In this weeks episode of the Counselling Tutor Podcast Rory and Ken look at the difference between simulated skills practice and using counselling skills with clients in the real world. Rory looks at the theory of the hidden conditions of Carl Rogers and Ken explores the counselling skill immediacy. The podcast ends with a discussion on what therapeutic process is and how you can identify when it is taking place.

We received a question asking “Does anybody else find skills practice completely different to working with real clients?”

Rory and Ken debate the differences between simulated skills sessions and counselling skills in a live session. Counselling courses require students to practice counselling skills with peers and this can sometimes feel unauthentic. It is important to realise that practice skills sessions are exactly that, to practice. It’s a safe environment to try out the various techniques and to get feedback of from peers and tutors. I guess it’s like practising to swim the channel. You will train in a pool which is not at all like the real channel however if you did not train, it is unlikely you would succeed.

In Counselling Theory with Rory, Rory examines the hidden conditions of Carl Rogers.

Carl Rogers identified 6 conditions as being necessary and sufficient to bring about about constructive personality change. Often we hear about the Core Conditions which describe 3 of the 6 conditions. Rory looks at the therapists conditions or lost conditions of psychological contact, the clients incongruence between experience and awareness and the client perceiving, at least to a minimal degree, the therapists unconditional positive regard and emphatic understanding within the relationship.

Immediacy in counselling

Immediacy is recognised as an advanced counselling skill. Immediacy is sometimes misunderstood and as a result under used.

Ken explains what immediacy is and how it can effect the counselling relationship. Ken outlines the dangers of this skill and looks at when it is appropriate to use it in therapy.

Immediacy is the therapist bringing the “here and now” into focus by sharing something that is going on in the counsellors own awareness. Some may call this a gut feel or a hunch and it can feel risky sharing immediacy with a client.

When the counsellor gets it wrong, the result can be a momentary fracturing of the therapeutic relationship. For this reason, immediacy should only be used when trust has developed and the therapeutic relationship has relational depth.

When immediacy resonates with the client it is almost magical. The client feels they are truly understood and the relationship is taken to a deeper level.

Listen as Ken explains how you can use the counselling skill immediacy in your sessions.

Therapeutic Process in counselling definition

To give a definition of therapeutic process in counselling we need to identify what modality is being used. Rory and Ken debate what therapeutic process is and give different examples of how it shows in various therapeutic settings. Therapeutic process continues outside of the counselling room as the client works through the material that was brought into awareness during the session.

Therapeutic process can be described as the progression of the counselling relationship from Initial disclosure through exploration to commitment to action. Therapeutic process can also be the process that happens within the client as they move from rigidity to fluidity and becoming a more fully functioning person.