According to Kottler there are many guidelines for effective listening. First, a therapist should try and clearly understand the message being passed by a client. Secondly, good therapist should be good at controlling their feelings and emotions. Third, a good therapist should be open to any information given to them by a client and should try and minimize the same to the ones that are important. Fourth, a good therapist asks questions as a good way of listening. The last and second last points are; a therapist should avoid disturbances and should identify with the client’s situation and condition.
Personally, I think I can be good at asking questions to my clients so as to clearly understand their situation. In addition to that, I think I can manage to put myself in the position of my client; this will allow me to comprehend things from their position and point of view. Putting myself in my clients position will create an environment of shared understanding about the problem thus will allow for productive trading of information. On the other hand, I think I may find it hard to control my emotions and to avoid distractions. There are some instances where I may find myself sympathizing with my client’s situations and frankly this may not be helpful to my client. Additionally avoiding distractions can be a great challenge; most of the times I tend to wander off while I am listening to someone talk.
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In terms of my inability to control my emotions, I think the only way I can be able to improve on this area is by trying to listen to many emotional stories as well as reading emotional texts and books. Getting myself well acquainted with emotional situations is an effective way of knowing how to deal with my feelings. On the other hand, the solution to my apparent loss in concentration is to try and get myself involved more on what is being said. Active participation in a conversation is the only way to avoid distractions.
Interventions Used to Promote Change in a Client
Behavioral interventions are steps taken to address problems resulting from certain behaviors by looking at their cause and addressing the course of the problems effectively (Kottler, 2017). Most of the times, certain behaviors happen because of certain catalysts. A child who is abusive probably does so because he/she experiences the same at home. So to address the abusive character of the child, there is need to address the abusive environment first. Role playing on the other hand is like a game that allows the client to gain understanding of others and how they feel about something. Role playing helps in increasing the confidence of a client and allows the client to understand other people’s emotions (Kottler, 2017).
I can use behavioral intervention in counseling relationships where I address the cause of the problem and reward for good behavior. Example a child who is normally physical to other students in school I will address the cause of the behavior and periodically reward them for a change in behavior. On the other hand, in role playing, when for instance I want to explain to a student how they should talk to their teachers I will act as the student and let the student assume the role of a teacher then I will show how a teacher-student conversation should be. This will help the student understand about to relate with their teachers and what to say and what not to say.
Reference
Kottler, J. (2017). On being a therapist . Oxford University Press.
