232 - Managing Vicarious Trauma

The REBT Model of Counselling - What to Do When a Client Asks You a Question

In Episode 232 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly are back with this week's three topics:

In 'Counselling Foundations' we look at Albert Ellis' REBT model.

Then in 'Focus on Self' we think about what to do when a client asks us a question.

And finally in 'Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Erene Hadjiioannou on the impact and ways of managing vicarious trauma.

Albert Ellis' REBT Model [starts at 02:13 mins]

Counselling Foundations is sponsored byCounselling Skills Academy

Learn counselling techniques by seeing counselling skills used in real sessions by qualified therapists.Real sessions - real-life presentations - real skills.

Click Here for More Information

In this section, Rory and Ken discuss Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT).

The key points of this section include:

REBT is all about challenging irrational belief.

How we think effects how we feel, how we feel effects how behave, then how we behave effects how we live our lives.

If you can change your thoughts, you can change the consequences.

It's not what happens that effects our emotions, it's how we react.

ABCDE model - Action, Belief, Consequence, Dispute, Effect.

Puts thinking at the top of the chain - rational over irrational.

Have a think about the difference between thinking and feeling.

What to Do When a Client Asks You a Question [starts at 24:33 mins]

Get on-demand Certified CPD that is implementable in your practiceCounsellor CPD Library

Over 150 hours of on-demand CPD lectures to help you stay current with your CPD ethical requirements

Support, and be supported, by thousands of other counsellors as a member of the exclusive online community.

Access your learning anytime you want ... anywhere you choose ... using any device type - desktop or mobile.

Click Here for More Information

Knowing what to do when a client asks you a question can be difficult, and in this section, Rory and Ken discuss how they might navigate this.

The main points of this section are as follows:

Putting the question back to the client is an option, but this isn't always appropriate.

Be careful and think whether the client is looking to you to solve their problem for them.

Alternatively, your client may simply be looking for more information - in this case, your answer is likely to benefit them.

Whether or not you choose to answer personal questions is dependent on your own boundaries and self-disclosure - consider whether answering these questions will help or hinder the therapeutic relationship.

Managing Vicarious Trauma [starts at 40:25 mins]

The National Counselling Society is proud to sponsor Practice Matters.

NCS are really excited to have launched their Children and Young People Therapist Register for counsellors working with the younger age group.

To find out more, visit nationalcounsellingsociety.org or simply click the button below.

 

Click Here for More Information

In this week's 'Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Erene Hadjiioannou about the impacts of vicarious trauma and ways of managing it.

The key points of this discussion include:

Repeatedly hearing clients' accounts of trauma may eventually have an impact on your own wellbeing, or trigger your own past trauma.

Some impacts of vicarious trauma might be:

Trouble regulating your moods.

Feeling over-stimulated, agitated, irritated, panicked and/or anxious.

Dissociation

Depression

However, there are ways of managing vicarious trauma:

Make sure you aren't seeing trauma patient after trauma patient - schedule them appropriately and don't take on too many.

Make sure you have respite.

Be conscious of your own condition - recognise when it's becoming too much.

Free Handout Download

Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT)