Couples Counselling - What to Do about Gifts from Clients

In Episode 305 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through today's three topics:

Firstly in 'Ethical, Sustainable Practice', we look at the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments in counselling.

Then in 'Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Claire Ratcliffe about her observations of being a couples counsellor.

And lastly in 'Student Services', Rory and Ken discuss what to do about gifts from clients.

Reasonable Adjustments in Counselling [starts at 02:55 mins]

When working with certain clients, we may need to consider making small adjustments to our practice that can have a huge impact on their experience.

The main points of this section on reasonable adjustments in counselling include:

Some neurodivergent clients might want to bring noise-cancelling headphones to sessions to help mute background noise. Some may also prefer to wear sunglasses for light sensitivity.

Small adjustments like this can make the experience much better for clients.

Think about whether you might need to make adjustments to session structure, such as factoring in a break.

To know what reasonable adjustments in counselling might be needed, take advanced preparation - gain this knowledge about your clients as a part of your intake process.

Normalise requests for reasonable adjustments to help a client feel more comfortable asking for these things, and reduce their anxiety.

Partake in constant CPD to ensure you're not using outdated vocabulary or language.

Couples Counselling [starts at 27:46 mins]

In this week's 'Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Claire Ratcliffe about her work as a couples counsellor.

The key points of this discussion include:

Due to a reduction in stigma, there is now a large amount of inquires from couples looking for more support.

The relationship dynamic of your parents can have a large impact on your own relationship.

Clients can understand themselves more through transactional analysis.

You're working with them to discover their own individuality and being able to express their own feelings and needs.

What do they want their relationship to look like and how far away from that are they?

What to Do about Gifts from Clients [starts at 53:25 mins]

Receiving a gift can be a lovely thing, but it can be complicated when the one gifting it is a client. In this section, Rory and Ken suggest some actions you might want to take if you receive a gift from a client:

Ask your agency/organisation if they have any policies on gifts.

Check with your practice manager.

Receiving a gift, especially as a student, can be affirming.

Recognise when a gift is inappropriate within its context, e.g. being added to a will, or a particularly expensive gift.

Have a clear policy in your mind of what to do when you receive a gift - this will prevent you being put on the spot.

Discuss with your supervisor.

Links and Resources

Claire Ratcliffe

Counselling Skills Academy

Advanced Certificate in Counselling Supervision

Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide

Counsellor CPD

Counselling Study Resource

Counselling Theory in Practice: A Student Guide

Counselling Tutor Shop

Facebook group

Website

Online and Telephone Counselling: A Practitioner's Guide

Online and Telephone Counselling Course