academy for counselling and coaching (acc) · © academy for counselling and coaching - level 2 ......

© Academy for Counselling and Coaching - Level 2 - V8.0 - www.counselling.nl - 1

Academy for Counselling and Coaching (ACC)

Counselling and Coaching Training - Worldwide - English Version

The Netherlands: www.counselling.nl - www.coachacademie.nl

Worldwide: www.coachingcounselling.com

Level 2 - Specialisation

Contents of Level 2 - Specialisation:

Introduction Level 2 ............................................................................................................... 2

Specialisation .................................................................................................................... 2

Knowledge ........................................................................................................................ 3

Practice .............................................................................................................................. 4

Personal Growth ................................................................................................................ 5

Essay and oral exam .......................................................................................................... 6

Possibilities ....................................................................................................................... 7

Preconditions ..................................................................................................................... 8

Changes ............................................................................................................................. 9

Dispute / conflict ............................................................................................................... 9

Intervision ............................................................................................................................. 10

Introduction to Intervision .............................................................................................. 10

Basic model ..................................................................................................................... 14

Incident method .............................................................................................................. 15

10 step method ................................................................................................................ 16

Balint method .................................................................................................................. 17

Contract - Example ......................................................................................................... 20

Brainstorming ....................................................................................................................... 24

Marketing ............................................................................................................................. 29

Solution-Focused Counselling ............................................................................................. 39

Client Contract - Example .................................................................................................. 44

Dutch Original: Niveau 2 V3.6 (2008)

Revised June 2017: Els Barkema-Sala

© Copyright Owner: Academy for Counselling and Coaching - The Netherlands

All rights reserved. No part(s) of this book may be reproduced by any process whatsoever without

the prior written consent of the copyright owner.


1 - Introduction Level 2

1.1 - Specialisation After attending the trainingdays for Level 1 Counselling & Coaching you may decide to

specialise in any particular topic or direction. It is important to broaden your knowledge and to

gain work experience in your chosen specialisation. By joining the Level 2 Diploma Course you

can gain further essential professional knowledge and skills.

Your clientwork will be presented in intervision sessions that form an integral part of the Level 2

training. The trainer will act as facilitator and participants take turns bringing in casematerial for

intervision, so all gain a thorough knowledge of how an intervision group can work together

optimally. After completing Level 2 it will be possible to form effective intervision groups with

colleagues on your own and to work as reflective practitioner.

You may select from a wide variety of specialisations:

Stress (prevention) counselling or coaching

Career counselling or coaching

Child, Youth, Adolescent, School counselling or coaching

Couple counselling or coaching (possibly including Sexuality and intimacy)

Conflict management or mediation

Corporate counselling or coaching

Healthcare / medical counselling or coaching

Counselling or coaching elderly people (and / or their relatives)

Integrative (or eclectic) counselling or coaching

Grief and Loss counselling or coaching

Victim Support counselling or coaching

Multicultural counselling or coaching

Weight / Health counselling or coaching

Spiritual counselling or coaching

Philosophical or Existential counselling or coaching

Executive counselling or coaching

Solution-focused counselling or coaching (or Brief solution-focused)

Strategic counselling or coaching

Telephone / Online counselling or coaching

Financial coaching / Budgetting coach

Nature / natural counselling or coaching.

There are likely to be even more possibilities. It may be difficult to choose, especially in the

beginning. You can select a specialisation before starting Level 2, or you may start it without a

specific specialisation in mind. What suits / fits you best is likely to become clearer as you go

along if you keep asking yourself: What it is I really want to do? What has my passion? What

really fits with me? What do I have experience in? What possibilities are there? What is in

demand?


1.2 - Knowledge The knowledge you gain during Level 2 and 3 from books or media, you incorporate together

with your work experience and inner growth in an essay. It is not required to demonstrate a

thorough memorisation of theoretical details, but you do need to show that you do apply your

knowledge in your practice. The final oral exam will be based on your essay.

The literature can be selected by yourself, in consultation with your trainer, from a wide variety

of publications. New books are being published constantly, but it is important that you select at

least 8 books that have to do with your chosen specialisation and that provide a solid base for

study and further reference, including classic works as well as current publications with the latest

insights or techniques. Of course you may read and study more widely than that and also

professional journals or articles are recommended.

Internet may be useful in finding relevant publications:

www.bacp.co.uk

www.mcgraw.hill.co.uk/openupusa

www.sagepublications.com

www.guilfordpress.co.uk

www.routledgementalhealth.com

www.therapybooks.org

www.cognitivetherapybooks.com

www.mentalhealthcounsellingservices.com/therapy-books.php

www.changingminds.org/books

Then of course there are www.bol.com and www.amazon.com, as well as Oxford University

Press and Cambridge University Press and many others. In well-stocked academic bookstores

there can be a good selection and they are most often able to order books for you.


1.3 - Practice The knowledge that you gain from the books and / or via other media or methods, you put into

practice in your clientwork. The requirements for obtaining the Diploma Level 2 include:

Attending the trainingdays 60 hours

Work as counsellor or coach (or mentor or co-trainer) 120 hours

Have personal counselling or coaching with a different professional 5 hours

Optional / recommended: additional supervision on clientwork ..... hours

Optional studyhours and attending additional workshops / trainings ..... hours

Total hours of the Level 2 course practice are a minimum of 185 hours

Trainingdays are used for various important topics that will be practised and discussed:

- Intervisiontraining for at least 20 hours in total via the basic method or various other methods,

so that participants will learn to be a reflective practitioner and will be able to set up their own

intervisiongroup later. N.B. Ongoing intervision (or supervision) is more and more becoming a

prerequisite for membership of reputable professional associations;

- Marketing, acquisition, presentation of your services, networking: all useful and necessary

skills to start and maintain your own practice or company, to liaison with other professionals or

organisations for referrals and interaction, to advance in your current place of employment or to

enhance chances for another position in the workforce;

- Extra professional skills and particular topics for more profound learning that can be

presented by your trainer, by another professional invited for a workshop on a particular topic, or

by students themselves so that they learn to present their specialisation with clarity and verve.

Among the extra skills there can be techniques / models such as: brainstorming or mindmapping,

solution-focused theory and methods, body language, focusing, family constellations, forcefield

analysis or appreciative inquiry.

Topics for more in-depth learning can be chosen from a list your trainer will offer and from

suggestions or requests from course participants - to name some possibilities:

conflict management

working with couples

individuation, autonomy and selfview

grief and loss

diversity and multicultural issues

aspects of meaning or existential perspectives

addictions (and eating disorders)

telephone / online counselling or coaching

personal / professional boundaries and referring clients on

helping clients get in touch with feelings and emotions

helping clients that have suffered severe trauma

non-violent communication

mindfulness training

brief counselling or coaching

research in counselling or coaching: pros / cons, methods.

Any other topics that are relevant for further professional development may be considered.

The minimum of 120 hours of clientwork can be achieved by working as counsellor or coach in a

volunteer organisation, provided the manager or supervisor can sign the relevant certificate for

you and permission has been obtained from the Academy for Counselling and Coaching. Some or

all of the hours can be accumulated in your own (starting) practice or in a work setting. Any

issues you encounter related to (client)work can be presented as casematerial in intervision (with

due attention to confidentiality and to the Ethical Code). You can also act as mentor or be

available as co-trainer.


At the very start of Level 2 you do not have to be actively working as counsellor or coach, but it

is imperative you gain sufficient clientwork experience at some time during the course.

It is optional, but recommendable, to regularly meet with fellow students of your group to

practise or study together or to discuss and set up projects like a workshop, joint marketing or

other (business) ventures.

You also need to make sure you get personal counselling or coaching for 5 hours and this from

another professional than you met with for the Level 1 requirements - this is to broaden your

experience and to have an opportunity to work on remaining personal issues or questions. All

three parts of Practice, Knowledge and Inner growth need to be incorporated in your essay for

Level 2. The oral exam will be based on that essay.

Take care not to attempt too much at once - some things require a growth or maturation process

and not everything can be accelerated. Be aware that Level 2 is not designed to teach you how to

counsel or coach (that is what Level 1 was for), but it can help you improve the quality of your

counselling or coaching by learning from Intervision and from the various in-depth topics that

can deepen understanding and broaden your professional repertoire.

1.4 - Personal growth By answering some or all of the following questions, you may get the basis for the essay part on

Inner growth:

What was your startingpoint at the beginning of Level 1?

How would you summarise your inner growth process of Level 1?

What does an inventory of your inner growth process look like at this stage?

Can you imagine, starting from now, another cycle in the same or in a different direction?

Do you choose for depth or for broadening of your skills, knowledge, techniques or

methods?

Write an essay, just like you did for Level 1 or in a completely different style or manner. Give

your creativity, inspiration and motivation complete freedom.

What may be in your essay regarding Inner growth:

1. Your point of departure: How am I now? What is my current position? Where am I?

2. What direction you choose: What do I want to be? Where will I be in a year's time?

3. How you arrived at that choice: Why / how did I choose that?

4. What made you choose that direction: Why do I want to develop in that way?

5. Summary of your specialisation: What are its methods / theory / basic attitude / beliefs?

6. Actionplan: What do I do / when? - Time schedule, Planning, Logistics, etcetera.

7. My journey: Report on my development during the study / practice time for Level 2.

8. Achieved so far: Making up the balance, profit or loss, (un)answered expectations?

9. How to proceed: New cycle? Continuing in this manner?

10. Other topics or issues that are relevant for you.

11. Literature, media, internet links.


1.5 - Essay and oral exam The essay should run at least 40 pages and it must contain:

your own learning goals and actionplan for Level 2 (and beyond)

overview of the total of clienthours or hours of counselling or coaching accumulated,

including all required proofs or certificates (that do not count as pages) or of your

activities as mentor or as co-trainer

referencelist of all studied and consulted books, media, journals, internet links

report on your practice experience, in general counselling / coaching or preferably in your

chosen specialisation (10 pages or more)

report on your inner growth during the trainingperiod of Level 2 (10 pages or more)

evaluation / certificate from (your supervisor and) your intervisiongroup regarding your

counselling or coaching work

a schematic and comprehensive description of the knowledge you have gained regarding

your specialisation (20 pages or more).

Fill in the Attachment Level 2. You can download if from our website (downloads).

Send your Essay together with this Attachment to the Exam Committee:

[email protected]

When both are approved you get an invitation for an oral exam by Skype / Webcam / Telephone.

Finally, to obtain the Diploma for Level 2 as Specialist Counsellor or Coach, it is necessary to

pass the oral exam based on your specialisation and your essay.


