Application Assignment
Leave the questions intact and type your answers after each question Use all the space you need.
Case Study
You have a client who has come to see you because their life has become unmanageable. They work part time with little recognition and also attend post-secondary education full time. They are incredibly busy and it is interfering with their relationships with friends and family. They have a small child in kindergarten and are trying to be present for them. This stress is interfering with their mental health and they aren't sure how to move forward. They don't really want to be in counselling, indicating that they promised their parents that they would try it, but they don't feel they have the time to do it right now with all that is going on (i.e. client resistance).
I. Case Study Relationship Contract.
Write out an example of a relationship contract that you might put together with a fictional client during your first session together. Put it in writing that is clear and concrete so you could reach have a hard copy to refer back to later. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just review your notes on relationship contracts and show me what that might look like for you. A single page is typically fine.
II. Use your skills and script a session
Use the strategies we have discussed for active listening, empathy, hard to reach clients, goal setting, and the stress response system to script a second session with this client (in other words, you have already established a relationship contract and informed consent during your first visit, but don't yet know much about the client's life). Write out what you as the therapist would say throughout the session and make up your fictional client responses. I encourage you to refer back to the relationship contract in part (a). Give enough detail that this session would not just take 5 minutes to read out! Read it and time yourself. The discussion should be about 10 minutes. Marks given for effective therapist use of techniques discussed in class.
III. Give yourself practice and feedback
Have a 10-15 minute conversation with a friend or family member or classmate where you try to fully understand a situation they are having difficulty dealing with. Use a variety of techniques discussed in class.
Record it for yourself and watch your own recording. You aren't submitting this video; it's for your own feedback. Please don't use any identifying information in your response.
1. What feedback would you give yourself (based on what course content / learning)?
2. Ideas (take this in any direction you want - just give me at least 20 different points!):
3. What did you do well? Give me examples!
4. What did you say that you might want to say differently? Give an example!
5. Was the flow natural? Why or why not?
6. How did you use nonverbal communication? Did it work well?
7. How did you do with avoiding advice-giving?