257 – Counselling Muslim Clients

Locus of Evaluation – Meeting a Client in a Social Setting

In Episode 257 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through this week’s three topics:

• First up in ‘Theory in Practice’ we look at Locus of Evaluation.
• Then in ‘Practice Today’, we think about what you might do when meeting a client in a social setting.
• And lastly in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Tayba Azim on counselling Muslim clients and supporting them with their mental health.

Locus of Evaluation [starts at 02:52 mins]

Locus of evaluation is all about view of self – figuring out who we are and finding our real selves. Listen as Rory and Ken discuss the different types of locus of evaluation, and how this might present in a client:

• Internal locus of evaluation: trusting our own inner feelings to make right decisions and present as we truly are within an interaction or circumstance.
• External locus of evaluation: acting in a way to please others, appear better, impress, or be accepted – no longer acting from who we really are internally.
• You may see external locus of evaluation with a client who doesn’t trust their own feelings, decisions, ways of acting/interacting.
• They may be trying to be what they perceive others want them to be.
• It takes an act of courage to act out your internal locus of evaluation.
• An area of personal development – finding who you are, being more of yourself and less of who you think people want you to be.
• If a client says they’ve come to therapy because a partner/someone close to them suggested it – this is an example of external locus of evaluation.
• You may offer a soft challenge to this – asking, “how do you feel about that?” Does their answer stay in the external? Be asking the client how do you feel, what do you think.
• Be accepting – be there for the client as they find themselves and come to accept it.
• Think about where in your own life you might be operating in your internal/external locus of evaluation.

Meeting a Client in a Social Setting [starts at 29:59 mins]

There is always the chance, regardless of how slim, that you may bump into a client outside of sessions. It’s important for both you and your client that you know how you will tackle this situation.

The key points of this section include:

• When beginning your profession as a counsellor, you will need to tell those closest to you that there are now things you can’t speak to them about when it comes to your practice.
• Add boundaries to the contract – asking the client what they’re comfortable with.
• You may write into your contract that you will only acknowledge a client in public if they are the first to acknowledge you.
• Explain the reasoning behind this e.g. the client may be with someone they don’t want to explain where they know you from to, it may put them in a position where they feel they have to lie.
• If you happen to run into a client outside of sessions – put this in your notes, along with a short summary of the encounter. This could serve as evidence in the unlikely event that a client makes a complaint about you e.g. being unprofessional outside of sessions.
• Bring up the meeting in supervision – work through whether it has, or how it might, shift your relationship with the client.
• This is a reality of being a human being outside of your practice.
• Have you considered social media in your contract – what actions will you take if sent a friend request online from a client?

Counselling Muslim Clients [starts at 47:43 mins]

In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Tayba Azim about counselling Muslim clients and supporting them with their mental health.

The main points of this discussion include:

• Islam is a way of living and being – having that understanding is crucial to the client being understood.
• Having a general, basic knowledge of Islam – e.g. the 5 pillars, is an important starting point.
• Every client is an individual within their faith – it is important not to stereotype or assume.
• It’s important that counsellors understand that Muslim women do have rights, they are empowered – this has possibly been misinterpreted and affected by culture and/or the patriarchy over time.
• An understanding of this could allow you to empower and support the client; you will be able to explore that with them.
• When counselling Muslims, be aware of your own prejudices, where do you fall short in that therapeutic space?
• Have an understanding of colonialism and its impact.
• Understanding that there is more to Islam and being a Muslim than what the media portrays – acknowledging any subconscious bias you may have.

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