1.6 - Possibilities As counsellor or coach there are a variety of possibilities open to you:

Help people you know or come across with counselling or coaching techniques

Work (parttime) for any of the various volunteer organisations

Apply counselling / coaching skills in your current profession

Create room within your current job for counselling or coaching

Realise a shift in function to counsellor / coach within your profession

Work for a management or temporary / detachment agency as counsellor or coach

Set up a joint agency / practice together with other professionals

Offer your services as independent counsellor / coach within a company or organisation

Offer your services as independent counsellor / coach in your own practice

Combine / use your skills with(in) another profession

Brainstorm with other students / counsellors to find what really fits with you

Study websites of other counsellors / coaches to get more ideas of possibilities

See this course as a temporary step on your life's path and maybe select another direction

again - making use of the things you have learned

As counsellor / coach you can serve as sounding board, you can mediate in conflict

situations, support people in crisis situations, guide people in processes of change and / or

help them with personal effectiveness

You might think of areas like: social work, crime prevention, social-cultural work,

psychosocial worker, therapist, student counsellor / coach, mentor, trainer, teacher,

schoolcounsellor, coordinator, organisational social worker, company counsellor, group /

team leader, manager, organisational advisor, conflict mediator, confidential person in a

company or organisation, personnel manager, HR consultant or manager

You may network from your own practice (for training, consulting, support or referrals)

with GP's, psychologists and psychotherapists, ARBO (employers support) services and

various enterprises

Coach, counsel or train new students (for the Academy of Counselling and Coaching).

How much can you earn as counsellor or coach?

Counsellor or coach is a vocation that you go for because you like to help people - income is

secondary. In fact that is the case with any profession - the moment you do it just for the money

or when pleasure you derived from it has dwindled, you had better select something else.

Counsellors and coaches may earn anything from 'pro Deo' (working for free) to €250 or more an

hour. This income depends on your possibilities, skills, qualifications and how well you are able

to present your service to potential clients (as well as on your own wishes, needs, personal

philosophy and expectations). Study the websites of settled counsellors and coaches in order to

get a realistic impression, but verify it as much as possible. We now have a free market economy

and these vocations so far have not been regulated too much by government or bureaucracy, they

remain free professions although anyone setting up a professional private practice is now legally

obliged to register with the local Chamber of Commerce.

It is important to avoid being underpaid or overpaid and to seek an acceptable and fair rate for

your clients and yourself.

Though your possibilities are endless, it is good to take into account that it is highly unrealistic to

expect things will be handed to you on a platter. If / when you want to start as independent

counsellor or coach, you need to work at it as hard as any small business entrepreneur. Therefore

we give attention to the entrepreneurial aspects of becoming a professional counsellor or coach,

so that your chances may increase favourably.


1.7 - Preconditions Preconditions to study at the Academy for Counselling and Coaching:

Anyone who has filled out the registrationform truthfully, has been approved and has paid

the fees according to the agreement, may take part in the trainingdays.

Traininggroups may be fully booked even before training starts, so we reserve places

according to registration and payment received - check the website or mail / call us to

make sure there are still places available.

Some people may start at Level 2 provided they can show proof of having mastered the

material of Level 1 thoroughly and comprehensively - diplomas, certificates, references,

exam results, essays, adequate proof of that is required.

The Ethical / Professional Code for counsellors and coaches is binding at all times.

The Good Feedback rules apply at all times.

If / when you cannot attend training because of serious illness or emergency, you need to

inform your trainer, in advance if at all possible.

Having an open mind, genuine interest in others, adhering to humanistic principles, being

creative, independent, self-steering and persevering are all necessary elements for

completing the courses.

There is no obligation, but we would like for you to obtain the diploma. We strive for 100%

student satisfaction and so we wish for each person to obtain their diploma. It does not matter that

one person takes longer than another.

If you want to stop eventually, please contact your trainer in advance to help you check out if that

really is what seems to be best and in order to have the best possible closure. Most often

problems and obstacles can be solved! To stop without informing anyone or to just drop out is not

a very good option. Even if you have a complaint or a grievance, it would be better to express

that than not to let anybody know. Trainers and others involved are generally all very willing to

learn, even from their (alleged) mistakes.

There can be no restitution after stopping or interrupting a course. If students want to resume the

course at a later date, they would be asked to pay the full amount of trainingpart fees again before

they could join a new group. Switching from one group to another is normally not an option.

You will obtain the diploma for Level 2 once you have met all criteria for Level 2 and have

received the diploma for Level 1 (or have been granted exemption for that, as mentioned above).


1.8 - Changes Though this Diploma course has been well thought out, we strive for excellence. Staying at a

certain progress level may mean stagnation. Many new insights, feelings, developments,

methods, technologies and changes result from student preferences. Like society, we are

constantly changing. We want to offer the best for the lowest fees possible. That is only possible

by innovating / improving constantly. Often others copy us. That is fine in itself, but to keep

abreast, we need to constantly renew and improve our courses.

Counselling and coaching is all about learning to deal with changes, effective changing and

aiming to help others get to a preferred situation.

To continue to offer optimal educational courses, we need to be adaptable to necessary changes.

In the courses itself things may change, may be added or altered or combined. Rules may be

adapted.

We listen to feedback from students, trainers and other people, and we adapt the training courses

accordingly. But we cannot grant every wish, just like it is not possible to switch spare parts in a

moving vehicle. Sometimes there are contradictory wishes and we need to select the best option,

sometimes it seems best to bide the time, accumulate changes and apply them at an opportune

moment.

It has happened that not everyone appreciated changes. We have at times been unable to fully

meet the wishes or preferences of more than 10,000 people, most often because it concerned

opposing wishes. Besides we also have to take into account professional organisations, laws and

regulations and general social trends, diverse cultures, norms and behaviours.

It is rather difficult to provide sunshine for tourists

and rain for farmers simultaneously.

We do our best, but we cannot prevent occasionally having to implement changes that are not to

everyone's liking. The Academy maintains final authority in this respect.

Should mistakes or inconsistencies be detected in this section or in the general Studymap, please

let us know.

1.9 - Dispute / conflict We strive for 100% student satisfaction. Nevertheless, conflict or disputes may occur, either

because there is a misunderstanding due to less than optimal communication, sympathy or

antipathy, contradicting commercial interests, human mistakes. A conflict or dispute may occur

between a student and (co)trainer or between students. Conflicts are there to be solved.

The pathway towards conflict resolution is normally:

Parties to a conflict first try to solve it themselves in a harmonious manner. When that does not

work, then a mediator (a neutral person with expertise in issues related to the conflict) may be

called in, to be paid for by both parties (50-50). The mediator would hear each party separately,

then meet with both parties together for an open discussion, starting with seeking a definition of

the problem, a positive goal or desired outcome for both parties and finally an actionplan towards

achieving that. Should discussion nor mediation provide a positive resolution, then it may be

possible to settle the case via some form of legal or juridical intervention.


2 - Intervision

2.1 - Introduction to Intervision

Characteristics of intervision are:

collegial support with regards to

mutual consultation for work-related problems

in a learning group consisting of equals

who within a jointly agreed format

aim to arrive at insights and solutions

in an autonomous learning process focused on reflection.

Goal and functions of intervision:

learning: new skills regarding your work (counselling / coaching)

consulting: consulting colleagues about specific workproblems

reflecting: encouragement to reflect on a particular problem

controlling: attention to professional standards and social control

supporting: helping with work, but also with personal problems affecting work

networking: to get to know colleagues better and possibly work together

sharing: talking with colleagues about (client)work or related topics.

Intervision rules: 1. Choose the structuring or method for the intervision discussion that fits the current level

of the group.

2. Be sure to relate the topic to what is going on here and now for the participants. This

allows for more recognition and involvement for participants with the main topic.

3. Before starting with intervision, individual and joint expectations and goals should be

expressed.

4. The working method and results of intervision are related to the different learning styles

of the participants.

5. Agree to clearly understood rules about e.g. attending, before starting intervision. If

intervision takes place within an organisation, it is recommendable to work with a

contract.

6. Never take part in intervision together with your boss! Do not build in hierarchy, because

that would obscure ways towards the goals of intervision.

7. Take ample time for an inventory of work problems and for the right choice of what will

be discussed.

8. Pay attention to a thorough and concise formulation of the problem or question. Re-

formulate the problem after the analysis phase.

9. Ask plenty of questions in intervision; keep asking! But do not interpret, judge or suggest

- that will block the presenting person (PP).

10. Positive feedback is a powerful instrument for behaviour change.

11. Use the checklist and the base model for intervision.

Note that the focus should be on the person who brings in case material (PP) and on the case /

work description (not on an absent client or other persons); in that respect it is important to watch

for 'parallel process' and to observe your own reaction / associations.


Guided intervision teaches you what intervision is, what format or structure works well within

intervision meetings, how to start and maintain an efficient intervision group and how to

safequard the process for an autonomous group of peers or colleagues, without assistance of

trainer or facilitator.

Key learning goals of the intervision during trainingdays Level 2 are:

to fully grasp the basic principles of intervision

to apply the necessary skills for peergroup / collegial intervision

to learn to reflect on your own professional conduct

to offer and receive correct feedback

to bring in casematerial from your own (client)work

to detect old / unwanted patterns in yourself

to change those patterns for new behaviour

to write reflection reports

to be able to continue independently with an intervision group

to be able to start a new intervision group

to exchange / share problems and solutions

to remain motivated in your work

to listen to, accept and empathise with others and to learn from others

to stay open for other methods or working styles

to learn independently

to increase your professional skills

to describe in your essay how you have done that.

Within intervision we work at 3 levels:

- Concrete level: Talking about a work-related problem may produce obvious solutions, either

because you detect your own blind spot or because the intervision group assists you in your

exploration. Sometimes, you may be able to apply such solutions at the very next opportunity.

Intervision may help detect even more (less obvious) solutions that might work equally well. This

level focuses on fact-finding and exploration.

- Analysis / suggestions level: on the basis of what has been presented and described, it may be

possible for each participant to analyse the problem and to come up with suggestions or advice

(the various intervision models provide opportunity for that at some point in the process). PP gets

a number of suggestions or advice and responds as to which ones seem useful and why. This is

the more open approach. PP ultimately selects her / his own strategy or solution. That way it may

be possible to select elements of various suggestions and yet compose your own solution and

foster new behaviour in yourself.

