Role Play

Reflection Paper Counseling Session Role Play Between Kristen (student/client) and Tiffany Ellison (Therapist) Tiffany Ellison Barry University Identifying health risk behavior My client Kristen came in for a follow-up session to focus on codependency issues, feeling overwhelmed with her mother, and not having time to focus on her. Kristen seems to be focusing all of her time on her mother and less time to herself. Kristen is aware that she is not strong enough to deal with overwhelming situations and realizes she needs to be focusing more on herself instead of trying to prove her strengths to everyone else.Kristen has many obligations to her mother; however in reality, she is giving an excessive amount of responsibility, commitment, and worries for another person, when she needs to be more focused on herself and her strengths. Kristen understands everything that a codependent person does is done to further establish self pitying thoughts of overdoing and of being taken advantage of and for granted. Kristen is also showing signs of intense emotional feelings and is completely overcome in mind and emotion and feels ill-equipped to cope with her stressors. Level of competence demonstratedThroughout the session, as the therapist I felt confident that I would be able to grasp the real true related issues that were affecting her life. I expressed empathy towards the client, by listening to her expressed thoughts and feelings while communicating back to her a desire that I can understand the client’s perspective completely. I also felt the need to express my feelings on her mother; however I did not do so and immediately reflected critical motivational interviewing skills by avoidance of arguing with the client about their need for her to change, by not answering the phone when her mother needs her at any given moment.Through this session I supported self-efficacy by helping the client believe in oneself and become confident that they can carry out the changes the client has chosen to pursue. At this point, in the session, it was very important to me to summarize the important components and how they collaborate with one another. My strong asset as a therapist is that I try to grasp a hold of one of the major issues discussed in the therapy session, and help the client elaborate more in detail, so I may then get a better understanding on each individual issue as it comes along.My client has a lot going on in her life at the moment, and by grasping onto one of her strengths out of her whole story she can reflect on, seemed to make her laugh and smile. Through out this part of the session, I could then have a better trusting relationship with the client by evoking the client’s views. Assessing client readiness Throughout this critical time during our session, I knew at a point that I was able to determine weather my client was ready for change.This point was determined when the client stated Client: â€Å"I enjoy salsa lessons; ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s a stress reliever for me† Therapist: â€Å"What can you do to get yourself more involved with things that you enjoy†? Client: â€Å"I could research for when they are having one†. Therapist: â€Å"Yes, you could† Client: â€Å"I can do that†. Therapist: â€Å"do you think that will help†? Client: â€Å"yes, I love to dance†. During this time, my client seemed honest in her exploration to research on what makes her happy. She was very eager and motivated to learn about the different options that she might have, to give time for herself. The stages of change have inspired instruments for assessing readiness to change or a client’s motivational change state. Depending on the level of readiness-or change stage- different motivational intervention strategies will be more or less effective† (Cox et al. , 2002). â€Å"Your clients must value a treatment goal to progress toward it. In fact, unless clients value them, the y are not goals from the clients’ perspectives† (Rollnick & Moyers, 2006). From a motivational standpoint, one should understand what the clients’ goals are and what they value in life.I was able to pinpoint this by acknowledging her strengths and how could the client research the area for any socializing events particular to her interests. Identifying Change Talk As discussed by Rollnick and Miller (2009), motivational interviewing is directed toward particular behavior change goals. A primary process in motivational interviewing is to help clients resolve ambivalence by evoking their own intrinsic motivations for change. When MI is done well, the client rather than the counselor voices the arguments for change.Throughout MI, particular attention is given to the client â€Å"change talk† which includes verbalizations that signify desire, ability, reasons, need, or commitment to change (Miller and Moyers, 2006). An example used to evoke change talk during the session was very direct: Client: â€Å"Should I not answer the phone every time that my mother calls me? Therapist: â€Å"What do you think you should do? † Client: â€Å"Probably, it might give me some quiet time†. Throughout this conversion, as the therapist, I responded with reflective statements, which summarized the change talk statements the client made.During this process, it was very important to me to understand that I acknowledged her ambivalence, but tried to reinforce the change talk. The point here is that when people talk or ask about what they think they should do, they are more likely to answer the questions themselves, which at that point initiates change talk. Identifying treatment approaches During my time in this session, I have identified many treatment options for this client. This client needs to continue more one-on-one individual therapy sessions, but also initializing journaling to be completed at home.With this specific homework assignme nt, I wanted her to express her feelings on paper by keeping a journal. During the session, speaking about a journal really seemed to make her laugh and smile. The purpose of this assignment is to make time for her; by identifying that she has a lot going on in her life and by putting aside a little extra time to reflect on her in writing, I feel would help make her aware of the feelings that seem to be so overwhelming. Another treatment approach I could identify is making a commitment to look into a women’s support group in her area.Not only will this give her time to reflect on herself, but also will help empower her to live a fulfilling and purposeful life of self-love. This will also give her a chance to socialize, and network. I feel as if the client will benefit from this experience overtime if the commitment is there. â€Å"Components of intrinsic motivation for change include both the client’s perception of the importance of change as well as his or her confid ence that change can be achieved† (Miller and Rollnick, 2009). References Cox, W. M. Klinger, E. ; and Blount, J. P. Alcohol use and goal hierarchies: Systematic motivational counseling for alcoholics. In: Miller, W. R. , and Rollnick, S. , eds. Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People To Change Addictive Behaviors. New York: Guilford Press, 1993. pp. 260-271 Miller, W. R. and Rollnick, S. (2009). Ten things that motivational interviewing is not. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 37, 129-140. Miller, W. R. , & Moyers, T. B. (2006). Eight stages in learning motivational interviewing. 5, 3-17.