206 – Compassion Fatigue in Counselling

Counselling Tutor

Ken Kelly and Rory Lees-Oakes

Education, Courses

4.6 • 636 Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2021

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Contracting in Counselling - Clothing and Counselling In Episode 206 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly discuss three more topics to help you with your counselling journey. 'Counselling Foundations' returns with this week's topic, contracting in counselling and its importance. 'Focus on Self' is looking at clothing in counselling. And finally, 'Practice Matters' is back with Rory speaking to Martin Smith about compassion fatigue in counselling. Contracting in Counselling [starts at 1:44 mins] Contracting in counselling has for the most part shifted from verbal contracts to paper contracts that must be read and signed. In this section, Rory and Ken will discuss the pros of having a contract between you and your client, and things you should be aware of when creating one: A contract is there in service of the client and the relationship you have with them. It helps the client to feel safe, eradicates the risk of surprise. A contract is there if things happen to go terribly wrong. Things that need to be covered by your contract eg. confidentiality. A contract is being honest; the relationship with your client develops from there. Think of it as a part of the therapy. Be mindful of the client - ask if they understand. A contract levels the playing field, creates a mutual understanding. Clothing and Counselling [starts at 23:10 mins] In this section, Rory and Ken discuss the impact clothing can have in the therapy room, and why it's a good idea to be mindful. Clothing has a psychological message. Consider what your clothing could mean to someone. We subconsciously evaluate people using their clothing. The importance of being mindful and just giving it an extra thought. Compassion Fatigue in Counselling [starts at 34:15 mins] In this week's Practice Matters, Rory is speaking with Martin Smith on compassion fatigue, something that can happen to anyone in an emotionally strenuous line of work. The key points discussed include: Compassion fatigue is like 'running out of steam'. A sign you could be starting to feel compassion fatigue in counselling work includes an increasing sense of dread or insecurity, feelings of relief when a client cancels etc. Make use of your supervision and your peers - other people can see it before we can. Make sure you're paying attention to your self-care, monitor how many clients you take on and manage your workload. Links and Resources 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

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Counseling Tutor podcast, the must listen to podcast for students of counselling and psychotherapy.
0:10.6	Here are your hosts, Rory Lee's Oaks and Ken Kelly.
0:15.9	Hi, I'm Rory and with me as always is Ken. How are you doing, Ken?
0:20.0	I'm doing exceptionally well. Thank you for asking Rory. And we hope that you, too, are doing well.
0:25.6	You've tuned in to the counselling tutor podcast. This is episode 206. We're going to be covering three topics today, starting with our counselling foundations, where we're looking at contracting in counselling.
0:39.2	And although we put this in counselling foundations, kind of looking to what underpins counselling,
0:44.7	it's not just applicable to students.
0:47.2	I wonder if you're a qualified practitioner, when last you might have looked at your counselling contracts.
0:53.1	So we're going to go into all things contracting before moving on to that focus on self where we
0:57.7	recognise we are the heart of our practice.
1:00.3	And today we're going to be speaking about clothing in counselling.
1:04.1	I'm not going to be telling you what to wear when you're counselling.
1:06.7	We're just going to be discussing some of the aspects around what we wear and how that might come across.
1:13.2	And then into practice matters, where we take an element of something that may present within your practice as a qualified therapist.
1:20.0	And we're speaking with Martin Smith about compassion fatigue.
1:24.8	So kind of where our compassion is worn away, almost eroded by the constant maybe
1:30.8	messaging that we're getting of heavy material, a really, really important topic and definitely
1:37.5	an interview I'm looking forward to hearing, Rory. But starting with those foundations, the contracting
1:42.7	in counselling. And I'm looking back to level two where it was suggested that counselling is a contracted
1:49.5	activity.
1:51.0	Yes, and that was a bit of a surprise to me when I started in my counselling course, my
1:56.0	introduction course many, many, many years ago, because it was something I never,
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