- Reflection level: a more advanced group or a group with a specific professional background can

learn to work more reflectively. By reflection we mean looking back, pondering interactions and

searching for (hidden) meaning, with the aim of widening one's perspective and possibly allowing

for positive behaviour changes. Such a group would not close itself off for concrete advice, but

would prefer to widen the scope of exploration from the presenter of the problem to all

participants. Material for reflection is offered in order to come to new insights, this may

ultimately lead to behaviour change at the level of attitudes, norms and values.


Further learning goals for intervision that relate primarily to enlarging the scope of one's

professionality and expertise, can be:

presenting and phrasing aspects of professional conduct as a clearly defined

(problem)area for investigation, analysis and clarification

optimalising the quality of individual professional functioning.

Subgoals can be:

allowing for exchange, sharing and support

increasing work motivation

enlarging the range of one's skills

seeking alternatives to solutions and making choices

learning to work autonomously

learning to listen, accept, empathise with others

learning to work with new methods.

In that respect, the intervision group can fulfil various functions:

The intervision group as place for exchange and relating - This tends to be necessary at

the start of each meeting and it has a social function in providing a sense of 'belonging'.

People feel the need for a small and safe group because of the clear space and the holding

and sharing it provides them with.

The intervision group as support group - In the intervision group there is attention for

your story, your own feelings of anger, vengeance, agression or frustration. In the

intimacy of a small group, these things can get a place and can produce new energy.

The intervision group as coach - In the intervision group there is a searching for effective

solutions or guidance and there is reflection and thinking out loud. This can raise

everyone's quality and professionality, also because of the autonomous nature of the

group and because of adherence to good process-guiding rules.

Process report: Intervision groups that are not under guidance of a trainer, need to select a process manager on

rotation basis for each meeting - this person guards the process and adheres to the structure and

format of the agreed intervision model, including minding the allocated time for each phase and

making sure all participants get a turn for questions, input or suggestions. The process manager

also takes care of approriate closure to the meeting and (particularly if it is required by a

professional association) may be asked to write a brief process report.

Reflection report: The presenting person makes notes during the intervision, which will be incorporated with

impressions, feelings or thoughts, suggestions and possible insights and presented in written form

in a brief reflection report. It is important to keep practising writing such a report and discussing

it briefly in the next intervision meeting. Reflection reports can be incorporated in your essay as

well, only maintain confidentiality and anonimity then and refrain from using participants' full

names. In the reflection report the following points merit attention:

what insights did you get?

what have you done with suggestions or advice in practice?

how have you experienced the collegial interaction?

do you see any change in behaviour within your (client) work?

was anything missed that still deserves attention?


Intervision rules (once again):

Select the intervision structure and method that fits best with the current developmental

stage of the group.

Make sure to have participants pay attention to what is around the presented case in the

current moment for all participants. That aids recognition and increases relevance for all

present.

Before starting an intervision group, all participants' expectations and goals should be

clarified explicitly.

The method and results of intervision are connected to the different indivdual learning

styles of the participants.

Have clear and concrete rules before you engage in intervision with each other, for

example regarding attendance. For intervision within a work organisation, it is

recommended to work with a formal contract and in fact, some professional organisations

will expect this of their members.

Never join an intervision group together with your boss or manager! The intervision

group should have no hierarchy, because that precludes achieving the goals of intervision.

Take ample time for an inventory of the various (client)work problems and to select the

most appropriate one (that can be on the basis of urgency or of consensus).

Pay careful attention to the concise and precise wording of the formulation of the problem

or question. Aim to reformulate the problem or question after the analysis phase.

Ask a lot of questions during intervision, keep asking for as long as there is time!

However, do not interpret, judge, or assume things - that may block the presenting person.

Just listen and keep asking for factual information.

Positive feedback is a powerful instrument for behaviour change.

In the beginning, use the checklist and the basic model for intervision.

Checklist: 1. Intervision meetings are not voluntary, participants need to be committed and attendance

is obligatory (barring serious emergencies).

2. Aim for an intervision group of 8-12 persons.

3. Aim for a quiet space with a pleasant atmosphere, where you will not be disturbed (switch

mobiles off).

4. Agree on a verbal or written contract. If need be, a contract can be signed with the

organisation that facilitates the intervision.

5. If it is an option, make sure that facilitation via your place of employment has been

arranged: hours, fees, travel costs...

6. Safeguard equality and collegiality in the group.

7. Safety, confidentiality and trust are the basis for an intervision group. Nothing should be

disclosed outside of the intervision group and meetings.

8. Agree on who will be process manager for the first meeting, how long the meeting will

last, who prepares a case or a topic, whether there is any additional homework or

preparation, and whether a report needs to be written and who keeps reports / records.

9. Make a careful planning for as long as an entire year, so that enough intervision meetings

can be scheduled in the time available.

10. Plan for evaluation at regular intervals and for an end-date plus end-evaluation. Determine

after a year whether you want to continue together and in what manner. Discuss

unexpected changes together.

11. Intervision is primarily for yourself. It enhances your own quality of work and your

professionalism. Show enthusiasm and engage in the process.

Dare to learn from intervision!


2.2 - Intervision - Basic model

Phase 1 - Introduction.

Participants share: How is everybody after the last time? What happened to the advice or

plan for the problem that was brought in? Is it ok to start?

Think of the workproblem or case each person wants to bring in.

Then a problem inventory follows (variations: write them down, draw them, cases, profile

descriptions)

Phase 2 - Selection of a problem.

Choose a work problem according to the following criteria:

o urgency

o a general, common problem that all share

o take turns bringing in a problem or case.

Phase 3 - Analysis of the personal workproblem or case situation.

The presenter describes the problem.

The group asks information questions.

Ask probing questions, but do not interpret, judge or suggest.

Phase 4 - Awareness.

Re-formulate the personal work problem.

Round off the analysis phase with:

o a round of advice or suggestions

o discussing insights (reflection).

Make an action plan.

Phase 5 - Discussion of the group theme.

Determine how the topic relates to each participant.

Formulate on that basis the group theme.

Discuss insights that have emerged (awareness, reflection).

Seek a connection from there-and-then to here-and-now.

Phase 6 - Evaluation and next meeting.

How have you experienced this meeting?

What have you learned from it personally?

How did you like the method or model?

Agree on the planned next meeting time and place.

Total Time: 90 - 150 minutes.


2.3 - Intervision - Incident method

Step 1

Introduction or choice of incidents, selecting one (max. 20 minutes)

Step 2

Outline problem situation. (5)

Step 3

Note down information questions for yourself. (5)

Step 4

Information round (asking for factual information.) (15)

Step 5

Analysis of the situation (group discusses amongst themselves how / what they see as causes,

factors, role PP and others, seek connections and express interpretations (while PP listens and

observes) (10)

Step 6

Standpoint determination by group: What would I do and why? formulate this for yourself and

then write it down on board / FC or read it out loud (without discussion) (15)

Step 7

What did / does PP do in actual fact? (5)

Step 8

Closing discussion: PP may comment on different approaches, state need for reactions, if

necessary. What are pros / cons of a specific approach? Reactions to that? If possible, there can

be broadening of perspective to participants' own situation. (25)

Step 9

Evaluation: Note what you have learned from this discussion. Note how you liked the way the

topic was discussed. First PP talks about that, then participants, facilitator summarises. (10)

Total Time: some 110 minutes.

Total after introduction / selection: 90 minutes.


2.4 - Intervision - 10 steps method

Step 1

The presenter (PP) relates the problem or presents the case, participants just listen, PP formulates

the problem or question. (3 minutes)

Step 2

Participants formulate 2 short questions for themselves, write those down without any discussion

on a board or flipchart for all to see. (5)

Step 3

PP grades the questions with a + (positive, useful) - (negative, not useful) or 0 (neutral, not sure);

participants observe, make notes re non-verbal signals (Observation). (<5)

Step 4

PP answers all questions, participants just listen and observe. (10)

Step 5

All relevant questions can be asked and answered - formulate brief and to the point, seek out

doubts, dilemmas, feelings / emotions, also professional beliefs, assumptions, convictions. (20)

Step 6

Re-formulate the problem (Analysis) - participants write My problem is... while empathising with

PP, each one writes this on the board / FC without comment. (10)

Step 7

Evaluation by PP with +, - or 0 and a brief explanation (another impulse to reflect on the problem

or key question). (5)

Step 8

PP reflects and reformulates the problem. (<3)

Step 9

Now the problem as reformulated by PP is central - What insights has PP received? What

possibilities are there to get to a solution or change? What questions does PP have for the

group? What is still a hindrance or obstacle? Finally, all participants present PP with a brief

suggestion or recommendation (written on board / FC). (20)

Step 10

Closure by PP - reacts briefly to the advice and formulates a concrete action plan (without much

discussion), group members reflect on what was valuable in this way of working for each one

personally. (5)

Total Time: 85 minutes.


2.5 - Intervision - Balint method

The Balint method for intervision was developed by Dr. Michael Balint (a Hungarian medical

doctor and psychoanalyst) in the 1950's. It is a method for an intervision group of (helping)

professionals, such as general practitioners, specialists, therapists or counsellors to examine a

case, explore the presented situation empathically and formulate any possible strategies for

action. This involves primarily focusing on exploration of the problem and learning about

personal blind spots.

The aim of the method is twofold:

finding a generally accepted diagnosis, i.e. what is the real problem here?

examining personal impact and influences of the helping person with regards to the

solution.

Via this method Balint hoped to get a better view of problems in order to arrive at more effective

solutions. Through his work as psychoanalyst, Balint had discovered that by far the most applied

medicine in a doctor's practice was the doctor himself. More than the cough syrup or pills, it

seemed to be about communication between practitioner and patient and the atmosphere this

discussion took place in. After all, complaints are often symptoms of deeper underlying

problems. Hence his emphasis on the need for intervision meetings, where participants can profit

from each other's experience and support.

Group members can gain more sight of their own part in interactions and on any transference

issues in the practitioner-patient relationship and can learn to develop a completely new

perspective towards daily practice. Transference we call all thoughts and especially feelings that

the patient / client projects on the practitioner, counter-transference is the reaction of the

practitioner to those thoughts / feelings (both phenomena most often on a subconscious level).

The original Balint method contained a rather extensive number of distinct phases, that made it

time-consuming.

The "Balint Nederland" Association (part of a worldwide organisation) has devised a shorter

version that is more practical and effective and that offers groups of GP's, possibly combined

with medical specialists and / or mental health professionals, a very useful and interesting form of

intervision, that fits with a busy practice and hectic schedules.

Goals can be:

understanding human relations

overcoming judgement, prejudice and bias

developing oneself and thereby improving the practitioner-patient relation and / or

interaction with co-workers, colleagues or others.

This intervision method is very applicable because of a clear structure and attention to the

personal aspects of problem situations.


