Week 6 - Nelson Article

I asked myself several questions while reading Nelson’s (2002) article this week.  First of all, I wondered how much of the process of systematic eclecticism in the practice of counseling is actually feasible for school counselors.  Nelson brings up this point in her article: “Indeed, school counselors, when they do have opportunities to conduct individual interventions with students, are typically required to keep such interventions brief” (p. 420).  However, Nelson later adds that recent developments in brief counseling models allow counselors to provide insight-based interventions in a short-term format. What does Nelson mean by insight-based interventions?  She defines them as interventions which help clients to understand why they act in certain ways, repeat interpersonal patterns, and the impact of their family history on their current relationships.  She also notes that clients may express a desire to become more self-aware.  In considering these aspects, I am reminded of a question that Dr. Garner posed to us last semester as a journal entry for our own Solution-Focused process: “What do you think caused the problems versus what do you do to maintain it?”  While Nelson categorizes Solution-Focused counseling as a cognitive intervention, I believe that there is some crossover with insight-based interventions here.  Another similarity between these two types of interventions that I noticed is the use of metaphorical language.  In Solution-Focused lingo, we might find that a client refers to themselves with certain labels and absolutes which can often be metaphorical in nature. 

                In Theory & Practice, we have discussed several theories other than Solution-Focused, and I have often found that it works pretty well to use Solution-Focused as your framework theory of practice and to supplement it with ideas from other psychologists.  For instance, I have found Ellis’ theory of replacing irrational thoughts with rational ones to complement the Solution-Focused process very nicely.  That being said, I don’t think that at this point in time I would be able to completely change my counseling strategy according to client needs.  If nothing else, this article demonstrated to me the importance of becoming familiar with licensed counselors within one’s geographic area in order to make referrals when students present issues that cannot be worked through in brief sessions in the school environment.  Not only that, it would be helpful to know what approach each counselor tends to use so that we can make appropriate referrals based on student needs.

                Another takeaway from this article was the concept of assessment as a continual process that occurs during counseling sessions.  The counselor is always making assessments of the client and is hopefully using the information gained through the sessions to facilitate productive sessions in the future.  The counselor’s awareness of the client’s levels of capacity and desire for insight and reactance can help the counselor to better tailor sessions to meet the client’s needs.

Reference:

Nelson, M.L. (2002). An assessment-based model for counseling strategy selection. Journal of Counseling & Development, 80, 416-421.