How to Coach Yourself and Others Empowering Coaching And Crisis Interventions | Page 83

This book is in B&W, not color - Print page in Grayscale for Correct view! Brief Counselling Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. — Dalai Lama Brief counselling is an approach to counselling characterized by a focus on resources and solutions rather than problems. The purpose of brief counselling is “to provide people with a pleasant experience that turns problems into challenges, fosters optimism, enhances collaboration, inspires creativity, and, above all, helps them to retain their dignity” (Furman & Ahola, 1994, p. 65). How Brief Counselling Helps Often counselling relationships are brief, sometimes limited to a few sessions, a single session, or even a brief encounter. Michael Hoyt (1994) reviewed the literature and found that single-session therapy is often the norm and that a significant number of clients and counsellors found it desirable and useful. In three systematic studies of the effectiveness of single-session therapy (SST), more than 50 percent of clients showed improvement (Hoyt, 1994, p. 41). Moreover, many people solve psychological problems without professional consultation. For others the “light touch” of a single visit may be enough, providing experience, skills, and encouragement to help them continue in their life journey (p. 153). Furthermore, a change in some part of a client’s life can affect other aspects of his or her life, including relationships with significant others. Thus, brief counselling that helps a client achieve some success (e.g., insight, reduction of painful feelings, new skills), however small, can have a dramatic long-term impact if it switches the client from a point of despair to a position of optimism and a ripple effect occurs. “When clients alter their behaviors ever so slightly, it causes a chain reaction in response to the initial change. Those affected by the change find themselves adjusting their responses, which in turn elicits further changes in clients” (Sklare, 1997, p. 11). De Shazer (1985) argues that it is not necessary to spend time searching for the root causes of a problem, nor is it necessary to have elaborate knowledge about the problem. In brief counselling the goal is to help clients do something different to improve their situation rather than repeat the same ineffectual solutions. Brief counselling may help in many ways. Because of its emphasis on action and change, brief counselling helps clients to become “unstuck” from ineffectual ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. Clients can be encouraged to reframe by focusing their attention on what’s working, thus interrupting their preoccu pation with problems and failure. This focus may generate or renew the clients’ optimism that change is possible. In addition, brief counselling, even a single session, can be therapeutic for clients if they are able to unload pent-up feelings. A caring and empathic counsellor can encourage such ventilation and reassure clients that their reactions and feelings are normal. This can significantly reduce feelings of isolation by disputing the belief that many clients hold: “I’m the only one who feels this way.” Brief counselling can also provide important information to clients. For example, they can be referred to appropriate alternative services. Or they can be given information that might help them deal with their situation. Finally, brief counselling can be used to demystify the counselling process and to help clients understand what they might reasonably accomplish in counselling. In this way brief counselling may be useful for motivating reluctant clients to engage with or to continue with counselling. Brief or single-session therapy is not appropriate for all clients. It is less likely to be effective with these client groups: clients who need inpatient psychiatric care, including those who are suicidal; clients with schizophrenia, For [email protected] Property of Bookemon, do NOT distribute 83