Reflective Account: Interpersonal and Counselling Skills in Healthcare

This report provides a reflective account on interpersonal and counselling skills within a health and social care context. The introduction defines interpersonal and counselling skills, highlighting their importance in both personal and professional life. The main body delves into the author's strengths and limitations in these skills, including active listening, body language, and response, while also discussing the competencies needed for enhancing client empowerment, such as attitudinal competencies, listening ability, and verbal communication. A case study of a 22-year-old teacher with social anxiety is used to illustrate the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The report concludes with a reflection on an interaction within a voluntary health and social care setting, emphasizing the significance of communication and interaction skills. The author shares personal thoughts on the benefits of voluntary settings for medical students, patients, and healthcare organizations, advocating for more consultancy sessions to address the social needs of patients. The report highlights the importance of addressing both medical and social needs within health and social care.

REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Strengths and limitations in interpersonal and counselling skills................................................1
Critical understanding in applying interpersonal and basic counselling skills to enhance
carer/client relationships and client empowerment:....................................................................2
Reflection with reference to an interaction within a work/voluntary setting to enhance future
practice in health and social care:................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Interpersonal skills are those skills which one use every day while communicate and
interact with other people, both individually and in groups. Now-a-days, people who have strong
interpersonal skills are more successful in both their personal and professional life. These skills
includes the communication, listening, questioning and body language etc. People with good
interpersonal skill are able to communicate effectively with family, friends, colleagues,
customers and clients. Counselling is a learning oriented process which occurs usually in an
interactive relationship with aim of helping a person learn more about self and to use these in
understanding and enabling a person to become an effective member of society. The present
assignment includes identification of self strength and limitation in interpersonal and counselling
skills. Apart from this, the competencies which are needed for enhancing client empowerment
has also been discussed. Beside this, assignment includes personal thoughts and feelings in
reference to enhancing future practice in health and social care (Adam and Taylor, 2014).
MAIN BODY
1. Strengths and limitations in interpersonal and counselling skills
Interpersonal skills are the competencies which are used while interacting with person.
This skills help people to understand the other people and work efficaciously with them.
Counselling skills are the skills mostly used by the professional counsellors which help them to
communicate effectively and feel motivated. Some of the interpersonal and counselling skills are
as follows:
Active Listening Skills: Active listening is the skills used to listen others with the
intension of collecting information and engaging with the others people. It is the strength as this
help me to listen carefully to the speaker and also to avoid the distracting behaviours while
communicating with others. As I have developed this skill in my counselling class while my
service user was speaking I was understanding properly what user was trying to say. This is the
ability which affirms my ability to give to others and also shows the opinion and perception of
those around me. For an effective and better conversation, it is essential (Cervantes-Soon, 2014).
Body Language: Correct body language is essential to be maintain by the person while
communication. It helps to make the good impression in front of people. It is my weakness
because I do not use correct posture and body language.
1

Silence: Silence is need to be maintained when I am listening someone so that I can
easily understand what the other person want to say or communicate to me. It is my strength
because I know when to maintain silence and when to speak. For a fruitful result, is necessary to
speak when needed or someone is asking you for any thing. Being silent in conversation with my
counsellor helped me a lot to understand what user was trying to say. And it also helped me in
enhancing my active listening skill.
Take an Interest in Others: It is important to take interest when some one is talking to
us. It helps to make conversion healthy between two persons. It is my weakness because I do not
take much interest in others while the conservation until something important matter. If matter is
not related to me then I do not like to listen. As in given scenario I was actively listening to my
counsellor because it was related with me. And if it would not be related with me I would not
have listen that actively (Dana and Yendol-Hoppey, 2014).
Response: Response is required when someone is talking to me because without
response, other person can not able to understand that I am listening to him or not. It is important
to make reply so that other person can know about our acceptance or non-acceptance. It is my
strength because I response to the persons while conversation so that other can know my opinion
about any matter or thing. Some persons does not make any response due to the hesitation so that
another person can not know his views or thoughts. For a effective conversation, it is needed.
Response is not only related to answer but asking question is also part of response. As I used to
ask many questions to my counsellor during my counselling which helped me to remove the
hesitation. (Epstein and et. al., 2014).
2. Critical understanding in applying interpersonal and basic counselling skills to enhance
carer/client relationships and client empowerment
Sasha is a 22 year old girl who is a teacher also. She was confident, motivated and
determined to her work. But from last few weeks she is experiencing severe anxiety particularly
when around other people and due to this anxiety she does not want to leave her house too. She
found her symptoms during a trip where she went with her friends. Basically she has developed
the social anxiety. The reason for social anxiety could be that she scrutinized by other people. To
overcome her social anxiety, I have used Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. By which she can
replace her fear in response of going outside with peace and relaxed mind.
2

