Group Discussion: Emotions, Meaning, and Cultural Humility

docx

School

Yorkville University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

6246

Subject

Psychology

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by AdmiralTitanium9710

Weekly Activities (Unit 3) 1 Weekly Activities (Unit 3): Group Work/Discussion on Feelings, Meaning, Summaries, Discrepancies, and Cultural Humility MACP Program, Yorkville University PSYC 6246 - Counselling Skills & Competencies (23F-1BL) September 24, 2023

2 Introduction This week's activity involved a group of three of us, and we utilized WhatsApp as our meeting space. It was a wonderful experience as it connected me with others who shared a similar worldview. The support we provided each other in identifying and practicing reflection of feelings and meaning, planning and focusing summaries, and recognizing discrepancies was invaluable. Additionally, delving into the role of cultural humility in counselling made the experience both positive and intellectually stimulating. I genuinely appreciated the opportunity. Activity One: Exercise 1: Practice in Identifying Feelings and Reflecting Feelings in Writing from Young (2021) p. 134 Our responses to all of the eight statements include the following: 1. A person might feel embarrassed or ashamed, fear of being judged that they get overwhelmed and anxious. 2. A person might feel hopeless, frustrated, and angry. 3. A person might feel underappreciated, discouraged, unseen, frustrated and burned out. 4. A person might feel betrayed, resentful, angry, or annoyed. 5. A person might feel overwhelmed, sad, disappointed, or exhausted. 6. A person might feel frustrated, helpless and worried for their son’s safety, but at the same time, they love their child. 7. A person might feel conflicted, confused, rejected, unsure of what to do next. 8. A person might feel desperate, sad, guilty, blameworthy, apprehensive and helpless. In this activity, I performed well in reflecting emotions. Many of my responses closely aligned with my peers, signifying a shared comprehension of the client's statements. As

3 Theodore Reik (1968) noted, truly hearing a person entails being attuned to what remains unspoken, and I excelled in this aspect during the activity. I could effectively capture the emotions the client had not explicitly conveyed in the scenarios. However, an area I recognize for improvement is my range of emotion-related vocabulary. Throughout our discussions with peers, I noticed that while our reflections shared similarities, some of my colleagues used more suitable vocabulary in their responses. Enhancing my emotional vocabulary, as Young (2021) recommended, can encourage deeper self-disclosure and foster a more robust therapeutic relationship. Additionally, this group exercise taught me that only some reflections need to be coupled with a paraphrase, in line with Young's (2021) guidance. I observed that some responses conveyed genuine understanding when the reflection of emotions was connected to a paraphrase. In contrast, a simple reflection of feelings had a more significant impact in other instances. Moreover, I learned that even if my reflection differed from what others might have expressed, it could still authentically represent the client's emotions. Activity Two: Exercise 1: Reflecting Meaning from Young (2021) p. 156 This exercise provided a unique experience, offering insights from three distinct perspectives. In the role of the client, I gained a profound appreciation for the importance of a helper accurately reflecting my story and emotions. Additionally, I recognized the significance of well-crafted questions that guided me to delve deeper and better understand my concerns. In the observer role, I gleaned valuable insights from the sidelines, noting how words impacted the body language and facial expressions of both the counsellor and client. This educational experience heightened my ability to discern these non-verbal cues, enriching my comprehension of the interaction dynamics. Furthermore, as the helper in this scenario, I found inspiration in this

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 brief session. It highlighted my competence in active listening, enabling me to ask pertinent questions and summarize effectively. Within our group, there was a commendable collective effort in reflecting feelings and meaning within our respective roles. Every member adeptly employed verbal and nonverbal cues, mastered paraphrasing techniques, and employed open-ended questions to uncover the deeper layers of each member's chosen prompt. Authenticity was consistently demonstrated, aligning meaning with the narrative, as it emerged through paraphrasing and comprehension of why the client elaborated on specific issues (Young, 2021). We successfully showcased active listening skills and embodied the core conditions, including congruence, positive regard, and warmth. We also advocated for fresh perspectives (Shebib, 2020). Rather than unquestioningly agreeing with statements, we adeptly mirrored the emotions expressed by our peers (Young, 2021). However, we can collectively enhance our performance by delivering reflections with greater conviction and confidence. This would gauge the other person's reactions and underscore our willingness to take risks in fostering more profound mutual understanding (Young, 2021). Despite concerns about potential inaccuracies in our reflections, we uncovered underlying feelings and meanings for each client, thus facilitating further disclosure and discussion. Our group discussions underscored the importance of boosting our confidence in crafting reflections of feelings and meanings. We acknowledged this as an area for improvement, with the understanding that confidence will naturally grow through practice and skill utilization. This exercise revealed that perfection is not guaranteed in developing counselling skills like reflecting feelings and meanings, but confidence in using this skill will undoubtedly increase with practice. Despite time limitations, it offered valuable insights into the core aspects of nonjudgmental listening cycles and ways to avoid unproductive questioning loops (Young, 2021).

