Cory Hersh

EDUC 312
9/30/15

Skills Session #1 Transcribed

Helper: So how are you today? (closed/open question)

Helpee: Im doing well, thank you.

Helper: Thats good. So I asked you to be here because I am trying to figure

out peoples perceptions on therapy as a whole and those that go to it, so in
general what are your view on therapy? (open question)

Helpee: Hmm. Ok, well what kind of therapy are we talking about is it
um...yeah are there different types of therapy?

Helper: There are. Im talking just in in general, like people who you know,
need help figuring out things that they cant figure out on their ownIt
doesnt have to be anything major but, generally, you know, what do you
think is portrayed about therapy? (open question)

Helpee: Ok

Helper: And what are your views? (open question)

Helpee: Ok, I think the general perception is that, um, there is some social
stigma surrounding therapy, especially with, like um mental health disorders
and that kind of therapy. Umm, personally I have never been to a, I guess
like, therapist

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: but I do think that its like umm, its a little bit it seems different
than going to a regular doctor for a physical problem.

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: Yeah, its I guess the kind of perception is that like, oh why couldnt
you deal with it on your own? Like why do you need to like have someone
else help you?

Helper: Right (minimal encourager) why do you think there is such social
stigma? (open question)
Helpee: Umm, I think a lot of it probably has to do with like uhh, maybe the
media and things you hear from other people. Maybe this is a weird
example, but Ive been watching Mad Men on Netflix

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal emcourager)

Helpee: and um one of the main characters -- like the wife of the main
guy, uh, she like starts going to a psychiatrist and, uh the main character,
hes kinda like this is also set back in like the 50s

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: and hes like oh why do you need to do that, and its kinda weird
and they try to like keep it quiet from like their friends and neighbors and
stuff cause of like the social stigma, and even though that was like, you
know, supposed to take place decades ago, I think some of that kind of still
exists

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: and, you know whether its through the media and things like TV
shows and things like that or just also kind of how youre perceived by other
people. You know its um, you dont mind admitting to people that like, oh
you have to go to the doctor cause youre sick, but

Helper: Exactly (minimal encourager)

Helpee: going to a therapist is a little bit different and, umm, I do think

thats changing a lot though, umm, especially with like us, like the younger
generations. Its people are becoming more aware of it and its a more like
socially acceptable thing to talk about.

Helper: Do you think its socially acceptable here at Bucknell? (closed

question)

Helpee: UmmI dont know personally of anyone who has like told me that
theyve been to whatever psych services is now called

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: uh, which leads me to believe that like no, cause Im sure I
probably know people that have been

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: uh, just like the fact that they havent told me would mean that
they probably dont think its like socially acceptable so Im gonna go with
no.

Helper: And do you think that is also a result of the media or do you think
its more of aatmosphere type of thing? (closed/open question)

Helpee: Umm, yeah I think its probably atmosphere, I mean Im sure this is
probably true for other campuses as well, but I mean especially at Bucknell
people like to give the impression that they have their lives together uh,
that like, you know, youre basically succeeding in everything without even
trying, its kind of like

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: I dont know, the atmosphere that people like to pretend to give
off and so, if you were like admitting that you needed help bylike,
professional therapy, umm, that would give off the impression that youre
weak or something kind of, yeah, soI think that has to do with it.

Helper: Okand back home, for you do you think that your community,
family, neighborhood have similar opinions asgeneralor do you think that
you grew up in a more accepting, non-accepting (closed question)

Helpee: Umm, I know my family would be like totally accepting of it, yeah, I
mean like yeah, its something that like my mom talks about and stuff like
making sure that like people arent depressed

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: and stuff like that, umm, so I think my family would be like totally
fine with it. Uhh, like my community and stuff, like I mean in high school, like
if I was going to a therapist or something

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: I probably wouldnt publilike I wouldnt wanted to have

publicized it around my high school, umm, but I think in general, yeah it was
a relatively accepting community.

Helper: Ok, so you mentioned that your mom said, or your mom issays
that if youre depressed, or like to stay away from being depressed that you
should go to therapy (paraphrasing, key word repetition)

Helpee: yeah
Helper: do you think that only people who are, you know, depressed or
have actual mental disorders and stuff, do you think that therapy is only for
them or? (open question)

Helpee: Uh, no, I think so I mean I think thats the severe case is that like if
youre suffering with a like severe mental health disorder then like you
should definitely

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: have therapy, but I think in a lot of ways that like, you know, it
could be good, just like, you know, you go to the doctor for regular checkups,
it could probably be beneficial for like me and everyone else to go for kind of
like routine therapy sessions for kind of more mild things

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: Yeah! I think that in a perfect society, going to see a therapist like
you see a doctor for a regular physical checkup would be a good, healthy
thing.

Helper: So going off of that, what do you think goes on in a general client
and therapist (got cut off) (open question)

Helpee: I think its like this, I think I lay on the couch

Helper: Hah (I chuckle a bit)

Helpee: and you ask me questions, umm, I mean my only really

impression is from like what Ive seen in like movies and stuff and like read in
books, but I think a lot of it isI dont want to use the word interrogation
because that sounds too intense, but just like having the patient talk about
themselves and asking questions that get them to reflect on how they feel.

