What type of Counselling do I offer?
Briefly, I will talk about the basic elements and the type of practice of clinical counseling that is offered by this Therapist. For clients it is significant to trust and to believe in the work that will be done is professional, ethical, and person-centred. From the many positive feedback my clients have given me, gladly I have managed to offer my clients time and space for change based upon their own resources.
The positive changes that these individuals have experienced reflect the sensitive, culturally grounded, respectful, and cooperative work that I offer. Clinical counseling has one significant message: Message of hope and encouragement. The rest of the work is done by you as the client.
There is one metaphor pertinent to the counseling work I believe in and the one I practice.
Counselling is similar to the role of a good, competent, and caring architect.
Once you want to build a house, you meet this architect who will help you to develop a plan for a safe, well built, and steady building.
In general Counseling is about helping you to plan for a safe house; we check all the safety measures and all the safety precautions.
Clinical Counseling is about working toward a foundation for this house containing empathy, trust building, genuine interest, compassion, respect, undivided attention, and understanding.
The walls will be of the best quality material to develop safe coping mechanisms, insight, strength building practice, self-actualization, and a healthy self-esteem. Windows would be then of materials that helps to have a healthy outlook to the world, the motivation to change, the let go of defenses and the search for new fresh air to breath.
The roof is the acceptance, self-revelation, honesty, realistic future oriented life goals, social interest, cooperation, active participation, meaning, and creation.
Building such a house in a couple of sessions of individual counseling might be an illusion, yet, as counselor I will try to at least convey the message to the client while not letting the pressure kick in.
I am sure that when clients are ready and when they have heard the message of the counseling, they will have a framework of their own to build an individual-designed home for themselves.
I will support my client and help them to choose the best quality material. I think counseling is about helping clients to be managers of their own life. It works.
Ethical Standards in My Profession
At the start point of each and every session, I explain the ethical standards, importance of confidentiality and the exceptions to confidentiality.
In my profession, it is vital to explain how we therapists view our practice as being the avenue for offering intellectual and emotional competence. I believe that my clients always have options. Although it is my hope and intention that my clients will use the sessions for self-knowledge, self-monitoring, and self-acceptance, still I accept that change is a personal choice.
In our profession, we recognize the importance of honesty, genuineness, and interest for our clients. Common mistakes happen when one find too much of confidence or believe in our superiority in the profession.
Therefore, I like to follow the standard of always consulting with a psychologist or colleges in this profession in order to remain professional and connected to my clients.
Another important point is that I do believe that as a therapist I should be aware of our own confirmation bias, personal needs, my own triggers and sense of vulnerability. By being aware of what can bother me, I will be able to act ethically, remaining in the profession, while not harming my clients.
In every decision making we have to identify the situation in looking inwards first and outwards later, to see what is that we want to achieve and who the client is.
It is interesting that my Iranian clients, as expected, always come with a sense of rush, wanting to know how many sessions they need to attend. Once I explain that it is their choice how many sessions they want to attend, I guess some people are caught in surprise. For me as a therapist, I need time to be able to identify the situation and the issue, before I can offer any insight into what needs to be done. At all times, I like to keep a limit and boundary by which I will guarantee safety, respect, and growth for all parts.
I realize that my role as a therapist would not end in the therapy room, once we have acquired the knowledge of the ongoing need for clear boundaries we are able to dance the perfect dance that I envision as a responsible therapist. We have to be able to see beyond the scope of our individual roles as a mental health professional, we do have a social responsibility to educate, inform, coach, and train our communities. a social responsible therapist tries to learn the various ways people express the “self” that is cross cultural today more than ever. Ethics is about critical thinking which applies to all aspect of our human life, a perfect dance that is harmonic, enjoyable and professional.
I liked to share this with my audience and I certainly hope I am clear.
Poran Poregbal, MA, RSW., RCC.
M.A. in Clinical Counselling
Registered Social Worker
Registered Clinical Counsellor
For appointments call: 778-883-0591