Conditions: The group's facilitator needs to have a number of skills:

knowledge of and experience with psychic phenomena

being able to observe personal boundaries and distinguish between separate spheres in

case of emotional involvement and recognition, such as in cases of transference

phenomena

able to consider personal counter-transference, combined with profound self-knowledge

sufficient experience with group processes (observing all that happens on a interactional

level, also non-verbal)

preferably having experienced the method and therefore understanding what effects it

may have, as well as being able to facilitate the different phases well with adequate

flexibility, empathy and presence of mind

provides a sense of safety in the group, because otherwise members would not be able to

discuss their own functioning (in a group of direct colleagues one may feel more

threatened that with distant people that never work closely together)

keeps in mind issues / factors like self-confidence and autonomy, inequality, difference in

power positions and possible influence of education, experience, competition, seniority,

ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation

recognizes personal factors that may play a role (fear of failure, not feeling accepted,

etcetera) and promotes an atmosphere of equality, spontaneity, expression of emotional

reactions, deep exploration that may shine light on hidden themes, self-reflection and

insight (focus is on experiencing during the case presentation)

can uncover any covert 'group norms' if need be, so that possibly fake illusions or

prejudices can be dismantled

motivation is important to all - the facilitator can support this by providing a clear and

comprehensive explanation of the Balint method and the process that is aimed for and by

showing ongoing commitment and caring.

Group: Intensity varies according to the size of a group: ideally there are 6-10 participants, that sign up

voluntarily after possibly having attended an introduction meeting. After signing up, participation

is still voluntary, but not free (in the sense of arbitrary) - there is a commitment to attend and that

underlines the importance of the intervision.

There will be clear agreements as to time, place, frequency, duration, cost, safety, confidentiality,

goals, etcetera. Those agreements and ongoing procedures can be reviewed regularly (e.g. every 6

months) and revised if necessary. Possibly 1 or 2 meetings will be necessary to discuss and

establish all rules and procedures and to try out the method as starting group.

Group members reflect in advance on any possible problem or case for the meeting, which can

start with a brief inventory in order to select 2 cases. Selection can be on the basis of urgency, but

also of commonality, recognition or interest, or it can be someone's turn. The intention is to have

each member present a case regularly.

Participants can take turns to assume the role of manager and to keep notes. In case this person

wants to present a case, that task can be temporarily taken over by another member.

The group must be able to rely on the skills and competencies of the facilitator in order to ensure

adequate safety, allow for authentic questions and genuine participation, that will all contribute to

the atmosphere. Above all, the facilitator takes care of guiding the process and, together with the

manager, of keeping the time.


Time required: Though originally some 2 full hours were designated to run through all facets of a case, the

shortened version is also very useful. That way the programme could be as follows:

19:15 start arriving, social interaction and have some tea / coffee

19:30 prompt first case (50 minutes)

20:20 break

20:40 second case (50)

21:30 end of intervision meeting.

For each case the formulation of the Balint question is central: What is the personal focus? This

question helps deepen content discussion quickly, also for the group members. The preferred

sitting arrangement is for all to be seated in a circle, with PP initially being part of that circle (as

described anon).

The method can after selection of a case (5) be reduced to:

Presenting problem: The Problem Presenter (PP) briefly describes the situation

around the case presented and formulates the question or challenge. (5)

Information: participants ask for factual information with regards to what

actually took place and what the experience was like, in order to clarify and thereby gain

insight in any possible limiting or enhancing factors - PP answers questions briefly and to

the point. (10)

Discussion / association: PP withdraws to a place outside the circle, while the

group members discuss the case. Apart from facts and observations, individual

associations or experiences in similar situations can be included. PP just listens and

observes. (10)

Reaction and meaning: PP rejoins the circle and reacts to the discussion,

reformulates the question if possible. Group members can then give PP some brief advice

or suggestion. (10)

Conclusion: PP reports what seems useful about the discussion and advice and if

possible, formulates an alternative strategy (effect of that may be reported in a subsequent

meeting). Participants reflect on personal connection with the presented case. (10)

Evaluation of the Balint method: This methodical form of intervision is distinct from collegial

consultation that can also be very useful. Adhering to the process ensures that certain issues can

get exposure such as: wrong assumptions or interpretations, projections that may influence advice

or affect interventions, blind spots, resistance, a tendency to suggestive questioning or reacting

too soon, or less effective communication. When all share responsibility for the process, then the

presenter can feel more free and able to express things more personally. That facilitates new

perspectives on individual behaviour and motivation and makes it an interesting learning

experience for all participants.

Helping professions benefit from practitioners

that have learned to reflect on their actions and thereby

foster ongoing professional development for themselves and others.


2.6 - Intervision - Contract - Example

Contract for the intervision group in (place:) ....................................................................

as required by (name professional association) ....................................................................

Characteristics of intervision:

collegial support with regards to

mutual consultation for work-related problems

in a learning group consisting of equals

who within a jointly agreed format

aim to arrive at insights and solutions

in a autonomous learning process focused on reflection.

1. Purpose of the intervision group: The most important goal of intervision is the advancement of professional conduct and the quality

of counselling work. Intervision can have the additional functions of:

learning new communicative skills regarding the work of counselling (or coaching)

consulting: helping colleagues with specific workproblems or methods

supporting: helping with work, but also with personal problems affecting work

reflecting: development of reflective skills for the counsellor

enlarging the problemsolving competencies of the counsellor

self-direction is stimulated and supported

preventing 'getting stuck' in particular problem-solving methods or thought patterns; the

counsellor's creative thinking is encouraged

networking: to get to know colleagues better and possibly work together

controlling: attention to professional standards and functioning of the counsellor

sharing: talking with colleagues about work or related topics in an informal, pleasant

atmosphere.

2. Intervision rules: All groupmembers are bound by the professional code of ...........................

Client cases (or incidents) will be discussed with respect for the client and confidentiality

will be safeguarded.

Participants to intervision will work towards an atmosphere of professional trust and

respect for each individual member.

All information that is provided or discussed during intervision will be regarded as

confidential and treated as such.

For each year a year-report regarding the intervision group should be sent at the request of

the ............................... committee of the (prof.assoc.) to that committee. That report does

not contain content information, but it serves as supporting document for the re-

registration of the counsellors registered with ..................................................

During intervision there will be no smoking.


3. Structure of the intervision: Each participant to intervision brings in a case by rotation, though this may be deviated from in

case of urgency (if all participants agree). Cases can be in relation to:

a particular situation with a client

difficulties or problems in the functioning of the counsellor

personal problems that may affect the counselling work.

Discussion of a case presentation will be according to a pre-selected structure for the intervision

process. It has been agreed to have the following structure (indicated times can be approximate):

problem inventory, followed by a case description (15 minutes)

analysis round (30 minutes)

re-formulation of the problem by the presenter (5 minutes)

a possible round of advice or suggestions (20 minutes)

discussion of a possible group theme and agreements for the next meeting (15 minutes)

some time for social interaction.

4. The intervision method: The intervision method that will be used is the Basic Model (second variety, as described under

3.). If participants so wish, the original 10 Steps method can also be used at least once, in order to

provide variety and possibly to find out which method works best, so that that method could be

maintained throughout the year.

5. Participants:

The participants to this intervision group are:

................................

................................

................................

................................

................................

................................

................................

................................

................................

................................

6. Coordinator of the intervision group: As coordinator if this group is chosen: ....................................

Tasks of the coordinator are:

sending out invitations / reminders to participants for an intervision meeting

maintaining the attendance list

receiving reflection reports from presenters and process reports from intervision leaders

writing minutes of each meeting (not contents)

writing a year report of the intervision group (not contents)

maintaining contact and providing supporting documents to the (Registration committee

of the prof. assoc.)

if necessary, maintaining contact and providing supporting documents to other

professional organisations

ensuring all necessary materials will be provided for the intervision meetings

maintaining an up-to-date, available groupfile of the intervision group

maintaining the intervision group funds.


The coordinator can (eventually at the request of other participants) opt for a periodic or early

evaluation of the intervision meetings.

7. Intervision leader: The intervision meetings will be led by group members, taking turns. The intervision leader has

as task to:

ensure that all members get a chance to participate during the meeting

ensure that rules and agreements with respect to professional conduct, intervision

techniques and method, time, etc. are observed

write a process report of the intervision meeting.

8. Presenter: The presenter writes a reflection report of her experience in the intervision meeting. This report

needs to be handed to the coordinator of the intervision group at the next meeting to be initialled

and filed. The presenter needs to apply the rules for professional conduct in writing the reflection

report.

9. Frequency, time, duration and location of the intervision meetings: Per calendar year at least .... intervision meetings will be organised, but the aim is in fact for ....

meetings in all. Dates will be provided for the intervision schedule.

Start of the intervision meeting: ................... hours.

Estimated duration of the meeting: ....................

Location for the meetings: ....................

10. Cost of the intervision meetings: Possible costs of intervision may consist of administrative and organisational expenses. The cost

of possible food, drinks, materials or heating will be considered organisational costs and will be

paid for from a joint fund. At the first meeting, each individual member donates the sum of (€ 10)

which will be repeated after half a year. In case of shortness / excess of funds, this will be shared

by group members and a calculation will be made according to participation. The intervision fund

will be maintained by the coordinator.

11. Expectations of group members regarding procedural leading, the group and one's own

participation and related themes: On a separate sheet there can be an overview of possible expectations that may relate to the

leading and process of intervision, to the group and to oneself. This list can be added on by each

individual member for personal issues or concerns that merit attention. The list may assist in

evaluation of the intervision meetings.


12. Commitment to attend: For the added value of the intervision group, attendance is of crucial importance.

each member expresses her personal commitment to attend the meetings to the best of her

ability

each member accepts she will be held accountable for this commitment by other group

members.

Unavoidable absence needs to be announced well in advance (if at all possible) to the coordinator

of the intervision group.

13. Intervision schedule: The intervision schedule has been decided for 201.. as follows:

January ... 7. July ...

February ... 8. Aug ...

March ... 9. Sep ...

April ... 10. Oct ...

May ... 11. Nov ...

June ... 12. Dec ...

14. Signature: Undersigned, participant of the intervision group (place)............................. agrees to the above

contract and promises to the best of her ability to handle in line with this contract.

Name: .....................................................................................

Professional organisation: .....................................................................................

Registration / affiliation number: .....................................................................................

Signature: .....................................................................................

Place: .....................................................................................

Date: .....................................................................................


