Please read each comments and provide a brief detailed response. The attached document is for your review. Please include a reference.

Professor: SMART Goals Why are SMART goals an important part of the treatment process? 

My response:

DQ#2: What tools can you use to help motivate the client and keep them on track with their stated goals? What types of interventions might be appropriate to help the client become more focused or motivated? What are the indicators the client is stuck?

The first and most important tool is the treatment plan. Stated, mutually agreed upon goals and objectives should help the client stay on track. After all, if it is their goal, to begin with, wouldn’t they want to make their best effort to achieve that goal? If not, perhaps the goal needs to be modified or simplified. It is also important to recognize that losing focus or being ‘stuck’ can be a sign of resistance which is important to understand. Is it issue related resistance or relational resistance? Resistance can be a conscious or unconscious defense against change. Change is scary, right? Understanding resistance and why it exists is yet another important tool of the therapist. One intervention to use is simply to make sure to define the problem in order to focus the client on possible solutions. According to Mitchell (2006), “Being clear on the person, place, and time of your client’s problem brings clarity to the process and avoids ambiguity that hinders progress” (para. 9). Some indicators that a client is stuck include lack of progress, backsliding, lack of engagement in the process, avoiding issues that they presented to therapy for, not completing homework or assigned tasks, premature termination of therapy, or the relational interaction begins to feel forced.

Some of the techniques in Motivational Interviewing can be appropriate interventions such as empathic listening and developing discrepancy; helping the client see that their behaviors are in opposition to their core values. This is also known as the Columbo technique, guiding the client to come up with their own answers by not disputing or offering solutions as the expert who knows the answer. Don’t give the client anything to resist against, let the client be their own expert and discover their own solutions. Sometimes simply having an open and honest discussion with the client about what might be holding them back can be beneficial. I also like the ideas in Strength Based therapy of building on client strengths and helping them identify past areas of success as this can be a strong a motivating factor when they recognize their ability to solve problems, overcome obstacles and create self-efficacy.

Mitchell, C. (2006) Resistance clients: We’ve all had them, here’s how to help them. Retrieved from https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/resistant-clients

My response:

Good evening Victoria

Re: Topic 7 DQ 2 (Obj. 7.1 and 7.2)

In counseling, it is vital that counselors continue to implement motivational strategies throughout the entire counseling process. The implementation of motivation interventions and strategies help clients stay track with their treatment goals. The first step is to ensure that client understand and agrees of all the guidelines that are involved with treatment plan along with the goals and expectations. One of the best ways a counselor can do this is by connection information and skills to treatment goals. This helps clients connect with skills they learn in treatment and how they can connect the skill in their everyday life. For example, a client with a goal of enjoying their hobby of poetry may might connect their practice in social skills groups to the idea of asking people to join them in a game. They could even role-play this in a session. Another technique is to promote hope and positive expectations. This includes looking for the positive things that clients have achieved, connecting past successes to the skills involved in taking steps towards current goals, and noting participants' strengths and abilities as they appear in everyday events. For example a person who is suffering from substance abuse may not feel confident in their treatment if they are in the beginning of their journey it be vital for counselor to recognize small accomplishments. Another way a counselor can help motivate client is through motivational interviewing. According to Resnicow & McMaster (2012) motivational interviewing, is a method that helps participants to resolve indecisive feelings and insecurities to discover their internal motivation to help change their behaviors. Being aware of different ways to motivate clients will allow professionals to better service and treat and their clients.

Resnicow, K., & McMaster, F. (2012). Motivational Interviewing: moving from why to how with autonomy support. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 9, 19. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-19

My response:

Good morning Daniesha

1 posts

Re: Topic 7 DQ 2 (Obj. 7.1 and 7.2)

When motivating a client and keep them on track with their stated goals a counselor must express empathy through reflective listening, develop discrepancy between clients’ or values and their current behavior, avoid argument and direct confrontation, adjust to client resistance rather than opposing it directly and support self – efficacy and optimism. Motivational interviewing is a way of being with client, not just a set of techniques for doing counseling. The role of a counselor is directive, with a gal of eliciting self-motivational statements and behavioral change from the client in addition to creating client discrepancy to enhance motivation for positive change(Center of Substance Abuse Treatment, 1999).

 

Indicators that the client is stuck is when the feeling of being trap. The client or counselor could be focusing too much on the feelings of other and too little on the trigger that surround their feelings. The counselor or client could be distracted and distressed by judgement about the issues on hand. The client or counselor could also be communicating in such a way that responses are unhelpful and verbal understanding is not understood(Shechtman,2017).

 Reference

 Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 1999. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 35.) Chapter 3—Motivational Interviewing as a Counseling Style.Available from:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64964/

 Shechtman, Z. (2017). Group counseling and psychotherapy with children and adolescents: Theory, research, and practice. Routledge.

My response:

Good afternoon Tori