Becoming Becoming a a

HelperHelperBy Krissana TrairatanaBy Krissana Trairatana

Pre-TestPre-Test

• What is an effective helper in term of What is an effective helper in term of counseling?counseling?

• What are the characteristics of a What are the characteristics of a helper should have?helper should have?

• How many stages of therapeutic How many stages of therapeutic helping process and What are they?helping process and What are they?

Helping is a board and generic term that Helping is a board and generic term that includes the assistance provided by a variety includes the assistance provided by a variety of individuals.of individuals.

Helping can be defined as assisting clients in Helping can be defined as assisting clients in exploring feelingexploring feeling, , gaining insightgaining insight, and , and making making positive changespositive changes in their lives. in their lives.

Helpers, might be physicians, nurses, Helpers, might be physicians, nurses, counselors, psychotherapists, and human counselors, psychotherapists, and human service providers.service providers.

The goal of helping for beginning helpers are to The goal of helping for beginning helpers are to listen welllisten well, , promote growthpromote growth, and , and assist with assist with transitionstransitions..

• EmpathyEmpathy : the quality that enables us to perceive : the quality that enables us to perceive another experience and then to communicate that another experience and then to communicate that perception back to the individual.perception back to the individual.

• GenuinenessGenuineness : the characteristic that allows us to be : the characteristic that allows us to be freely ourselves—it is non-phoniness, non-role freely ourselves—it is non-phoniness, non-role playing, non-defensivenessplaying, non-defensiveness

• RespectRespect : communicating to others our sincere belief : communicating to others our sincere belief that they possess the inherent strength and capacity that they possess the inherent strength and capacity to make it in life, they have the right to choose their to make it in life, they have the right to choose their own choices and decisions.own choices and decisions.

Therapeutic Characteristics of Therapeutic Characteristics of HelperHelper

• Self-disclosureSelf-disclosure : the act of sharing our own : the act of sharing our own feelingsfeelings, , attitudesattitudes, and , and experiencesexperiences with someone in to the with someone in to the effort to help that person. It might be meaningful and effort to help that person. It might be meaningful and pertinent both in content and context in order to be pertinent both in content and context in order to be therapeutic.therapeutic.

• WarmthWarmth : we manifest warmth mainly through : we manifest warmth mainly through nonverbal communicationnonverbal communication with the person seeking with the person seeking help. help. SmilingSmiling, , touchingtouching, and , and other natural responsesother natural responses to to the humanness of the one in pain are evidence of the the humanness of the one in pain are evidence of the warmth in action.warmth in action.

• ImmediacyImmediacy : the best way to describe how high-: the best way to describe how high-functioning helpers keep their clients in the functioning helpers keep their clients in the here and here and nownow. The relationship between the helper and client . The relationship between the helper and client itself becomes a therapeutic tools.itself becomes a therapeutic tools.

• ConcretenessConcreteness : the act of keeping, communication : the act of keeping, communication specific—getting to the whats, whens, and hows of specific—getting to the whats, whens, and hows of present concerns.present concerns.

• ConfrontationConfrontation : used to bring people : used to bring people face-to-faceface-to-face with reality when we perceive an obvious denial or with reality when we perceive an obvious denial or untruth on their part.untruth on their part.

• PotencyPotency : the quality that largely determines whether : the quality that largely determines whether or not others come to us for help. Potent people are in or not others come to us for help. Potent people are in command of themselves and communicate a dynamic, command of themselves and communicate a dynamic, expressive, and involved attitude to others.expressive, and involved attitude to others.

• Self-actualizationSelf-actualization : determines how involved they : determines how involved they are in the growth process. Self-actualizing helpers are in the growth process. Self-actualizing helpers learn from their clients as their clients learn from learn from their clients as their clients learn from them.them.

Therapeutic Foundation of Therapeutic Foundation of Three-stage of Three-stage of

HelpingHelpingExploration StageExploration Stage

Action StageAction StageInsight StageInsight Stage

Exploration StageExploration Stage• Attending and ListeningAttending and Listening : the basic skills that : the basic skills that

helpers use throughout the entire helping process to helpers use throughout the entire helping process to enable clients to feel safe and to explore their enable clients to feel safe and to explore their thoughts and feeling.thoughts and feeling.

• RestatementsRestatements : a repeating or paraphrase of the : a repeating or paraphrase of the content or meaning of what a client has said that content or meaning of what a client has said that typically contains fewer but similar words and usually typically contains fewer but similar words and usually is more concrete and clear than the client’s statement.is more concrete and clear than the client’s statement.

• Open QuestionsOpen Questions : questions that ask clients to clarify : questions that ask clients to clarify or explore thoughts or feelings.or explore thoughts or feelings.

• Reflection of FeelingReflection of Feeling : a repeating or rephrasing of : a repeating or rephrasing of the client’s statement with an emphasis on the client’s the client’s statement with an emphasis on the client’s feeling.feeling.

• ChallengeChallenge : invitation to clients to become more : invitation to clients to become more aware of themselves, their issues feelings, and aware of themselves, their issues feelings, and behaviors.behaviors.

• InterpretationInterpretation : intervention is made by helpers that : intervention is made by helpers that go beyond what a client has overtly stated or go beyond what a client has overtly stated or recognized and presents new meaning, reason, or recognized and presents new meaning, reason, or explanation for behaviors, thoughts, or feelings so that explanation for behaviors, thoughts, or feelings so that clients can see problems in a new way.clients can see problems in a new way.

• Self-disclosureSelf-disclosure : reveal something personal about : reveal something personal about helpers. It is used in the insight stage to facilitate helpers. It is used in the insight stage to facilitate client’s understanding of their thoughts, feelings, client’s understanding of their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and issues.behaviors, and issues.

• ImmediacyImmediacy : refers to the helper disclosing immediate : refers to the helper disclosing immediate feelings about self in relation to the client, the client, or feelings about self in relation to the client, the client, or the therapeutic relationship.the therapeutic relationship.

Insight StageInsight Stage

Action StageAction Stage

• InformationInformation : can be defined as providing : can be defined as providing specific data, facts, resources, answers to specific data, facts, resources, answers to questions, or opinions to client.questions, or opinions to client.

• Direct GuidanceDirect Guidance : can be defined as : can be defined as helpers making suggestions, giving helpers making suggestions, giving directives, or providing advice for what directives, or providing advice for what they think clients should do.they think clients should do.

ConclusionConclusion

These are all basic concepts of all These are all basic concepts of all beginning helper effective. For the beginning helper effective. For the counselor is more professionals with counselor is more professionals with advanced training for many years, but advanced training for many years, but it also completed and received it also completed and received instruction in the basic helping skills.instruction in the basic helping skills.

Post-TestPost-Test

• What is an effective helper in term of What is an effective helper in term of counseling?counseling?

• What are the characteristics of a What are the characteristics of a helper should have?helper should have?

• How many stages of therapeutic How many stages of therapeutic helping process and What are they?helping process and What are they?