3 - Brainstorming

What is Brainstorming? Brainstorming is a structured way to generate ideas. When there are problems, questions or

challenges, brainstorming helps to come up with effective solutions. By working in a structured

manner, you may well come to surprising and useful solutions. You start by thinking of a lot of

possibilities and then select the best. Brainstorming can be done alone or in groups.

What is the use of Brainstorming? For any counsellor or coach it is an essential tool. During courses and trainings of counsellors and

coaches it is often briefly mentioned and the assumption is students know how to do this

automatically. That is not the case, quite the contrary - it is a special skill, that you have to learn

and practise diligently. Brainstorming is one way to raise your level of creativity, so you can help

your clients and yourself better, regardless of what presents itself.

Every problem has a solution.

The limitation tends to be in how problems and solutions are approached. By getting good at

brainstorming, you will gain a lot on colleagues who cannot do it well. You can help your clients

better and you can have your own practice flourish. It is true that ideas ought to come from

clients themselves, but if they meet with a counsellor or coach who suffers from learned

helplessness, then they will not be genuinely stimulated. You can learn to be a wellspring of

creative ideas.

How do you do that? In brainstorming you start by allowing lots and lots of ideas to bubble up. It does not matter at all

whether they work or not. Often thinking / judging actually blocks the creative process. So switch

that off or bypass it. Only after having gathered scores of ideas, you start testing them for

usefulness or workability and then possibly adapting them. If you do that sooner, it will stifle the

creative process.


The 12 rules for Brainstorming: 1. Thoroughly investigate the problem - the startingpoint - the question. Without solid

diagnosis it is useless to search for solutions, because then often solutions are thought up

for what is not the real problem. Make sure the real problem is uncovered. The right

diagnosis is half the solution.

2. Explain the rules of the brainstorming process and take care all adhere to them.

3. Set goals and boundaries. For example: number of ideas, sessions, duration.... Then stick

to them.

4. No idea is too silly or outrageous - in every idea there may be something good, just think

of the positive sides of any idea. Freewheeling is good. The more far-fetched an idea, the

better. Let yourself go! Go with the flow, go beyond the beaten tracks, create a flood or a

landslide.....

5. Be relaxed, ideas cannot be forced. Take time for it, it is a creative process. Relax

between sessions. Some sessions may take minutes, some days, weeks or years.

6. Totally refrain from judging during brainstorming, there is time for it later. What is

necessary first is to generate a vast amount of ideas that could possibly help or that may

contain some good.

7. Generate enthusiasm and foster a positive attitude in the group or in participants.

8. Expand on the ideas of others. Think of cross-fertilization and combinations. Totally new

ideas are rare, (subtle) changes in existing ideas can tip the balance towards success.

Search for combinations or improvements.

9. Quantity is what counts in brainstorming. The more ideas, the better. Quality will come

later. Perfectionism is not called for. It is fine if 99% of the ideas turns out to be 'not

useful'. They may still have helped you to come up with the one single useful idea that

helps you achieve your goal.

10. Dare to express anything that comes to mind. It concerns fantasies rather than real actions.

There are no rules, laws, ethics. They will apply when you start selecting. If it occurs to

you that murder would help solve a problem, then write it down. In fantasy that is fine and

it may lead to a more subtle solution, like taking on a troubleshooter. Just really write

down everything!

11. Regard things from various perspectives. Think outside of your own parameters. Einstein

already said: Problems can never be solved within the framework in which they were

created. Change your line of thinking and paradigm. Use anything that can be of help: all

your senses, experiences, education, training, background, knowledge. Look at the earth

from Mars with a telescope...

12. Use triggers. Keep going, even when you do not find new ideas. Change technique or do

some (physical) exercises first.

Things that hamper good Brainstorming:

Focus is on the wrong problem. So first start with a solid problem analysis or diagnosis.

Some problems do not lend themselves for brainstorming, like crisis situations, or when a

standard solution is available that you already know always gives good results.

The behaviour in the group may prevent success. Remarks like: this is off the wall - it

won't work - we tried that and it did not work then either - that is impractical - too

complicated - people don't want to change - too expensive - are all counterproductive.

The session is not structured enough. Brainstorming is very free, but in order to make it

successful, there need to be process rules. It requires discipline and structure to guide the

process. You cannot bake a cake without form, without oven or without the right amount

of time.


The 5 steps of the Brainstorming process:

Determine what the problem is.

Determine what the goal is.

Generate ideas to get from the current situation (problem) to the new situation (goal).

Select ideas for their merits and usefulness and choose the best.

Work out the ideas, devise an actionplan and work it out step by step.

11 Brainstorming techniques: 1. Abstraction technique: generalise the problem and think up solutions for that.

2. Wildest idea technique: the more outrageous the better - invent the craziest solutions.

3. What does not work?: choose things that pertinently do not work - change them into

working things.

4. Identification: get into the skin of the person, become someone else or something else.

5. Ask questions: who? - what? - where? - how? - why?

6. Reverse thinking: go back from the ideal situation to the current situation.

7. Reversal technique: reverse the place of keywords in the problem definition.

8. Wishful thinking: imagine a good fairy would do it for you, what instructions would you

give her?

9. Triggers: randomly chosen words - via wordlists, newspapers or magazines - free

association.

10. Choose the worst ideas and question yourself: what is good about it?

11. Forced relations: combine 2 randomly chosen outcomes.

Adapt solutions by: enlarging, shrinking, multiplying, rearranging, turning around, combining, changing, substituting,

using other things, tailoring, taking undesired elements out of near-good solutions.

Brainstorming - exercises In this exercise we have already determined the problem and set the goal. We will focus this time

exclusively on point 3: the generation of ideas. Adapting ideas, filtering ideas, formulating an

actionplan can be done as homework.

The problem is initially: I hardly have any clients. The goal is: I have a lot of clients. You could

further specify that but for the sake of the exercise let's keep it general, because each individual's

situation is different. From this the topic for brainstorming is:

How do I ensure getting lots of clients for counselling / coaching / training?

We can start applying the first brainstorming technique. That is the

1. Abstraction technique: generalise the problem and think up solutions for that. Thereby you can see the challenges and solutions from a wider perspective. The

counselling / coaching sessions become a product (or service) and it is not so much about

clients as about people that buy that product.

How do I ensure my product is bought?

(That product being a counselling session, a coaching session or a training.)


We have 10 rounds of 10 minutes, in which we practise all methods. We practise in different

groups. After each round the group disperses, relaxes for 5 minutes and then new groups are

formed. Per group 1 person writes the ideas down in a legible manner. After each round the

workshopgiver gets the loose sheets with ideas. These will be used for round 10 and 11. At the

end of the day we put together hundreds of ideas and 1 person compiles them at home in a

word.doc and mails them around to all participants. That document will be used again later.

Relaxation in between sessions: Do something totally different for 5 minutes such as:

listen to meditative music

observe silence with the whole group

go outside and walk around the block

talk to someone about your vacation

listen to hard rock

have something to eat or drink

fantasy dance to music

talk to someone about your future plans as counsellor or coach

walk around the room greeting each other in silence, extend your feeling towards the

other

wash dishes

use energisers

etcetera.

The 11 best Brainstorming methods: There are many methods for brainstorming. We now give you 11 + 2 (Mindmapping and a

Virtual Dreamlab are also very good methods, but they require more time and experience). You

may adapt any method or invent additional ones. Some will appeal to you more than others. It

also depends on the problem as to which method is the most suitable. Today we will use 10. Each

method we use for 10 minutes. Then we have an intermission of 5 minutes to start refreshed with

the next session. We apply the 10 techniques to this one single challenge.


Abstraction technique: generalise the problem and think up solutions for that.

Wildest idea technique- the more outrageous the better - invent the craziest solutions: Catching people with a lasso, binding them, coaching them, only releasing them after they

pay.

What does not work?: choose things that pertinently do not work - change them into

working things: When clients call, say you have no interest in their insignificant problems

- that can become: show genuine interest in people (5 minutes for things that do not work

and then 5 minutes to transform them).

Identification - get into the skin of ..., become someone / something else: Choose an

animal you admire the most, then become that animal - how do you tackle things then?

Ask questions like who? what? where? how? why?: Who can make sure my product is

bought? Who can buy my product? What would that person or organisation do to sell my

product? Where can I sell my product? When can I sell it? Why do I want to sell it?

etcetera...

Reverse thinking - go back from the ideal situation to the current situation: You have

become well-off through counselling or coaching, how did you achieve that? Go back in

time till you arrive back in the here-and-now, so start with your last project or endeavour,

how did you manage to engage that client or customer? Then move back to the one but last,

and so on. Use your fantasy here too.

Reversal technique - reverse the place of keywords in the problem definition: How

does the product ensure me being bought? The product improves on itself, it makes itself

attractive, it tunes in to clients...

Wishful thinking - imagine a good fairy would do it for you, what instructions would

you give her? Deliver a flyer regarding my services weekly in every resident's mailbox,

etcetera...

Triggers - randomly chosen words, via wordlists, newspapers or magazines, free

association: Animal rights party - a horse as coach - counselling for grief and loss of

household pets - animal-assisted therapy - logo like 'free as a bird'...

Choose the worst ideas and question yourself: what is good about it?: What is good

about catching, binding, sequestering people? It provides instant attention and name

recognition via the media.

Forced relations - combine 2 randomly chosen outcomes: Leave flyers in a hospital -

Give a presentation or lecture. This may become: Hand out flyers after a presentation or a

lecture or: Give a presentation / lecture in a hospital (to patients, relatives or staff).

These exercises can be done at home:

Adapt solutions by: Enlarging, shrinking, multiplying, rearranging, turning around,

combining, changing, substituting, using other things, tailoring, taking undesired elements

out of near-good solutions.

Espionage - how do others do it? how do successful people sell their product? Consider

Bill's mission: I want to see my logo on every PC, investigate... (Bill Gates - the brain

behind Microsoft.)


4 - Marketing

How DO you do that?

For the topic of Marketing we investigate the following areas:

your current situation

creative dreams about your ultimate goal

brainstorming about possible ways to get there

possible hindrances, obstacles, resistances, fears, limitations and sources of help

help from outside by the Intervision Thinktank

carrying out your actionplan.

Entrepreneurship, marketing, advertising are interesting professional fields once you actually

immerse yourself in them. A plant is naturally creative in its striving for continued existence. In

order to get its pollen to another plant it can use many methods, in spite of the fact that it has

neither hands nor legs. A plant may not seem to have many abilities and yet it has many ways to

achieve something. Just like en enterprise, a plant wants to grow and develop and get many

sideroots, shoots or branches. When you observe nature closely, you can apply that knowledge

and insight to your own enterprise 10 times better than someone with a university degree in the

field, because book knowledge only gets you so far.

