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Overview:
Positive counseling outcomes depend in large part on the quality
of the counselor-client relationship - the therapeutic alliance.
A constructive therapeutic relationship is collaborative in
nature, grounded in trust and respect, and based on the belief
that the client has the capacity for personal growth and change.
Trust is established as the counselor exhibits:
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Accurate empathy - accurately sensing the
client's world and communicating that understanding
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Genuineness - self-awareness, honesty and
openness with, being real (not phony)
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Unconditional positive regard - accepting
and valuing the client as a unique and worthwhile person,
being nonjudgmental.
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Collaboration is established through the
co-creation of and mutual agreement upon goals and tasks.
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Goal: Learn
about the constructive therapeutic alliance as key to positive
counseling outcomes.
Outcomes:
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Describe the helping relationship.
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Explain the addiction professional's
obligation to adhere to ethical and behavioral standards of
conduct in the helping profession.
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Explain the confidentiality rights of
clients, program procedures that safeguard them and exceptions
imposed by statute.
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Objectives:
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Readings from course and supplemental texts.
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Exploration of relevant web sites.
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Interviews with local professionals.
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Class discussions.
Tasks:
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Complete the assigned text readings.
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Participate in class discussions.
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Complete two of the following exercises:
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Explore a minimum of four web sites
that provide information on the helping relationship.
Write a 3-page paper on what you learned about the
helping relationship, including brief descriptions of the
sites you visited as well as your reactions to, and your
opinions about, the usefulness of the information provided
at each site.
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Interview professionals who provide
counseling services in the local community. These might
include mental health professionals, alcohol/drug
counselors, licensed psychologists, licensed professional
counselors, social workers and/or school counselors.
Write a 3-page paper reporting on your findings,
including 1) the roles of the professionals you interviewed,
2) the types of problems they typically encounter, 3) their
counseling style and philosophy, 4) their view of the
helping relationship, and 5) the helping skills and
techniques they have found to be most useful in their work.
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Attend a minimum of two meetings of a
local Coalition (or Alliance or Task Force) working to
assist a needy, underserved population in the local
community. Better yet, become involved.
Write a 3-page paper reporting on your findings and
describing the meetings and your reactions to them.
Describe in some detail the extent of the problems
the group is dealing with and the strategies they are
implementing to address these problems. What local community constituencies are represented?
What positive outcomes are they anticipating from
their efforts, and how are they measuring them? In your opinion, is the Coalition being effective?
Why or why not? What would you do to improve it?
How does what you have learned about the helping
relationship fit with/relate to the work of the Coalition?
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