Helper: Do you think that, unlike this, when you go to an actual therapist
where they are an authority figure, do you think thats more or lessumm
like, is it harder to speak to someone in an authority figures spot or no?
(closed question)

Helpee: Umm, I think that in a lot of ways, its easier to talk to like doctors
and strangers, just because its people that youre only seeing in that
setting

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: you know, its not like youre gonna run into them --- like youre
not gonna have class with them, youre not gonna run into them in the, like,
grocery store or something and so youre not afraid to like let them in on
your personal lives I feel like because like thats -- Its like a doctor

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: like youre comfortable sharing like personal things with a doctor
because you like know that theyre there to help and they

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: are gonna respect your privacy and like keep it separate, umm
ah, what was I gonna say, Im not sure uh, oh, I do thinkthis is kinda
going back to an earlier question of like peoples perceptions of it I dont
know all the science behind like therapy and to me and probably to a lot of
other people, it seems a little subjective of like

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: you know, not that theres -- not that like medicine is a perfect
science either, but its less quantitative and its more just like, oh this person
seems upset and that kind of stuff and so I think that some of the skepticism
about like therapy and that kind of thing might come from how it seems
more like subjective and based off of how people present themselves.

Helper: I see that. I also see that its a science in which you cannot be
purely objective because in order to help someones situation, you have to
be subjective and fit it to their own kind of thing, so I dont know what do you
think about that in response? (open question, offering personal
opinion)

Helpee: I think thats actually a really good point, umm, I honestly just dont
know enough about therapy to make a good, umm, response, but I think
thats actually a really good point because Im sure that everyones situation
is unique, like even people who are like struggling with maybe like the same
issue like respond in different ways and things like that, so

Helper: Yeah, umm so besides the media, how do you think you developed
your views, or is that.since you said thats like your only (open
question)

Helpee: Yeah, umm, I think just kinda fromyeah, just like how its
portrayed to me, like even things like comics and like

Helper: Mmhmm (minimal encourager)

Helpee: cartoons or, umm, yeah just like references that you hear every
day and its not like, not even necessarily about it, but just like remarks that
reference therapy.

Helper: Right (minimal encourager)

Helpee: Yeah, and even like, you know people say like physical therapy, so
like and things like that, but distinguishing it from I guess like mental
therapy, I dont know if that might have not been relevant but

Helper: No, yeah but theyre two different things, yeah. Umm, yeah I guess
thats all I have to ask you about, but thanks for sharing with me. (cue to
closing session)

Helpee: Ok, no problem!

Skills Session #1 Thoughts

Process Notes

My main goal of this first skill session was to develop a level of comfort

with my client Danny (I have changed the clients name to protect his

identity), who I will likely be able to do my other counseling sessions with as

well. It is important that both Danny and I feel comfortable in the setting of

helper and helpee, so that the conversations we have now and in the future,

will convey important information and allows us to both relax and have

casual conversations. If we were both reserved and uptight, the counseling

sessions would likely go nowhere and would not provide information

necessary to critique myself and also the information that I gather through

the questions that I ask.

Because the prompt and information that I was receiving due to the

interview was not the main focus of this session, I was able to focus on
utilizing certain counseling skills during our conversations. The skills I chose

to focus on were body posture and mirroring the client, minimal encouragers,

and silence. At times I succeeded in utilizing these in the proper way and at

other times, I most certainly did not. Overall, I think that I learned a lot from

this first session and I am confident that the next session will be more

successful even if just due to being more used to the client-counselor

relationship between Danny and I.

Self Critique

After looking over my transcription of the 10-minute counseling session

with Danny, I found that there are several things that I do well with and other

things that I need to work on. I found, however, that some of the things that

didnt go as well as I wouldve hoped could have been due to the awkward

nature of a first counseling session, especially when the counselor (myself) is

so inexperienced. I would expect that as I attain more practice and get to

have a few more counseling sessions with Danny, that awkward feeling will

likely go away and the counseling session will be more free-flowing.

With that being said, I felt I was generally able to keep the

conversation flowing in a positive way. Danny was definitely not shy about

talking, which made it easier for me to sit there and listen and every so often

steer the conversation in different ways. I have always felt that one of my

strong suits was being a good listener and I believe I proved that through my

ability to formulate and ask questions that had a lot to do with what Danny
had previously said. I felt I did a good job of paraphrasing and restating key

words that he had used in his answers to previous questions. Furthermore,

with the exception of the end of the interview, where I was at a loss for

words and couldnt think of another question to ask, I felt that I was fairly

good at not simply sticking to a list of pre-made prompts. I was able to form

good questions on the spot that related to what Danny had to say that

initiated more valuable dialogue.

One of the things that I feel I definitely need to work on is my almost

excessive use of minimal encouragers. I thought I got off to a very good

start by using them to get Danny to keep talking and elaborate on what he

was saying, but it got to the point where I would almost cringe while

transcribing when I heard myself give another minimal encourager. I realize

that I use them too much as a helper, but I also tend to do the same in

regular conversation because I want to show in general that I am listening

intently. However, I could definitely tone down my usage of those

encouragers in a counseling session because it could also give the

impression that I am simply on robot mode, where I continue to give these

encouragers even though I may not seem like I am interested or listening.

This, I do not believe was an issue because of my other behaviors. My body

posture mirrored the clients and I always kept good eye contact, which

showed Danny that I wasnt just on autopilot and that I was truly interested

in what he had to say. Additionally, when I asked questions based on his

answers, he could definitely grasp that I was listening to such an extent that

I could formulate questions based on his answers.

Another thing I felt I could work on is the way in which I frame my

questions. Often, when I wanted to transition to another question I would

use words such as so, um, and like. If I were able to check myself and

formulate more professional sounding questions, it is possible that Danny

would have answered in a different way. It is also possible, however, that the

differences in his answers wouldve been negative because he couldve been

more comfortable with the informal way in which I was asking him questions.

Overall, I thought that for the first skill session this went pretty well.

There were obviously things that I could improve on, but I definitely feel that

as I learn more and gain more experience and Danny and I become more

comfortable with one another, the sessions will automatically get better. For

the next session, I plan to work on formulating more professional questions,

starting and ending the session better, and cutting down on my use of

minimal encouragers.