221 – The Power Threat Meaning Framework
Writing a Case Study – Taking a Break from Counselling
In Episode 221 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly are back with three more topics:
- In ‘Counselling Foundations’, we’ll talk about the dreaded task of writing a case study.
- Next in ‘Focus on Self’, the option of taking a break.
- And finally in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Dr. Ian Newey about a book called The Power Threat Meaning Framework by Lucy Johnstone and Mary Boyle.
Writing a Case Study [starts at 1:55 mins]
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Writing a case study is never easy, but in this episode, Rory and Ken discuss certain things to think about when it comes to putting your own case study together:
- Weave in the theory that you’ve been taught.
- It shouldn’t be clinical, include yourself in the therapeutic relationship – it’s not a psychological case study.
- Make sure you're thinking of the client as a human being.
- Have an understanding of Bloom’s verbs and use them e.g. analyse, explain etc.
- If you're doing a supervision based case study, look to yourself and your own supervision. This may not always be what you did do, but sometimes what you didn’t do.
- You’ll need to include a conclusion.
- Reflection – what you might’ve done differently if you were to do it again.
Free handout download on Writing a Counselling Case Study is available in the green button above.
Taking a Break from Counselling [starts at 17:05 mins]
Within this profession, you can be hit with an unexpected curveball such as a bereavement or separation, or you may just face a burnout. Both of these are completely natural, and it’s perfectly acceptable to put yourself first in these situations.
The main points of this discussion are:
- It’s the right thing to do, both for you and your clients, to step back when facing personal difficulties.
- Look at your ethical body and check the allowances for stepping back and the actions that must be taken.
- Stepping back isn’t a weakness – it’s a strength to be able to recognise when you need a break.
- There is always the option to return when you feel up to it.
The Power Threat Meaning Framework [starts at 32:42 mins]
In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Dr. Ian Newey about The Power Threat Meaning Framework by Lucy Johnstone and Mary Boyle.
The key points of this discussion include:
- Labels can sometimes have a damaging effect – they can close down questions instead of opening up more.
- A diagnosis isn’t an answer, it’s a set of patterns put together by a committee.
- Contextualize distress – ‘what happened to you?’ instead of ‘what’s wrong with you?’
- Helping a client to understand how they got there can help them understand how to get out.