HELPING RELATIONSHIP DISCUSSION
Dee5
Helpingrelationship.pptxCounseling and Therapies
Helping Relationship
Michelle Provost, LPC, CHt
Psychology Instructor
Claflin University
Helping Relationship
Cornerstone in which all effective helping rests
Facilitates client change
Characteristics
Structured by therapist, yet open to restructuring based on needs of the client
“Meet the client where they are”
Begins with initial meeting/consultation and progresses through termination
Trust, caring, concern and commitment must be perceived by client and therapist
Client needs always take priority
Provides personal growth for ALL parties involved
Provides safety and self-exploration for ALL persons involved
Promotes potential of ALL persons involved
Stages…
1-Relationship Development
Initial meeting, informed consent, rapport (bond) building, information gathering and goal setting
May take several sessions
2-Extended Exploration
Implement theory, technique and strategies to explore in depth emotional and cognitive dynamics, previous attempts at resolution, decision making skills and reevaluate goals
Stages…
3-Problem Resolution
Therapist facilitates, demonstrates, educates and provides the safe environment for change
Client reevaluates, tries new behaviors and discarding behaviors that do not meet or hinder the goals set
4-Termination and follow-up
Closing stage and termination is determined by ALL parties involved
Core Conditions
Based on Humanistic theory and Carl Rogers
Empathic Understanding
Respect and Positive Regard
Genuineness and Congruence
Concreteness
Warmth
Immediacy
Empathic Understanding
Empathy: Feeling WITH a client as opposed to feeling FOR a client
Primary level: understand, identify, and communicate feeling and meaning at the surface level
Advanced level: understand, identify and communicate feeling and meaning that are hidden, buried or beyond the client’s immediate reach (repressed)
Empathic Understanding
What helps a therapist build empathy?
Knowledge and awareness of one’s own values, beliefs and attitudes and the impact on behavior and emotions
Knowledge and awareness of one’s own feelings and emotional response patterns
Knowledge of one’s own life experiences and personal reactions
Capacity and willingness to communicate personal reactions with the client
Respect and Positive regard
Belief in a client’s innate worth and potential
Empowers client and helps foster change
Characteristics for therapist:
Capability to respect self
Capability to view self as having worth and potential
Capability to model and communicate a positive self-image
Capability to recognize one’s control needs and ability to use this recognition to help direct clients
Genuineness and Congruence
Therapist must model authenticity so client can gain insight into what it means to be authentic and nonjudgmental.
Congruence is defined as agreeing or coinciding. Therefore, the clients thoughts, emotions and actions must coincide. Therapist must model congruence as well.
Concreteness
This condition enables the therapist to help clients identify distortions in thinking or situations.
Warmth
Shows acceptance, genuine concern, care and nonjudgmental positive regard.
Nonverbal communication is critical; examples include a smile, touch (must be very careful with touch as to not make a client uncomfortable or cross ethical boundaries), affect, proximity and tone.
Immediacy
Ability to deal with thoughts, emotions and actions in the here and now.
Being able to deal with issues as they arise.
