Experiencing mental health issues can feel like a ‘small bomb’ going off inside a client’s head.
They can become disorientated, feel a sense of anxiety and no longer feel like themselves.
It is a counsellor’s duty to SIT, LISTEN, REFLECT & CLARIFY – afford the client the space needed in order to re-discover themselves.
Rogers’ definition of empathy – so important to counselling and psychotherapy – touched upon key areas / responsibilities of a counsellor:
- Understanding the client’s feelings
- Reflecting the client’s mood and content
- The therapist’s tone of voice conveying an ability to share the client’s feelings and enter into his/her frame of reference