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]

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.

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.

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