Entrepreneurship, marketing, advertising are all DO areas. Now you may want to know what it is

you can do. Take a close look at the 10 Golden Rules, but mind:

There are many Golden Rules

They will only work if / when you apply them.

The 10 Golden Rules: 1. Discover what you really want.

2. Question yourself with every action: Does this get me closer to my goal?

3. Take the right action at the right time.

4. Discover the underlying principles in all you encounter.

5. Discover the needs of other people, grant them whenever you can but ask the right price

in return.

6. Help others reach their goals, so you may reach your goal.

7. Divide your actionplan in small, certain steps.

8. Persevere even when all else fails.

9. Create your own reality.

10. Be flexible.

These 10 rules may be more useful than 100 books full of marketing theories, provided you learn

them by heart and apply them. There is a hidden strength in simplicity. The repetition of a few

simple successful rules is more productive than complicated planning. You need no more than

that. Turn them into a Good Habit. Habits help you have things go smoothly without any effort.

You do not need to be intelligent, rich, attractive, powerful or healthy. There are literally millions

of people that have none of that and that have nevertheless realised their dreams.


At one time you got to the first place by choosing your own way. You were faster than billions of

others. You got the prize. Yet you were microscopically tiny and could have ended down the

drain. You chose to be first and your conception was an irrefutable fact. It is not by chance you

are sitting here. It is an act of WILLpower.

Now imagine yourself as fresh spermatozoid somewhere in your father's body (or if you want to

approach it spiritually, see yourself as a soul floating around). Visualize the whole and read the

10 Golden Rules once again. You will see that you did apply many of those rules then already.

That is how simple and basic they are. You do not even need to learn them, you know them

already. The 11th Rule is:

Make a plan and carry it out.

To do at home prior to the lessons on Marketing,

alone or together with people in your studygroup.

Your current situation:

Who are you? What can you do? What do you do? What is your specialisation?

How many people do you counsel or coach per week?

What do you get in return?

In which setting do you do that?

How well are you able to do that?

How content are your clients?

Name 3 things you like about your current situation

Name 3 things you are not content with.

Creative dreaming about your ultimate goal: In your fantasy go to the future. The nice thing about fantasy is that anything is possible. Direct

your fantasy towards yourself working as counsellor or coach. You help people by counselling or

coaching them. You may select to direct your fantasy 1, 2, 3 or 5 years ahead in time. Make your

dream as beautiful as possible. Imagine something you really want, something you could really

go for, something that makes your heart beat faster. What that is, you may choose.

Your dream gets centre stage. Take the time for it, because it is something that you will be

working on for the coming years. It is important that you wish for something you really and truly

want. Start with a wish and colour in all the details. The areas of focus can be:

How many years later is it now?

What have you specialized in?

What kind of issues do you prefer?

What do you like to assist people with?

Which people do you see as clients?

How many sessions do clients have on average?

Do you work in your own practice, in employment, as volunteer, freelancer, or something

else?

Which kind of enterprise appeals to you most?

Where is your practice?

What does your wider environment look like?

How does your practice look inside?

How do people find your practice initially?

How do people leave after the last session?


How many hours a week are you working with clients?

How much are your gross earnings per month?

What costs do you have?

Do you combine counselling or coaching with another profession?

Any other items that are of importance to you...

Write down the elements you dream of and work it out. Then look at how others do that. Study

50 internet sites of colleague counsellors, coaches or therapists. Note down any particulars that

appeal to you in all those sites. Mix the best ideas with your own dream to transfer it into a

diamond. Let it grow, ripen, polish it, work on it till you have a brilliant idea you can go for.

Discard all excess and just keep what is worthwhile: the shining kernel of your dream.

Bill gates had a simple dream: 'I want the Windows Logo of every PC'.

He applied the 11 Golden Rules and it made him the richest man on earth.

Brainstorming about possible ways to get there: Now that you have your dream of the future, we can investigate how you can realise it. Start with

the Reverse thinking technique (from the ideal situation back to the current situation), so start

with the desired situation. Imagine you have completely reached that. Then return step by step in

time to see what you have done to get there. What happened just before the desired situation was

reached? What did you do a day before? What did you do a week before? What did you do a

month before? What did you do 3 months earlier? Continue till you get back to the present. You

now have your first roadmap.

Use your computer screen, stacks of A4 paper, large sheets of flipover paper or a notebloc to

write down ideas of all the things you can do to reach your goal. Feel free to continue doing this

for days on end. If you get good ideas while in the loo, provide sheets of paper there; if the forest

or the beach is productive for you as to ideas, go there. The central question is:

What can I do to reach my Goal? (the goal that you formulated earlier)

Use all brainstorming techniques, alone or with others. The time you invest in discovering your

real dream and in formulating ways towards your goal, is well spent. You could easily invest 20

to 60 hours in it. Do try to immerse yourself in it. Be a wellspring of magnitude. (Sometimes

people are thrifty in a non-productive way and they suffer losses because of mean-spiritedness or

short-term thinking.) You can brainstorm while brushing your teeth, during meals, while

watching tv or even during intimacy though your partner may not appreciate your single-focus.

You may have brainstormed enough only after you have thought up more than 200 ideas.

When you learned how to brainstorm, this question was central:

How do I ensure my product is bought?

(that product being a counselling or coaching session or a training.)

To ensure that your product is bought is just a small part of the whole process. It is important, but

many other facets are just as important. Having the product bought is a means to reach your goal.

It is just 1 of them (even if you had more than 200 ways to reach it.) The other 199 methods you

can now brainstorm together.


It must be all about brainstorming, not about things you are actually going to do. Be creative,

exceed your limitations. This is about Major Quantities, not about quality. Nature also does

everything exceedingly plentiful. Think of the spermatozoids, such an amazing number all

together just so the fastest arrives and all the rest is wasted. Of the goal (the eggcell) there tends

to be most often just a single one. One goal helps to keep you focused.

After having produced a crazy amount of ideas, you can use them to make a sensible selection

and to formulate a foolproof Actionplan. Combine the results of your brainstorming sessions

(What can I do to achieve my goal? and How do I ensure my product is bought?) Write down all

elements that can be useful in an orderly fashion (Mindmap). Order first according to themes.

One theme for example can be: Advertising. Another theme can be: Interior decoration of your

practice space or, your Professional wardrobe. After ordering it all according to themes, you can

enter things according to a timeschedule in your actionplan. Of course the 11 Golden Rules and

SMART can come into action.

You now have 3 things to line up:

1. your current situation

2. your ultimate goal

3. your foolproof actionplan to reach your goal.

Those items have now been worked out in detail. Prepare a short presentation (verbal and on

paper) for your intervisiongroup, so that you can present these 3 points in 10-15 minutes.

Possible hindrances, obstacles, resistances, fears, limitations and sources of help: Of course we often try so hard to think positively, that we have lost sight of what it means to

think negatively. But it is possible there are a few items that may not have been fully ironed out.

We shall work on those here. Write down all questions, doubts, concerns you have about your

dream and your actionplan.

After having written them down, see if you can get to a keyconcept or several keyconcepts and

how to summarise those. What is it you would like to have help with? What do you still need?

Where do you list that in your actionplan?

You now have been able to list 4 items:



3. your foolproof actionplan to reach your goal

4. possible hindrances, obstacles, resistances, etc.

Literature: Before starting your own practice it is recommendable you consult with the local Chamber of

Commerce and with the Tax office, they may have useful and necessary information for you.

Recommended literature: Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson or 1001 other books.


Marketing - being self-employed

Starting your own company or practice is easy and yet it is not easy. It is easy in the sense that

anyone can stick a sign on their frontdoor stating Counsellor A. helps you very effectively. It is

not easy in that, in this complex society a lot more is required to get a successful practice. A

general practitioner (GP) has his own area in town, fixed prices, does not pay VAT and everyone

knows what a GP is and what she / he does. In addition, a GP has had a standardized education

and has a 'protected' and monopolized profession.

In contrast, counsellor, coach or consultant (if you prefer) are all 'free' professions and anyone

may at any time call themselves such and offer their services. It is nice we have the freedom to

help others through discussions (listening and talking). That is a major advantage of those

professions. You are allowed to practise them.

A second advantage is that you have minimal investment costs. You invest in your training. The

training course at ACC is relatively very favourably priced. Then you invest in a practice room

and advertising. You can keep those costs very low. They can be just a minor part of what other

entrepreneurs have to spend. Maybe you think your dentist costs a lot, but you don't know what

expenditure he / she has: sky-high training costs, having to buy into a practice, very costly

apparatuses, salary for assistant(s), administrative costs and someone to do the cleaning up. The

amount a dentist has to spend just to start practising is very high. Many starting dentists are

overloaded with debts. But even if you want to start a garage, you have the costs of the building

and all equipment in it. You could do franchising and then just have to pay for the name and the

idea: some €20,000 or more.

Advantages of the professions of Counsellor and Coach are:

Anyone is free to practise

Low investment costs

You can choose how many hours you work

You can choose when you work

You can start soon and can also stop fairly easily

You have the freedom to shape your product as you wish

It can be combined with other work

It is not too taxing physically

It can be maintained up into advanced age

It remains interesting and one can keep learning

You help other people.

Aside from the major advantages, there are things that require more effort than for people with

another line of work. Each enterprise has its own characteristics. A greengrocer has to make sure

all produce is sold before it spoils. In a dogkennel you might get affected by animal hair or fleas.

When you have cows, you cannot very well sleep in, because they need to be milked every

morning at 6 - vacation is unknown at a farm. If you trade in stocks and bonds like a stockbroker,

you may not recall what life without stress is like. If you trade in goods that are prohibited, then

your life expectancy may be a lot lower than that of a run-of-the-mill civil servant. If you are an

actor, you need to be 'discovered' first.

Things that require extra attention for professions like Counsellor and Coach are:

Having to make more efforts to get clients

Taking care of your own mental and physical health and inner growth

Persevering, being inventive, creative and flexible

It is really important that you do enjoy counselling or coaching.


For the part of Marketing we help you with the first point:

Having to make more efforts to get clients.

This is not just a matter of going out and doing it, but rather being Strategic, Intelligent and

especially Interactively Actionfocused. That means adapting your actions constantly, based on

the results of preceding actions. You use all response to your actions as feedback mechanism.

You determine what works. That method works better than mindlessly taking action because it is

written in a book. (Economists and politicians keep doing that and the effect is that they regularly

send entire nations to the verge of bankruptcy, while intelligent enterprises flourish in spite of

towering taxes.)

