- DO NOT COPY - THIS ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR IS FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY Many organisations, including awarding bodies, use software to check that your content is original. Use this assignment exemplar as a reference to guide you when compiling your own original work. Level 2 Assignment Exemplar Assignment The professional context of counselling 1.1. Identify different forms of helping relationships We experience different helping relationships in our everyday lives. Closest to us are partners, family and friends. Some people in our lives may have a professional role, like a hairdresser or a beauty therapist but they can still provide a helping relationship. Other helping relationships may come from professionals like a police officer or a social worker. Counsellors offer a helping relationship within a set of boundaries. 1.2. Define counselling Counselling is a meeting between a client and a counsellor. Counselling at its core is about a trusting relationship where a client feels comfortable enough to talk about the difficulties they are experiencing. LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR COUNSELLING CONCEPTS WWW.COUNSELLINGTUTOR.COM1
BACP Definition of Counselling: Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. They are delivered by trained practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing. BACP website. 1.3. Describe how counselling is different from other helping relationships Counselling differs from other helping relationships as it takes place within a set of boundaries. Counselling is a managed activity. A counsellor contracts with a client. This contract determines the date and time of sessions, how many sessions and the cost involved if it is a paid service. The counsellor will also inform the client about confidentiality and what they are legally bound to disclose. A counsellor will not offer advise, they believe that the answers are within the client and with the safe environment that counselling offers, the client will find them. Outside of the counsellor-client relationship a counsellor will have regular supervision from a supervisor. In comparison, a helping relationship is not always bound by time, advise can be offered and is not overseen by a professional body. Therapeutic models of counselling 2.1. Identify the key features of at least 3 major therapeutic models Person Centered Counselling (PTC) was pioneered by Carl Rogers in the 1950 s. It belongs to the Humanistic School of therapy. PCT is built on a relationship between the counsellor and the client. The quality of the relationship is built on three core conditions; empathy (showing a warmth to the client s experience), being genuine and true to yourself and valuing the client with unconditional positive regard. These characteristics reflects a way of being and are necessary and sufficient to support change in the therapeutic environment where the client is harnessing their natural self healing ability. To this end, PCT is non directive and is a personal growth model where the client is not given homework. LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR COUNSELLING CONCEPTS WWW.COUNSELLINGTUTOR.COM2
The kind of caring that the client-centered therapist desires to achieve is a gullible caring, in which clients are accepted as they say they are, not with a lurking suspicion in the therapist's mind that they may, in fact, be otherwise. This attitude is not stupidity on the therapist's part; it is the kind of attitude that is most likely to lead to trust... Carl R. Rogers Transactional Analysis (TA) was founded by Eric Berne in the late 1940 s and belongs to the Psychoanalytical School of therapy. TA is built on the theory that people experience difficulties in their lives from the way they communicate and interact with others. Berne believed that humans have three distinguishable attitudes or ways of being that he defined as the Ego States. They are: 1. Parent (acting out behaviours we learned from our parents) 2. Adult (behaviour guided by logic and evidence without becoming too emotional) 3. Child (re-enacting childish behaviours as adults) The aim of TA is to develop the adult ego state, to behave in a manner that is guided by logic and evidence to enhance their interactions with others. In TA the therapist will give the client homework to assess the success of the therapy. TA is an active directive form of therapy as the therapist looks at the client s past to see how that is influencing the present. This is also known at the presenting past. Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) was founded by Albert Ellis in the 1950 s and it belongs to the behavioural School of therapy. REBT is based on Ellis s belief that we can think our way out of distress. As a young man Ellis applied his theory and altered what he described as an irrational fear. Ellis had an interest in the philosophy of the ancient Greeks, particularly one philosopher called Marcus Aurelius, who said: Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. REBT and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) are closely related. LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR COUNSELLING CONCEPTS WWW.COUNSELLINGTUTOR.COM3
