259 – Counselling Cult Survivors

Preparing Clients for Breaks – Understanding Ethical Bodies’ Complaints Procedures

In Episode 259 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly are back with this week’s three topics:

• Firstly in ‘Theory in Practice’ we look at preparing your clients for breaks.
• Then in ‘Practice Today’, Rory and Ken discuss understanding your ethical body’s complaints procedures.
• And lastly in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Claire Alison Hams on counselling cult survivors.

Preparing Clients for Breaks [starts at 03:25 mins]

Taking breaks are an important part of your practice and self-care, listen as Rory and Ken mention some things to consider when it comes to taking your well-earned break:

• The quality of the therapeutic relationship is an indicator of positive outcome for the client – unexpected breaks risk damaging this relationship.
• How much notice should you give the client? You may want to do this as soon as you yourself know you’re going to be taking a break, alternatively, you should let the client know a week in advance for every month you’ve been working with them e.g. if you’ve been working with a client for three months, try to let them know about your break three weeks in advance.
• If your client is high risk, you may need a support plan in place e.g. having them see another counsellor in your absence.
• Reinforce your boundaries, don’t give out your phone number.
• If you decide to continue your counselling online during your break – speak to your supervisor, this is a decision that needs to be well thought out.
• Look out for some signs of dependency – is there building anxiety in the client as it gets closer to your break? Is the client bringing more and/or heavier material? Are their presentations escalating or are they showing signs of projection/transference?
• Acknowledge this – ask if this behaviour is due to your upcoming break and work through that with them.
• You may want to do some support mapping with your client.
• If you’re in placement and something like this happens – speak to your practice manager.

Understanding Ethical Bodies’ Complaints Procedures [starts at 21:01 mins]

Looking into and understanding your ethical bodies complaint procedure is always a good idea – for both you and your client.

The main points of this section include:

• You’ll want to look into your ethical bodies complaint procedure so you can understand the mechanism of how a complaint is dealt with and the part you play in that.
• The more you know, the less you fear.
• Ethical bodies aren’t looking to punish when a complaint is received – they’re looking to mediate, hear what is to be said on both sides, understand, look at your contract, etc.
• You might be able to use complaints to improve an area of your practice – take them as things you might work on.
• During the initial contracting with the client, give the client info on how they would go about making a complaint – this balances out the power right from beginning.

Counselling Cult Survivors [starts at 35:45 mins]

In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Claire Alison Hams about counselling former cult members.

The key points of this discussion include:

• A characteristic of a cult might be a power imbalance within the community and coercive control – these create a sort of cultic dynamic that you might be able to recognise.
• Individuals should feel that they can leave safely – if there is fear either because they will lose a sense of community, their friends and family or if they fear for their safety, this is also an indicator of a cult or cult-like organization.
• When counselling cult survivors, the therapist should avoid using certain terminology with the client (such as cult) as this may be met with resistance.
• It’s important to be aware of the complexity of the control a client may be under.
• Gently help them to come to the conclusion for themselves, and support them through that.
• It can be painful and challenging for a client.
• The process is sometimes likened to waking up – being physically in/out and mentally in/out are both different things for the client and can feel like a huge loss.
• Clients who are cult survivors may struggle with freedom – finding their own identity.
• There may have been a pushing down of self, and they must now grow that.

Links and Resources

Counselling Skills Academy

Advanced Certificate in Counselling Supervision

Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide

Counsellor CPD

Counselling Study Resource

Counselling Theory in Practice: A Student Guide

Counselling Tutor Shop

Facebook group

Website

Online and Telephone Counselling: A Practitioner’s Guide

Online and Telephone Counselling Course