Bachelors of Psychology

Semester JAN, 2018

BPY 32083 Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Lecturer: Adeline Tan

INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT:

TOPIC: Recorded Counselling Session (1)

Name: Ummu Aina Nabilah bt Shaiful Azmi

ID: 201530009

Date of Submission: February 28, 2018

 REFLECTION

On February 26, 2018 (Monday) as required by one of the subject taken for my
current semester, I successfully did a 40-minutes counselling session role-play at 14:40 in the
evening located at class 7-14, Raffles University Iskandar. Hence, from the session, I have
implemented a few strategies and specific techniques in order to manage the session the best
as I can. Even there are some strength that I can see from it, however I noticed there were
also few weaknesses that I should correct for future benefits.

The first strategies that I used is by implementing bilingual option whenever my client
and I want to communicate. I believe by preparing this options, my client will be more open
to tell and express about himself without doubt if he misused any English words as his native
spoken language is Malay. My second strategy is in choosing the day in which when I had the
counselling session with my client. In my opinion, this is critically important as weekends
does have an effect particularly on the day after it which is Monday. Hence, from here I am
certain that the terms ‘Monday Blues’ can help me in tapping the emotion of my client
specifically in expressing what he had just experienced from the recent weekend. My third
strategy is in choosing the client. Even though I am aware that in real world, it is very
unlikely, a therapist to choose their favoured client. But, the one that I particularly choose is
for me experienced a totally different or can be called rare situation as he is a racer. Thus, it
was a golden opportunity for me to challenge myself in having a counselling session with a
person that I barely know particularly about racing.

At the beginning, I started with the basic techniques I have learned in the past lecture
starting from greetings, introduction from both client and therapist and then continued with
the counselling session. Generally, more or less it can be seen that I had applied a cognitive
psychotherapy as from time to time, I tried to dig either what was his emotion during the
incident happened and sometimes his current emotions during the counselling session. For
me, it was a bit hard at first because he particularly specified the most current event that
happen which was the day before the interview during the racing event. For the first 20
minutes, it can be seen that he just needed someone to listen on what has pressured him but
still he still does not open up to any other thing that bother him even though it can be seen
crystal clear from his expression and body language. But soon after, I used the empathy
techniques through the reflection of his feelings and just then he started to open up to his
personal life that lead to some of untold emotion that bottled up in him before.
 From the counselling session, the first strength that I can see throughout the session
was that I am able to keep my attentiveness towards the client. Even though I admit that I am
nervous to handle such unique patient that have such different stories compared to normal
individual but still I manage to stay focus on the story and reflect when needed. Other than
that, I am also satisfied with myself as I am able to make the client to be open about his
personal life. This as it can be seen clearly as like he just want me to listen on what just
happened the day before. But, after tackle him with the right feelings reflection, he admit
sometimes he did feel pressured even though for the first part it was like he just follow with
the flow. Nevertheless, I also can sense my two obvious weakness where I asked too much
and sometimes asked questions when I am not supposed to. One thing that can even be called
rude was that I interrupted when the client want to say something. Hence, those two
weakness might become just one of the factor for the client to be closed in expressing his
emotion to me.

However, based on the mistakes I did, I have learned ways to correct it for my future
benefits in which through changing the questions into statements. By reflecting back without
questioning the clients, I have chances to guess the current feelings he had and even if I am
wrong, I am pretty sure to notice it when the client response to my statement. This can totally
avoid from me to interrupt and even can be thought judging on what had just happened to the
client. If I want to be therapist, I also should practice more to just listen without being
nervous for having a pause whenever the client come to a silent.