We have called this part Marketing. But actually you learn here 4 things that are intertwined with

each other. The overall description is: The Enterprise. For this you write a business plan. A part

of that businessplan is called Marketing. A part of Marketing is called Promotion of your

enterprise or business. A part of Promotion can be Advertising or PR.

What is a businessplan? In it you describe all important items that have to do with your enterprise. It provides answers to

the following questions:

What do I want? Your Dream / Goal. The enterprise as you wish it to be.

What can I do? You work with SMART towards your Goal.

What am I going to do? Actionplan: your Marketingplan (e.g. Promotion, PR) and your

Financial plan.

The core of your practice is your Dream. The basis is your Actionplan and the execution of it.

After having drawn up your businessplan and having started, most of your time and energy will

go into Promotion of your practice. Advertising and Public Relations or Networking play a role in

this. After gaining recognition, you will not have to spend so much time and energy on it

anymore. Having gained experience in this area will help things go more smoothly.

As you go along, you may effect small changes in your businessplan, but be aware changes cost

time and money. Therefore, take care early on to avoid the need for changes. Have a longterm

perspective. Calculate per change whether it is worthwhile in the long run. Major changes are for

example: a change in services, moving to a new location, joint venture, taking on personnel, new

companyname, new internetaddress, new phonenumber or different logo. Minor changes can be:

a different office chair, new pc or attending a professional development workshop.

It is easy to get new curtains,

but hard to change the foundation of an existing building.

Therefore give enough time (and creativity) to formulating your businessplan.

In life you often have 2 options:

1. wait until something comes your way

2. create your own future.

If you prefer the first option, then you may be better off in employment. If you prefer the second

option, then you may choose for entrepreneurship. What some people do is select overtly for the

second option, but covertly for the first - as a result, they hardly get any clients.

For marketing we do not have to give you an exam or test, all you have to do is read your own

bankstatement. If you have plenty of content clients, then you are doing well - if you have few,

then a number of points need improvement.


Marketing - Promotion

If you want your own company, then assemble as many folders, brochures, flyers, adverts,

businesscards and PR material as you can get. View websites. If you want to be employed, study

successful application letters and outstanding cv's. Bring all that along to the lesson.

A subpart of the entire marketingplan is your Advertising. Work out a detailed advertising

campaign that fits with your enterprise, your marketingplan and your target group. You use the

assembled material and the brainstorming sessions as sources of inspiration. Select 30 best

methods for your company. Write them down. Of those 30 advertising methods, select 10

methods you want to really put into practice. Keep the remaining 20 as backup.

If for example you specialise in counselling people with severe burns, investigate how you can

reach those people. The question is then: How can I find those people and have them get a taste

of my services? That would involve other methods than those of a couple counsellor. You do not

have to sell yourself, but you do need to inform people about the benefits of your product! Work

like an ancient Indian hunter that could read tracks, knew the habits of his targets, how to attract

them and how to approach them. Make sure you know your target group and how to approach

them. In addition to your specialisation, you also specialize in marketing your target group.

There are people who think differently. That is their prerogative. There are people who think it is

sufficient to stick a sign on their door:

Counsellor A for all your problems

also Reiki and gardening

After a month without clients, they place an advert and forget their telephone number.

Maybe they get the brilliant idea to make a flyer. After a lot of plodding, they manage

100 unprofessional-looking photocopies that they spread around parsimoniously.

Another month later they conclude it does not work. They start another course and

forget about counselling, Reiki or gardening. They continue to complain about their

low social benefits and the cost of everything. Whereas you really only get there by

making the right kind of effort and by giving, not just receiving!

You know your profession. You can counsel or coach well, otherwise you would not be here.

You are now getting specialised. At the same time, you ensure you can get good at Marketing

(unless you opt for employment or volunteer work). Marketing is a profession that can be learnt

by practising. It is essential you learn it. Without it you are likely to have few clients.

There are exceptions. There are sometimes people that do not show signs of doing anything in

marketing and yet they have lots of clients. They may employ different or covert methods.

Sometimes they write books or they are in the public eye. Sometimes they help influential people

and get mouth-to-mouth PR that way. Sometimes they have a lot of followers or fans that do the

work for them. In exceptional cases they effect miracle cures or appear to be much better than

others in a particular area, so again their fame is spread around easily. There are many methods.

See if any of those fit you or work for you.

My personal preference goes to Interactive Actionfocusing. I work Goal-oriented. I set a goal and

question myself: What am I going to do to reach it? That is totally different from most traditional

marketing ideas, they most often state: We do this or that and see how many people will buy it. I

say: I want 100 or 1000 people to buy this, what is needed for that? It may look similar, but it is

really a different approach and it can make the difference between failure and success. Therefore

use all of your psychological insight and knowledge in the areas of Marketing, Promotion and

Advertising.


Marketing - Focal points

Ethical Code for Counsellors and Coaches: Make sure you thoroughly know this and adhere to it at all times in order to protect yourself and

your clients. The Ethical Code emerged from many years of practice experience of many

professionals. The rules contain important public benefits. Your Enterprise, Marketing,

Promotion and Advertising all need to be in agreement with that code. A number of things that

some companies may do, we cannot. You may not claim fantastic skills or untruthful expertise,

nor should you raise false hopes. You must maintain professional boundaries. You must protect

clients from any conflict of interest. You must avoid dual relationships. Even when it is very

tempting, you should not trespass any rules, but instead take up such matters with your supervisor

or intervision group. Keep checking whether all aspects of your practice follow the Ethical Code.

In the long run, it is better to safeguard your integrity and above all, to always observe the two

pillars of the ethical code:

Always work within your level of competence.

Always work towards the benefit of your client.

Legal rules and regulations: Inform yourself of them, so you know your legal position as Counsellor or Coach. Prevention is

better than cure. So you need to know that as counsellor you have to be registered with a

legitimate organisation that handles professional Complaints and you have to inform your clients

about that possibility.

Professional associations: Affiliate yourself with the professional association that suits you. It is not obligatory, but it helps

inspire confidence in clients and in referring professionals or organisations. See the site for a

number of accepted professional organisations. Inquire with the professional associations or

organisations about their admission standards / procedure and what they offer you in return.

Contract or General Conditions: To provide clarity for yourself and clients it is recommended you think of having a formal

Contract or clear General Conditions, then to formalize and publish that so it can be generally

known. A possible model of a contract is provided. You can investigate what other companies,

counsellors or coaches include or it may be possible to obtain a standard model from your local

Chamber of Commerce or professional association and then to adapt it to your own practice. It is

important to mention that you are accountable to clients to assist them professionally to the best

of your ability, but that you are not responsible for them, nor can you be held responsible for

outcome or results of counselling or coaching.

Chamber of Commerce: This can be a useful source of information for any starting entrepreneur.


Tax authorities: Tax authorities (Belastingdienst in The Netherlands) are an organisation that helps in dividing

what we earn as fairly as possible. They do that via imposition of taxes and leave it up to the

democratically elected government to decide what that taxmoney is going to be spent on. The

higher your income, the more you are allowed to share it with others. It is wise to take this into

account when you determine your fees. Make a careful calculation in advance and set aside the

money you are willing to give to taxes, because if you don't, you may well get into financial

trouble. Consult with a financial advisor or accountant, if at all possible, and aim to attend a

workshop on 'starting your own business'.

Maintain an up-to-date administration, so you can show what your income and expenditure has

been. Otherwise the tax authorities themselves will make an estimate that is not likely to be in

your favour. Depending on the chosen business type / form and the height of your income, you

may have to deal with a variety of taxes: VAT (BTW in The Netherlands), Income tax, Salary

tax, Company tax, Joint Venture tax. But certain tax benefits may also apply: Investment benefit,

Entrepreneurial reduction re capital tax, Small business reduction, Fiscal Pension reserve, Self-

employed reduction, Starters reduction, etcetera.

Consult with the Tax authorities and with an accountant or financial expert.

Insurances: You may get professional indemnity insurance (many professional associations require this and

may also offer special deals with an insurance company) or you may want to insure yourself

against certain risks. It is worth investigating the costs and all pros / cons.


Marketing - Intervision

Help from outside through the Intervision Thinktank: After you have wrestled with the aforementioned 4 points of:



3. your foolproof actionplan to reach your goal

4. possible hindrances, obstacles, resistances, fears, limitations and sources of help

you can make optimal use of the Intervision Thinktank. You could do so earlier on, but it would

take a lot of time to think about what exactly you want. If you have taken the 4 points seriously,

you have invested at least 20 to 60 hours in them. You want to be well prepared. Working on a

genuine dream cannot just be done 'in between...' It requires a lot from you. Your payback will be

commensurate to the efforts you have poured into it. You have 1 hour of time to make use of the

Intervision Thinktank. Use that as efficiently as possible. We help you from the point where you

got stranded. But first see how far you can get on your own.

We work in roughly the same way as in Intervision for (client)work problems or challenges. The

total time is however 60 minutes, so 3 people can get a turn over 3 hours and 12 people over two

entire days.

Phase Name Description Minutes

1. Start What brought you to your Dream? 1

2. Input Give a presentation of your Goal and Actionplan 10

3. Analysis The group asks questions and probes deeper 20

4. Insight List strengths / weaknesses in your Goal / Actionplan

Where do you hit a snag? What would you like advice on? 5

5. Enlarging What would others do if they were in charge? 20

6. Evaluation What advice appeals to you? What is your first step? 4

You can prepare your presentation already days prior to the meeting and mail it through to your

Thinktank, so they can come well-prepared and you can utilize the group optimally. Here too the

rule applies: You receive commensurate to what you give. The more you help other members of

your group, the better you will be able to realize your own Dream.

Carrying out your Actionplan: You have done a lot of important preliminary work. That is the basis for the coming years. It is as

solid as can be. You are ready to carry out your actionplan. The general lines and the details of

what you want and what you are going to do are now known to you. What remains is just the

Action itself and jumping in the deep. It will always be possible to correct your course or to

change some things. It will not go smoothly from the start - there will be things that go wrong,

there will be adversity, but just like Odysseus you will eventually reach a safe harbour and then

the celebrations may start.


5 - Solution-Focused

Counselling

The model for Solution-focused therapy came about in the 90's and it has spread rapidly allover

the world in the last two decades. Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer are well-known persons in

this field.

In Rogerian counselling according to the old-style model, we leave the client complete freedom.

