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.

Anxiety

I have been involved today with the writing of some anxiety training we are offering to the volunteer counsellor at my place of work. We offer 4 trainings a year.

The whole day is going to be experiential, with creative tools and how they could be used with client that present with anxiety.

The day will involve me and the other facilitator to create some anxiety within the group on the day so that its live and real. I have learnt over the past years that some counsellors find it hard to use tools with clients, tools like stone work, play dough, drawing etc. So on the day of the training we will be using tools! I know the attendees and this will certainly tap into their anxiety. So looking forward to that. I like real live stuff!

The day will culminate with me offering a group supervision (1 and half hours) of the attendees to talk about the anxiety that came up and what it felt like to experience it, and offer them the chance to use tools within that supervision group to explore what it was like too. There may even be space for how a clients anxiety could impact on the supervisory relationship.

So many question so little time!

I found this its worth a read.

This is an interesting artical.

Are there women paedophiles?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8022861.stm

Let me know what you think.

Online Counselling Conference

For all you Counsellors out there interested in online Counselling you need to attend this!

You can watch this and get involved live in the conference from the comfort of your own home all you need is a Internet connection.

See who the Keynote speakers are, and the full programme.

This conference will be broadcast globally see how to attend online.

If you want to attend in person here's where to go.

You can even by tickets to the conference online

If you have any questions about OCTIA and the conference please contact John Wilson at john@wilsoncounselling.co.uk

Hope you can make it and I will see you online.

Counselling? processing?

Another thought....does the counsellor help the clients internal counsellor to do the counselling? as Counsellor I only spend 50 minutes with the client, they spend 6 days, 23hours and 10 minutes on their own.

So what do I do in that 50 minutes? help them to focus? get them to talk about their feeling out loud. Unpack their head. so they can repack or through away what they don't want to repack.

I'm a great believer that the client does most of their processing away from the counselling room.

Not really got my head in counselling mode at the moment as it is half term where I work, so I have only seen two clients over the past 2 weeks! They will be back in force next week.

No Counselling stuff on this post . Just wanted to add this to my blog as I have been to give blood this evening.

It was the first time I had ever done it, there are a few questions to answer and your done. Giving blood is easy, well a pint pored out of me 5 minutes and I was done.

If you have never done it give it ago.

http://www.blood.co.uk/