The basis of the theory is: 1. Action (you get falsely accused of cheating at a test) 2. Belief (you believe: I must prove them wrong to maintain the approval of others or else I m no good and I ll have to leave the college ) 3. Consequence (you feel anxious and upset) 4. Dispute (the counsellor disputes that you are no good and have to leave college, and asks you to consider that most people will have been falsely accused of something at some time in their lives) The goal of REBT is to help clients change their irrational thinking to rational thinking as it is the demand that the irrational thinking place on the client that causes the problem. Replacing these irrational beliefs with more flexible, truer beliefs leads to a healthier state with helpful behaviours. REBT encourages the client to do homework and is set goals and tasks by the therapist. This is known as an active directive form of therapy. 2.2. Describe the client issues which could be helped by the models chosen Person centered counselling is most suitable for individuals who want to explore areas of self development in their personal lives and their relationships or maybe moving on from abuse or dealing with loss. This model is reliant on the client s ability to change their outlook on life and them realising their own value. This is a philosophical approach and harnesses the client s self-healing ability. Transactional Analysis is very effective in helping clients understand how early childhood experiences might subconsciously be affecting their lives and relationships in adulthood. TA is most suitable for clients who have had troubled childhoods and this presenting past is influencing how they are communicating and interacting with others in their adult lives. Cognitive Therapy (REBT) teaches the client strategies and coping skills to overcome issues like phobias. It also uses techniques to enable the client to change their irrational thoughts and replace them with more rational thoughts and helpful behaviours. 2.3. Outline potential barriers to the models chosen PCT relies on the client s ability to self heal and is not suitable for behavioural issues or phobias. Clients gripped in addiction may find this approach does not offer enough strategies or techniques to be able to move on. LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR COUNSELLING CONCEPTS WWW.COUNSELLINGTUTOR.COM4
TA is a long process and may look at early childhood struggles. It may be time consuming and expensive. This model is less effective for clients presenting with here and now issues. CBT applies techniques to manage bevioural issues and irrational thoughts and doesn t offer support for self healing and self development or exploration of the past. Understand the environment in which counselling takes place 3.1. Identify the key features of one recognised ethical framework for good practice in counselling The BACP is a membership organisation that has set standards for therapeutic practice and helps to inform counsellors, clients and the general public. The BACP has developed a framework of ethics that counsellors abide by and are known as the Code of Ethics. This framework is spilt in to four distinct headings: Ethics for counselling and Psychotherapy Guidance of good practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy Professional conduct procedure Heads of Complaint The BACP offers support to counsellors with information, training courses for continued professional development and representation when dealing with government and legislation proposals. It offers the general public confidence in the profession and a complaints procedure should it be needed. The BACP offers all-round accountability. 3.2. Summarise key requirements of legislation relevant to counselling practice Counsellors are bound by all statutory laws, the same is any other citizen. A counsellor will also have a set of policies and procedures to abide by in their practice. However the four most common laws that a counsellor may be presented with in a counsellor role are: Prevention of terrorism act 2005 LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR COUNSELLING CONCEPTS WWW.COUNSELLINGTUTOR.COM5
Money Laundering regulations 2007 Drugs trafficking act 1996 Protection of Children s act 1999 A counsellor has a legal and moral obligation to break confidentiality and inform someone if a client discloses that they are breaking these laws. 3.3. Describe the key features which ensure that counselling takes place in a suitable and safe environment The conditions under which counselling takes place consist of many different aspects like ethics, policies and procedures, laws and legislation, supervision and continued professional development. However the tangible experience the client has is vitally important to provide a suitable and safe environment. On arrival, ease of parking, accessibility and confidentiality all plays an important role. A welcoming room with warm, neutral colours where nothing demands too much attention is ideal. Generic and calming imagery, not personal to the counsellor, adds a nice touch. Comfortable seating in a private and quite environment is key for a client to feel safe to share their problems with the counsellor. Have tissues discreetly placed and a clock for the counsellor to manage the time of the session. 3.4. Summarise the importance of equal opportunity and anti discriminatory practice Equal opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice is vitally important. in counselling you offer your client unconditional positive regard, alongside empathy and congruence. Unconditional positive regard, by definition, is acceptance of a person regardless of what they do, their race, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. An anti-discriminatory practice promotes healthy development in the counselling relationship. Bibliography BACP Definition of Counselling www.bacp.co.uk, March 19, 2013 Rogers, Carl R. A way of being. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/ 102062.Carl_R_Rogers. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. LEVEL 2 ASSIGNMENT EXEMPLAR COUNSELLING CONCEPTS WWW.COUNSELLINGTUTOR.COM6