Transactional analysis (TA) is a form of psychotherapy, counselling and education, based on cognitive and personal values. Its aim is to lead clients through pre-determined steps to achieve personal growth and change. Transactional analysis was pioneered by Eric Berne (1910-1970) and it has developed into a strong theory of personality and communication. The traditional psychoanalytic […]
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What are Mastermind Groups?
In 1908, the richest man in the world at the time, the famous steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, commissioned Napoleon Hill to interview and study the 504 most successful people of the day. The objective was to distil which attributes these highly successful business pioneers had in common. Hills resulting book, “Think and Grow Rich”, came […]
- April 15, 2009
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- Career Development, Personal Effectiveness
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Evoking Change in a Client
There are several therapeutic approaches which are useful to improve clients’ readiness to change. It is important, however, to realise that all these strategies are based on the same suggestion: motivation to change is elicited from the client and not imposed from without. Using coercion, persuasion or constructive confrontation will achieve little if the client […]
- April 7, 2009
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies, Lifespan Development
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Solution-focused Techniques
Solution focused therapies are founded on the rationale that there are exceptions to every problem and through examining these exceptions and having a clear vision of a preferred future, client and counsellor, together, can generate ides for solutions.?Solution focused therapists are competency and future focused. They highlight and utilise client strengths to enable a more […]
- March 30, 2009
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- Counselling Therapies
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Starting Your Counselling Practice: Attitudes, Behaviours and Mindsets
Starting any new business can be an exciting but challenging time. As a counsellor, your forte may be in helping clients make changes in their life but may be unsure of where to start when venturing out on your own in the business world. This post is particularly useful for those counsellors (or other mental […]
- March 12, 2009
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- Private Practice
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Dealing with Aggressive Children
Children with aggressive behaviour constitute one of the most common and difficult challenges for parents, particularly for young parents. To work on this issue it is crucial that parents have developed a relationship (with the child) based on solid communication and trust. Parents must be willing to take a step back from the situation and […]
- March 2, 2009
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- Children & Adolescents, Creativity in Counselling, Relationship & Families
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Book Review: Principles of Group Treatment
Berne, M.D., E. (2005). Principles of Group Treatment. Fremantle Publishing, Australia. 379 pages. ISBN: 0-9757079-3-0. This book gives a broad knowledge base to the reader and the content is almost step-by-step for those actually going through the practicalities of initiating group treatment. The approach analysed by Berne is applied transactional analysis. The book is divided into […]
- February 5, 2009
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- Book Reviews, Group Work
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Child Abuse and Neglect: Case Planning and Review
With the assessment complete, the next step to ensure that the needs of the child and family are met is case planning. Essentially case planning is the process of setting goals and building in strategies to meet those goals. The counsellor must work with the child and/or family to decide upon the goals that are […]
- February 2, 2009
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- Children & Adolescents, Counselling Theory & Process, Relationship & Families
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Child Abuse and Neglect: Intervention
There is not a clear cut off line from where the assessment ends and the intervention begins in child and family work. Following is a number of approaches to intervention that have been selected because they are consistent with values of self-determination, respect, dignity empowerment and social justice: values commonly drawn upon in child and […]
- January 28, 2009
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- Children & Adolescents, Counselling Theory & Process, Relationship & Families
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Child Abuse and Neglect: Assessment
Assessment is the core function for counsellors in child and family services. It begins with efforts to engage a child and family in order to build a working relationship where you as the counsellor can encourage participation rather than resistance. The assessment requires the counsellor to make sense of all the information sh/e is given […]
- January 23, 2009
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- Children & Adolescents, Diagnosis & Treatment, Relationship & Families
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Recognising When a Child is at Risk
There are behavioural cues that alert the counsellor to the possibilities of a child being abused; different indicators are associated with the different abuses. Remembering that the indicators mentioned here are not absolute and that one behaviour that the child displays may not mean they are abused or neglected. There are four recognised forms of […]
- January 13, 2009
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- Children & Adolescents, Relationship & Families
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Supporting Children Victims of Abuse and Neglect
Identifying and reducing the stressors that put a family at risk can be important opportunities to assist families in overcoming the abusive home environment. While it has already been mentioned that the stressors of socio-economic status are a major underlying contributor in some families due to the added stresses of poverty, isolation and drug and […]
- December 24, 2008
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- Children & Adolescents, Relationship & Families
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Consequences of Abuse and Neglect for Children
Whatever the cause of the abuse and/or neglect, it can have long-standing consequences for the child. The younger the child, and the more vulnerable they are, the more serious the consequences are likely to be, however, with early intervention children can recover from abuse and neglect. When the abuse is ongoing or long term it […]
- December 20, 2008
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- Children & Adolescents, Relationship & Families
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Series: Working with Children at Risk
As stated in The Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2004 edition of Identifying and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect, the sad facts are: There are four recognised types of child abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, and neglect. Children and young people are most often abused by a parent or a carer. The […]
- December 16, 2008
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- Children & Adolescents, Counselling Theory & Process
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Planned vs Unplanned Terminations in Counselling
Not every end is the goal. The end of a melody is not its goal, and yet if a melody has not reached its end, it has not reached its goal. A parable.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche It’s almost a paradox, but the goal of a successful counselling relationship is to, eventually, come to an end! […]
- December 8, 2008
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- 19650
- Counselling Theory & Process
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