Characteristics and Behaviors of Effective Counseling

Characteristics and Behaviors of Effective Counseling In order for the counseling process to be effective for the client the characteristics and behaviors of the mental health counselor must be effective. To be an effective mental health counselor the process must include both the art and science of helping clients when they struggle. This paper will address both effective and ineffective characteristics of the given transcript along with an explanation of how a counselor’s characteristics or behaviors influence a session with a client.
Effective Characteristics This How a client perceives a counselor is very important in how they effective they feel they …show more content…

Ineffective characteristics and behaviors can be very unhealthy for the counselor and client’s relationship and hinder progress in the client’s progress to recovery.
Characteristic One The first ineffective characteristic in the transcript is when the counselor stated: Ummmm, ok, so you threaten your wife? (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012). The client Bill did not say that he threatened his wife, and the client was offended by this statement. As counselors we have to be nonjudgmental in our clients and their choices that they make in order to help them. “When reflecting feelings use an appropriate introductory phrase, add a feeling label to the stem, and add a brief paraphrase to broaden the reflection” (Cooper, 2010). In this example the counselor sounded so impersonal and accusing when he responded to the client.
Characteristic Two The second characteristic that was ineffective in the given transcript was the following: “Oh, I also forgot to get you to sign the informed consent when you came in. his is a document that states you understand that what you and I say in here is confidential and that I can only break confidentiality if you threaten to harm yourself, someone else, or abuse a child. Can you sign right here for me?” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012). Professional counselors are ethically bound to provide their clients with informed consent (Sheperis & Ellis, 2010). Even though the