1. Define counseling in your own words. From your perspective, how is it different from other forms of psychotherapy? Do you believe everyone can benefit from counseling? Why or why not?

Counseling is to prepare people that is they can handle their life issues with sometimes be role models or sharing weak points of yours or getting new habits together. In other words, that is to make connections mutually and grown in together.

Counseling is different from psychotherapy. Prior is interested in basic life matters. The other side of the coin is caring more deeply problems, especially trauma, sexual abuse or drug addictions.

Thirdly, it is not about believing or not believing. According to Harari who is the author of Sapiens, Homo Sapiens can use language as a tool, that creates culture. Everyone can benefit from civilization through language. In other words, someone can guide others by the tool which can be called counseling.

Let’s define that word, it not just about reaching some goals which you set before. It also related your emotional, psychological and sociological situations. During that time, I realized about myself, I was not satisfied with my life. I lost my self, career path and goals. I was searching for the solution to those problems. I have followed a person, who gives the seminar about career planning. In February 2015, I joined the seminar of that man in Istanbul Erkek High School. He recommended to everyone 10 topics about how to manage your life. Then, I enlightened about how to control my life again after three hours. One recommendation in that place was to find your mentor. One is to join school students’ clubs to do some activities for learning how to adapt to teamwork.

2. Imagine that you are counseling a child in the third grade who wants to know what you, and counselors in general, do. What would you say to provide a simple, yet comprehensive response that a third grader will understand?

I’m the chief. I teach my students how to make foods according to their taste delicious. We can call their foods as their life.

3. Distinguish between counseling, psychology, psychiatry, social work, family therapist, and pastoral care. Discuss the role of counseling within the framework of these helping professions.

Psychologists and psychiatrists diagnose crucial mental disturbances. The other side is cannot treat the person. However, counselors can work with other professions.
Social workers focus on family structures by treating problems in that context. Pastoral care explained the problems based on religious or spiritual aspects. The difference between pastoral care and counseling is the second one settled experiments or researches.
Counselors can work with these professions; it can improve the speed of healing the problems.

4. Discuss the influence and unequal power in the counseling relationship. What are the implications of these factors for counselors? What steps need to be taken in developing a therapeutic relationship to avoid negative consequences?

When students think I have power about the knowledge, they are more respect me, they think I am an expert. This is related to unequal power in the counseling relationship also.

They consider their certificate, their clothes, the style of the room, etc.

There are many factors therapeutic relationships to avoid negative consequences which are trust and empty not sympathy, creating confidential relationships, be listen but not judgmental. There are attending skills which are listening but not judgmental, waiting for respond, reflecting content, and looking for themes. There are also listening skills which are passive listening, paraphrasing, clarification of the topic and summarizing. And then, Exploration skills are probing, self-disclosure, and interpretation.

5. In our class (as also included in our book) mentioned several practical dimensions of the therapeutic relationship. Briefly discuss each of them. Which of those do you feel will be most difficult for you in working with clients? What dimensions would you add (if any)?

If you can understand and feel the client’s emotions, attitudes, and behavior, you have empathy skills, and you can improve it with many styles. Moreover, it can be learned.

Acceptance is accepting every situation of clients without judging.

Genuineness is not acting as a role play. And that is to be in congruence with a client.

Wellness is being aware of yourself how you need to care for yourself physically, social and psychological situations.

Cultural competence is the RESPECTFUL Counseling model. Being aware of your client comes different culture at least one aspect of your culture.

Everyone has the “it” factor which is unique from person to person.

Competence is learning in your profession even after you graduated from university. Find a supervisor for yourself and be a mentor to a person who needs your help in the professional area.

Being wellness is difficult for me because when somebody asks me to help her, it is difficult for me to say “No!” even I am not enough to overcome that obstacle. Later, my duties can procrastinate. I will add continuity relationships that are important for me even they fluctuate a lot.

6. Briefly mention the characteristics of insight-oriented approaches and action-oriented approaches. You can give a one-or-two example of them. Which ones do you consider using in your future work, and why? Briefly explain your reasons over the theory/theories you choose.

Insight-oriented approaches consider self-awareness, self-understanding, and self-revelation. Some examples of them are person-centered therapy and existential therapy.
Action-oriented approaches take into behavioral outcomes, concretes, observables, and measurables. Cognitive-behavioral and rational emotive therapy are given examples of them.
I am using both sides because each only one is not enough to solve problems according to my experiences.

7. What are some common criticisms of behaviorally-oriented approaches (Behavioral Approach & Cognitive Behavioral Approach — CBT) to counseling? How might these limitations be overcome?

Human is not only a physical body. İt is more than the physical and psychological aspects. Sometimes, clients cannot follow the directions because of difficulty methodology, or the solutions are closing the using multi-model counseling approach.

8. What are the major differences between encounter groups, psychoeducational groups, counseling groups, therapy groups, and support/self-help groups? Give examples of client issues that might be well served by each type of group.

Encounter groups are “creating a learning community built on trust and honesty.” The leader of this group plays an important role rather than an expert.

Psychoeducational groups are defined agenda. They can assist students to make their career paths.

The counseling group is focusing on the short-term and in the present instead of the past. CG can create an event for students in sharing their emotions about schooling.

The therapy group is long term, medical settings and purposing minimizing symptoms. The expert can manage case which is how patients are trying to overcome this situation.

Self-help groups are not professionals commonly, their treatment is based on their experiences. I and my friends motivate ourselves to continue our project.

9. What are the advantages of group work over individual counseling? What are the potential disadvantages and/or limitations?

To begin with, there are some advantages here. Some people join the same session, it can influence people on their thought that everyone can have some issues for needing assistance to them. They can get help from each other, it can make them stronger than when they are doing something alone. Moreover, according to Albert Bandura, they can learn how to solve their problems by observing others’ sharing even they did not face similar problems before. Furthermore, according to Jo-Hari’s window theory, at least two people can give some feedback to each other about something that they did not know themselves. That called blind is of his/her mind. Also, the cost of the session is lower than the individual sessions because a group joins the same session.
On the other hand, there are many disadvantages there. Firstly, member of the session cannot share their emotions, psychological problems or their real thoughts directly. Additionally, group members can have some negative emotions. Some of them are hate, jealousy, arrogance to others. Group leaders cannot know the dynamic of each member of groups and how to manage the sessions. What I mentioned above may affect the session negatively.

10. This is your last question J. As we know, we are dealing with COVID-19 right now. What are the ways of coping caused by the emotional stress of the situation? Which techniques you use in yourself and suggest others who might ask your help?

I and my friends are trying to plan each of our lives daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. At least twice a week, we are using an online platform, for instance, zoom. We are sharing our emotions, the point of weak of us, and how we overcome some barriers which we faced before each of us to each other, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Kottler, J.A.& Shepard, D. S. (2015). Introduction to counseling: Voices from the field (8th edition). San Francisco, CA: Cengage Learning.