On Friday last week I had what I believe was my most challenging client to date. When I say challenging I mean the issues he talked about and the things I saw were very very extreme.


This all happened when I was called to deal with and emergency. I’m not going to say anything else about it as I don’t think it is important, what is important is the point I’m trying to make.


I am going to explain the following the best I can, I know what I mean, it just might be hard to explain in words.

The whole incident got me to thinking about am I desensitized to clients issues and the stories I hear?

When someone tells me for example, they are self harming I have a reaction to that, I feel whatever I feel and I think whatever I think, the most important thing from those words are, I recognise the feelings and my thoughts I am having, because I know that I am comfortable working with self harm.

With the client I saw on Friday, I had thoughts feelings and a reaction to what I had just seen and heard, and because as far as I am aware at this point in time I have not felt, heard and reacted in this way before. So the reactions were all new to me and this gave me new feelings, thoughts and reactions to the new issues I had not heard before.

So what the hell is the point to the blog post.............? I don’t think as a counsellor I become desensitized to certain issues, I think I am use to the feelings and thoughts I have with certain issues and it may seem I am desensitized to them because I recognise my responses.


What am I thinking about as I write this? I am wondering if the client picked up on my reaction and I guessing he did at some level and there are loads of reasons why he wouldn't have too due to is distress. I know inside I was going 'FUCK' and on the outside staying professional and calm at the same time. None verbal communication is a whole new subject.

Any comments would be welcome.

Training day!

The training day was a complete success!

It still surprises me that some counsellors are scared to use tools in counselling like pens and paper, playdoh, stones and sand box etc. It seems to be in some HND courses, there is no training on creative tools at all.

The day started with a bit of hypnotherapy as the counsellors attending the course asked how hypno could help their clients that present anxiety. Not so they can perform hypno but can refer clients to the hypno service we run.

We then moved on to creative tools, at this time there was a bit of anxiety in the room, we used a scaling handout between 1 and 10 to catch this, so they could plot their anxiety throughout the day.

Some of the counsellors wanted a demo on how to use the stones in counselling. So that was for me to stand up to the mark. What we did was to split into pairs the three facilitators joined in too.

It was really good to show someone how there is a place for creative tools in counselling along with all the other skills the counsellors they already have.

I may well add the hand outs to this blog so you can print them off if you would like them.

Of course all tools are there for the client to use if they chose too.

Tools in counselling!

I think using tools in counselling like pens paper, stones, playdo or clay and a white board help so much with the clients process. You may or may not agree.

I find it really hard to hear counsellors that are scared or worried about using tools in there work. I know its all down to the client if they want to use them they can, I would not force a client to use tools if they didn't want too. I would give the client a choice, therefore giving the client the power.

I hear from trainees from person centered courses scared to use tools and even asking questions to the client. I don't know where all this Um and ah, as a person centered counsellor comes from? Rogers? I don't think so!

Watch the following and see what you think?

Carl Rogers part 1

Carl Rogers part 2

Hope you enjoyed the videos.