclusion. Disadvantages posed by one method over another are being eliminated by integrating multiple path of approach. Rather than relying on a single method of approach, the selected path helps in utilizing all possibilities of scientific backgrounds of psychology in developing the teaching and assessing module of interviewing for counselors. The advantage is that it is so simple in set up and will never pose any redundancy while execution. The simplicity in the syllabus giving more importance on practicality put forward an advanced approach to training procedures. Amalgamation of cases performed by tutors may create a slight inefficiency if they are not much dedicated to it. The absorption of various cases by different individual can be different, so group involvements will create increased advantages. Something unaware can be filled up when in groups. Same come true with the assessment sessions as well. All five levels are to be passed for achieving a better graded counselor position after the training. But scoring can create a tedious job to complete which is a flaw as such. Scoring obtained by an individual covers all the possible values of a counselor. Thus providing better utilization of multi method training approach is made through the development of module.
Conclusion
The project to develop a teaching and assessing module of interviewing for counselors has been completed in full. The requirements of a counselor on the basis of various scientific and research outcomes are being met through this module developed. The areas covered in the syllabus are being explained through paper along with the executing procedure analysis. The entire methods adopted through the observation of multi method training approach turns out to be efficient and beneficial through the critical evaluation conducted after the improvement module. The problems possible in amalgamation of issues and scoring gets covered up by the range of advantages of the developed project. If the tutor is dedicated to his job, essentially the first redundancy can be eliminated. Second one regarding the tedious procedure of scoring can be avoided by rubric utilization. With the vast availability of ideas, approaches, procedures, techniques and skills accompanied by real time exposure to various cases will definitely build up an efficient and successful counselor on demand.
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