The client is central. We give our time, attention and empathy to the client. We try to understand

and feel the client's experience. If a client wants to talk about problems, there is ample room for

that, even if it takes 10 sessions. I notice this is still affecting you very deeply... In a more up-to-

date model there is plenty of room for the client's experience, but there is also challenge or

feedback and when appropriate, expression of a genuine desire on the part of the counsellor to

aim to help the client move forward and get to a better place. So there can be a fair amount of

process-guiding as well, to prevent discussions from becoming interminable and pointless.

In the Egan model the client is central too, in determining the content of the discussion. We do

aim to guide the process when the client seems ready for it.

Phase 1 Problems

Phase 2 Goals

Phase 3 Ways toward the goals - Solutions.

We have now got to the core of the problem, how would it be to explore your preferred future

situation?

In Solution-focused Counselling you explore the problems in just 5 to 15 minutes, you assist in

setting a goal and you start asking solution-focused questions. By asking those questions, you

initiate possible solutions. You do not ask about the problems or feelings, but you ask after things

that may help clients forward. What works? What can clients do? What is being done already? It

is a distinct approach, but you may be able to use it during counselling or coaching, especially in

Phase 3 of the Egan model.

People are often already working on solutions, even before their first counselling session. You

can strengthen that by giving it focus. In SF Counselling it is primarily about doing and less

about thinking (RET) or feeling (Rogers). Via the right kind of interventions, you can get to the

preferred situation and then you may start feeling better. Thinking - Feeling - Doing are three

distinct entrances you can use, either separate or in combination. Because emotions, thinking and

the body are in contact, a change in one area will impact another area and may cause change there

as well. How do you do that?

Assumptions of the SF Model:

Change is inevitable.

Difficult problems do not always require difficult solutions.

Clients have inner resources to allow for change.

Big changes start with small steps.

Development and adversity are both normal.


A number of Instruments:

Who is the client?

Cooperation

Exceptions

The miracle question

Scale questions

Goal-setting

Creating solutions

Focusing

Solution-focused attitude

Goals of a session

Compliments.

A number of Instruments - detailed:

Who is the client? - First find out who your client is. Sometimes someone is sent by for

example parents, company, social services, teacher, the partner. If the actual client is not

there, then ask what the designated client thinks the 'sender' expects of the sessions.

Continue until a (barely) noticeable shift occurs and the client actually shows what he or

she expects or would like. Aim for cooperation with the person who is there.

Cooperation - Assume the client to have a positive goal for the sessions. Thank the client

for trusting in you by actually coming to the session. Assume the client is already doing

things that may help and inquire what it is that is being done. Adopt the language and the

frame of reference of the client. When the client comes with solutions, ask: Imagine that

happens, how could it help you? Paraphrase but avoid confrontations.

Exceptions - Keep looking for exceptions to the problem. When does it not occur? When

is it less present? What preceded that? How could you create more of those exceptions?

How do you strengthen a positive pattern?

The miracle question - I am going to aks you a rather strange question.....(pause)..... This

is a strange question..... After our discussion today you go back home (or work / school)

and you continue to do what you normally do for the rest of the day.... Then it will be time

to go to sleep..... Everything is quiet and you are sleeping peacefully..... In the middle of

the night a miracle happens and the problem, that was the reason for your coming here

today, has been solved!..... But because this happened while you slept, you cannot

possibly know that a miracle has happened in the night and that your problem is

completely solved..... Now here's the question: what would be the little difference you

would notice in the morning, when you get up, that would make you realise Gee,

something must have happened - my problem is gone! ..... Insert many pauses in this

questioning and observe the client. It can be compared somewhat to Ericksonian

hypnotherapy (trance).

Scale questions - Imagine you have a scale of 1 to 10. At 1 your problem is at its worst

and at 10 it is the day after the miracle. How bad has the problem been lately? It can be

helpful to ask about times the client was even lower on the scale and then to ask what

helped to get that little bit of improvement. What can you do to move up one little step?

What for just half a step? (or even smaller) You can use scale questions to measure any

progress towards the goal, the motivation, readiness to experiment and trust or

confidence.


Goal-setting and refining - What goal could you start with? How will we know you will

not need counselling anymore? How would you like to interact with others? What might

take the place of the problem? What begins to happen? Which small changes show you

that you are getting closer to your goal? What changes may indicate something is starting

to happen? How could you get closer to your goal? What would you like to do

differently? Imagine that were happening, how could it change things? How can that

information help you? Keep asking about the goal and how it is possible to get closer,

even it is just 1 mm.

Creating solutions - Teach the client Solution Talk instead of Problem Talk. You then

shift the focus from attention towards problems to attention towards solutions.

What I do not want → What I want.

If things go wrong → When things go right.

Outside of my control → Within my control.

I am stuck → I can move forward.

More problems will come → Positive opportunities will come.

Useful questions may be: What is your goal? When does this already happen just a

little? How do you do that? What positive results does that give you? What is the

next step?

Focusing - Experienced counsellors can help focus the discussion increasingly on certain

details or can continue to ask questions without irritating the client. By asking about

increasingly smaller details, you help focus. Tell me just a little more about what needs to

happen for you to make this counselling successful. If we look back on that day after the

miracle, .....? What would help even more? How could it help better?

Solution-focused attitude - It is not just a matter of saying the right phrases or asking the

right questions. If you as counsellor are problem-oriented, it may be difficult to move

your clients towards solutions. So think and feel in a solution-focused manner. Do not

hand over solutions, but do ask the right questions, so that clients themselves can discover

solutions. These transformations can help you:

Seeking problems → Seeking solutions

Caring about → Empowering

Relation → Goals

Competition → Cooperation

Intervention → Discussions

Seeking truth → Looking for what works

During the session → Outside of the session

Personality → Possibilities

Culture → Freedom of choice

Critical → Complementing

Doubting → Hopeful

Knowing → Curious

Professional jargon → Ordinary language

Information → Experience

Complexity → Simplicity

Thinking / feeling → Doing

Depth analysis → Surface

Explanation → Description

Meaning → Result

Analysis → Observation

Major issues → Daily things

Shortcomings → Capabilities

Hidden agenda's → Good intentions

Suffering → Success


Goals of a session -

o The client feels understood

o The client gets a realistic view of the problem

o The client expresses what he / she wants or hopes for

o The client has described all goals in detail

o The client can indicate what she / he has done and what gives positive effect

o The client has the idea of already starting out on the way towards the goal

o The client has an idea for the next few small steps

o The client has a growing understanding that change can in fact happen.

Compliments - Give compliments for anything that leads towards solutions.

You can take 5 steps: Step 1 Questioning client Introduction. What have you already tried? What helped?

Step 2 Miracle question How do you know something is different? What

precisely is different?

Step 3 Exceptions When is the problem not there? How come?

Step 4 Suggestions Feedback and suggestions for creating more exceptions

Step 5 Agreements / contracting Contract / Homework / Set tasks.


Solution-focused Counselling - Exercises

Introduction Solution-focused Counselling (10)

Exercise 1 - Solution-focused questions (20)

Work in a group and brainstorm a fair list of solution-focused questions together.

How can you find out if the questions are genuinely solution-focused?

Exercise 2 - The Scale (15)

Imagine you have a scale from 1 to 10.

1 means you cannot counsel.

10 means you can counsel exceptionally well.

Place yourself on the scale of 1 to 10.

All groupmembers do that simultaneously by positioning themselves on an imaginary line

that traverses the space.

Where are you now? Where do you want to be in a year's time? What are you going to do

to get there?

How did the exercise feel?

Exercise 3 - Solution-focused Counselling (135)

Work in groups of 2.

You are a solution-focused counsellor with 10 years of practice experience and you

counsel a starting counsellor who has started a private practice just a few months ago, but

who does not have enough clients yet to derive an income. The beginning counsellor is in

a negative spiral and doubts her / himself, the profession, the marketing strategies, the

health insurance companies, the government and the effusive clients. Has tried everything

- nothing works.... Not much is left of the original enthusiasm. At wits' end she / he comes

to you for some tips.

You do not give tips that worked for you.

You do offer solution-focused counselling, so the beginning counsellor can get out of that

negative spiral and can move forward towards the goal.

Use the Assumptions and the Instruments of the SF Model. (50)

CC-evaluation: Which goals of the session have been reached? What was most helpful for

the client? (10)

After an hour seek another partner and change roles (60 in all)

Group discussion: How did you experience this as counsellor and as client? (15)


6 - Client Contract - Example

YOUR LOGO OR HEADING in colour or with an image or your photograph

CONTRACT

As member of the (name professional association) , counsellor (coach) (name) practices under

the highest professional standards and follows the ethical framework of the British Association

for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). A copy of this framework is available upon request

or can be downloaded from the BACP website at:

http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/.

May I ask that you read and sign the following contract? Please feel free to ask your counsellor

(coach) any questions that may arise before you sign, as well as any other questions you might

have during the course of your counselling (coaching) trajectory.

I understand that I have an initial contract of ..... sessions of ... minutes each, with

reviews conducted at regular intervals, at which point the contract may be renegotiated.

I understand that the fee is € .............. per session, which will be paid in cash to my

counsellor at each session (or via banktransfer to account number .......................... to the

name of ................................. within ..................)

I will contact my counsellor as soon as possible if I am unable to attend any of the

planned sessions. I understand that I will need to pay for the session if I cancel less than

..... hours in advance.

I understand that if I fail to attend two consecutive appointments without giving prior

notice, then the counsellor has the right to suspend or end this contract.

I understand that if my counsellor does not feel that she can offer me the support I

require, she will discuss options for referral to a more suitable professional or agency.

I understand that if I do not feel comfortable with my counsellor, I can ask to be referred

to another professional.

I understand that my counsellor abides by a strict code of confidentiality, which means

that she will not disclose any information about me to any third party without discussing

it with me first and getting my explicit consent, unless there would be an exceptional

legal obligation to do so.

I understand that my counsellor receives regular professional supervision (or intervision)

in relation to her counselling work and that this is bound by the same principles of

confidentiality as mentioned above.

I will undertake not to use alcohol or drugs (other than prescription drugs) prior to my

counselling sessions and I understand that such use could lead to suspension or

termination of this contract.


I understand that my counsellor may keep brief notes about the sessions which are

safeguarded by the same rules of confidentiality as mentioned above.

I understand that if I have a complaint or grievance, I would be very welcome to discuss

it first with my counsellor. If I am not satisfied, then I may submit my complaint in

writing to the practice (name). Should I not be satisfied with the outcome of that

procedure, then I understand that I can complain to the (name and address professional

association).

I have read and understand the above contract.

Client:

Place: ............................................................... Date: .................................

Name: ...........................................................................................

Signature: .....................................................................................

Counsellor:

Name: ............................................................................................ Date: .................................

Signature: ......................................................................................

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