Directions: In this assignment, you will conduct your fourth counseling session with your practice client. You will then develop a 3- to 5-page report that includes a written progress note for this module’s session (1 page), an updated case conceptualization (1 page), and a detailed self-reflection (1–2 pages).
As a Reminder:
Your instructor will assign you to work with a classmate for these practice sessions, and you will each serve as the practice client for each other. You will use Zoom to conduct the practice sessions and to record them for submission to the instructor. In the case of an odd number of students in the class, the instructor will assign you to work as a group of three and will give you additional instructions on how to proceed so that each of the three members will have an opportunity to enact the role of a practice client and a practice counselor.
Important Notes about the Practice Sessions with Classmates:
- For the Practice Client:
When you are the practice client, you will be expected to be authentic in your discussions with the classmate who is practicing his or her counseling skills, but please be aware that you have the right to choose what you will or will not share with the classmate. For example, when your background information is being gathered for the intake report, you may choose to share or not to share any significant mental health history, trauma, etc., and should only disclose what you feel comfortable sharing. Keep in mind that these are not therapy sessions; they are very time limited and serve as only a practice opportunity for skill development, so you should go into the sessions with real presenting concerns that would give you some benefit in discussing (e.g., the stress of being a graduate student and juggling multiple priorities) but not a topic with a high intensity level (e.g., a current unresolved high-conflict situation with a significant other or a trauma history). If, for any reason during the course, you find that you have feelings or issues emerge that require additional support, you are encouraged to seek mental health assistance or contact the Talk One-2-One student assistance program that is available for all Argosy University students at no cost. To schedule an appointment, call 1-888-617-3362.
- For the Practice Counselor:
You are expected to complete several written reports that you will submit only to the instructor for review after the practice sessions in this course. The instructor will not share these reports with your classmates, and you are not to share the reports or any specific content with the classmate who serves as your practice client. In some of the reports, you may be asked to develop a preliminary diagnosis for the practice client, depending on the information you have gathered, and this is simply an opportunity for you to practice your diagnostic skills. Because this is only a skills practice, it is not appropriate for you to share the content of the report with your classmates (or anyone else except the instructor).
Preparation Prior to the Practice Session:
- Confirm the agreed-upon meeting time with your practice client for this assignment.
- Have the interpersonal process recall (IPR) method ready.
- Prepare to record the practice session so you can see and hear yourself and review the effectiveness of your interventions.
- Review the instructions that were sent to you prior to the course to learn how to set up and record your video session in Zoom.
- Prepare to take notes during the session. This will help you formulate your summary toward the end of the session.
- Confirm your meeting with your consultation partner.
Part I: Conduct a Counseling Session:
- Conduct and digitally record the third, and final, counseling session with your practice client.
- This session should be between 30 and 45 minutes in length.
- Turn in the recorded intake session through digital upload in the course for your instructor’s review as needed.
- As part of your grade, your instructor will view a 10-minute portion of the tape. You may suggest a time stamp where you would like the instructor to begin the review. Ultimately, any part of your tape may be reviewed.
- Use the interpersonal process recall (IPR) method of self-supervision following the session and document notes regarding your self-supervision.
- Next, meet over the phone or the Internet with your assigned classmate, whom you will consult with regarding your case conceptualization and treatment plan for your client.
Part II: Write a Written Report:
Follow the details below pertaining to the report’s requirements.
Your written report should be 3- to 5-page long and should follow APA guidelines for writing style, particularly chapter 3 (Writing Clearly and Concisely) and chapter 4 (The Mechanics of Style). Clear documentation of services is a very important skill that can result in a client’s services being reimbursed or denied and, therefore, is a client welfare issue. You should have a title page and a header labeled “Session Three Your Name.”
A. Progress Notes:
Document your session in a 1-page progress note using one of the approved formats that you learned about in Module 2 of this course (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan [SOAP]; Data, Assessment, Plan [DAP]; or Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan [BIRP]).
B. Case Conceptualization:
Update your case conceptualization in 1–2 pages, integrating diagnostic, developmental, sociocultural, interpersonal neurobiological, and theoretical concepts into your understanding of the client’s issues. Integrate feedback from your case consultation session. Include information you have learned from the research you have conducted on the client’s issues and/or his or her sociocultural or spiritual background, as relevant.
If there are no changes or updates needed to the case conceptualization, discuss what evidence from the client’s session and your classmate’s consultation supports your original case conceptualization.
Determine your conceptualization of termination issues related to the client’s therapeutic issues, the interpersonal nature of the therapeutic relationship, and evidence-based practice regarding termination. Integrate any new information regarding the client’s response to termination interventions already implemented.
C. Self-Reflection:
Integrate the information from the self-supervision and case consultation into your self-reflection in 1–2 pages in this module. Identify your strengths and challenges as a counselor. Specifically note any ethical, legal, or sociocultural issues that might be a focus for supervision and any transference or countertransference issues that may be affecting the therapeutic relationship.
- Additionally, identify and explain:
- Vicarious trauma or other self-care concerns
- The therapeutic relationship as it has developed through the course of counseling
- Aspects of interpersonal neurobiology, or being mindfully present with the client
- Your strengths and challenges and how they may have changed over time working with this client
- Specific plans to address ongoing challenges in this area
- How the interpersonal process of the therapeutic relationship has served as a venue for the client to play out core issues or themes related to his or her presenting issues
- Specific examples of how you have used or plan to use the therapeutic relationship and/or process comments in your work with this client
- Your growth over time in your role as a participant-observer in the counseling relationship
- Issues you have experienced related to client transference or projection, projective identification, or countertransference
- How you have dealt with these situations utilizing your advanced skills and support systems and plans to work through supervision to grow in these areas
- Challenges you have experienced with the client or for yourself as the counselor regarding termination with this client
- How you will address these issues in supervision in the future
Your final product will consist of your report in a Microsoft Word document (approximately 3–5 pages in length). Your report should be written in APA format in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in the accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
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