5 Activity Three: Discussion 1: Planning and Focusing Summaries from Young (2021) p. 157 ONE perfected summary: “ Let us recap what we have talked about so far. It sounds like you place a high value on fitting in and seeking approval from others. Recently, this has been reflected by a situation at work where you found yourself betraying someone's trust in order to fit in, which ultimately did not feel right to you. Perhaps in the next session, we can explore these thought patterns further and find ways to make amends with Bob. What do you think about that?” From the group activity, I have gathered valuable insights into crafting effective summaries in counselling sessions. Reflecting on Joan and Lynn's case, we realized the importance of providing a more detailed and balanced summary. While I successfully identified Joan's distress and her tendency to seek approval at the cost of breaching trust, I noted areas for improvement. My summary lacked depth in highlighting Joan's strengths, and the tone, which sometimes felt blame-oriented, could be more constructive. Through this experience, I recognized the significance of understanding the purposes of different types of summaries, such as focusing on summaries at the beginning of the session. These summaries ignite conversation and empower clients as meaning-makers (Young, 2021). Summarizing serves as a tool for clients to gain awareness of their emotional struggles, gradually breaking them down throughout the session. Regarding the group experience, it was pleasant and enlightening. We offered diverse viewpoints on constructing client summaries. We included facts, meanings, and feelings, aligning with Young's guidance (2021). We focused on planning summaries to end sessions positively and set the stage for future discussions.

6 One aspect I aim to improve is incorporating a more hopeful tone into my planning summaries, as tone plays a pivotal role in client communication (Young, 2021). My vocabulary and wording are also areas of development. Precise language is vital in counselling to avoid being perceived as judgmental. Young (2021) explains that expanding one's vocabulary reduces the likelihood of overshooting or undershooting emotional nuances. By enhancing my feeling vocabulary, I anticipate improvement in my summarization skills. Activity Four: Exercise 1: Identifying Discrepancies from Young (2021) p. 184 Perfected discrepancies: #1. On the one hand, you say that you feel sad about leaving your parents to go away for college; on the other hand, you’re smiling while talking about it, which makes me think that you might also be excited about it. #3. On the one hand, you say that you love your sister; on the other hand, you were not there to show her support at a milestone event. Participating in this group activity was a valuable and educational experience. I excelled in maintaining a nonjudgmental stance, a crucial aspect of counselling. Remaining neutral to the client's narrative is vital to avoid introducing biases and aligning with the counsellor's worldview. The accuracy of the assessment is paramount, as making unfounded assumptions about a client's story can have adverse effects (Young, 2021). My message must be conveyed accurately to prevent harm to the client and maintain a solid therapeutic relationship. Upon reflecting on our group experience, it's evident that we brought a unique perspective to the table, offering well-reasoned justifications for our conclusions. While identifying discrepancies, the feedback received from my peers provided the confidence that I

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 could effectively pinpoint conflicts and inconsistencies in each statement, as emphasized by Young (2021). While I found this activity enjoyable, it highlighted an area for improvement: my ability to confront discrepancies face-to-face with clients. According to Bakes (2012), "confrontation" can evoke negative emotions, especially in counselling students who may have experienced criticism or confrontation. This fear of offending or making mistakes can hinder the therapeutic relationship. Therefore, I recognize the need to become more comfortable with this counselling aspect. The group activity reinforced the importance of feedback. It provided positive reinforcement and constructive feedback, enhancing my self-awareness and personal growth. Effective feedback is a valuable tool for both personal and professional development in counselling. Activity Five: Exercise 1: Cultural Humility from Young (2021) pgs. 66-75; term found on pgs. 66-68 Participating in this exercise proved to be highly enlightening, especially in recognizing my emotions while delving into Mira's story. I often encounter colleagues who lack cultural sensitivity in my daily work within a culturally diverse team. I understand the frustration that can arise when people disregard different cultural customs, beliefs, and values. It became evident that this could trigger countertransference within me. As emphasized by Shebib (2020), cultural humility revolves around respecting an individual's beliefs, customs, and values. This concept has been a significant focus in our program. Conversely, cultural ignorance represents a lack of understanding of another culture's history and society, reflecting a deficiency in respect for that culture and sometimes even manifesting as

8 ethnocentrism (Stubbe, 2020). These terms hold immense importance in counselling, shaping the kind of counsellor one aspires to become. In applying these skills during sessions, I envision myself adopting a tutorial stance. While I recognize that it is not the client's responsibility to educate me about their culture, I also understand that I can only partially comprehend some aspects of every culture (Young, 2021). Acknowledging this limitation and asking the client for clarification can facilitate a deeper understanding of their perspective (Stubbe, 2020). Working within a group on this exercise underscored the significance of maintaining objectivity when counselling clients. It highlighted the ease with which assumptions can be made without complete information. By remaining aware of how our beliefs, values, and culture can influence our perceptions of the client's values, beliefs, and culture, we can avoid projecting our assumptions onto them. This underscores that the therapeutic relationship should be collaborative rather than one-sided.

9 References: Bakes, A.S. (2012). Helpful strategies for teaching effective confrontation skills: Ideas and research you can use. VISTAS. http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas12/Article_36.pdf Shebib, B. (2020). Choices: Interviewing and counselling skills for Canadians (7th ed.) Pearson. Stubbe D. E. (2020). Practicing Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility in the Care of Diverse Patients. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) , 18 (1), 49–51. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190041 Young, M. (2021). Learning the art of helping: Building blocks and techniques (7th ed.). Pearson.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version