The core of client theory is that people have inherent self actualizing tendency, a
movement towards the developing competencies in ways which serve to maintain and enhance
individual. With the help of this innate drive, people can meet their needs, develop a view of
themselves and interact in society in a beneficial way. As this can be seen in the Sasha case that
she has innate fear of going outside. Problems in personality development process occurs due to
significant people in our lives like parents, teachers, peers who place the condition of worth upon
us rather than accept us unconditionally (Glass, 2014). The key of healthy personality
development and self generated rehabilitation of psychological problems, lies in necessary and
sufficient conditions of personality change. In given scenario Sarah personality has developed a
psychological problem of social anxiety.
As when clients interact with counsellors who behaves in this manner, they begin to share
their experience, the self actualization tendency is activated, they question and cast off
conditions of worth and move towards unconditional acceptance and respect. To empower
clients relationship there are some competencies which are required for, which are as follows:
Attitudinal Competencies:
There is nothing which has greater impact on outcome of a counselling session than a
helper's attitude. It can be positive or reactive. Attitude includes the followings:
Respect:
It includes self respect so other can respect you. As a counsellor one should respect their
clients and avoid the judgements. As I have this competencies and I respect my clients and their
issues for better relationship with them (Hunter, 2015).
Counselling:
Guidance is consistency between client and counsellor that how I listen problems and
clients and then how I answer the solution of these problems to clients. I have used Cognitive
Behavioural Theory to remove her social anxiety. With the help of this process she can overcome
her fear of going outside. And she can go outside freely and can enjoy with relaxed mind.
Absolute Constructive Regard:
These kinds of regards make clients feel welcomed and valued as an individual. As I
always use positive regards to my client so they feel special and valued. I prefer to use in this
way as under:
Hello Sasha. How are you ? Can I help you ?
3

These kinds of regards improve the relationship between client and a counsellor.
Fellow feeling:
Empathy is my ability as counsellor to understand what my client experience and
communicate this kind of feelings. It is the perceiving the internal frame of reference of another
person. As a counsellor I always be empathetic to my clients. I consider this as private perceptual
world of the client and being sensitive to feelings of clients whether its good or bad (John, 2017).
Self Disclosure:
It helps the clients to communicate easily. It is one of attitude which helps clients to
reveal more about themselves. As it allows me to create a mutual trust and disarm the clients so
they can talk freely with me about their issues. It promotes the relationship through increased
communication and better understanding of clients. It also helps the clients to understand himself
or herself better and get rid of burden of guilt. Sasha has describes herself freely which also
helped me to give a proper suggestion to her.
Listening Ability:
Listening is more complicated than it seems as it includes the self awareness as well as
awareness of spoken and unspoken cues of clients. The counsellor needs to respond clients in
such a way she or he must feels understood. Being a counsellor this is very important because it
means the meeting needs of clients. I considered it as a core competencies as I listen to my
clients issues and reply them very politely. So it empowers the client relationship.
Verbal Communication:
Verbal communication includes the words chosen by counsellor for counselling the
clients. If counsellor is not able to choose the appropriate words than he or she would not be able
to make understand their clients effectively. And this will lead to miscommunication between
clients and counsellor. As I always think before I speak. And I choose the words which have
literal meaning and which can be easily understood by my clients (Knowles and et. al., 2014).
Leads:
Leads may be defined as statements that counsellor use in communication with clients. It
can be classified in following categories:
Rephrasing of content:
As a counsellor one should be smart enough to convey the understanding by repeating or
rephrasing the communication.
4

Inquisitive:
I consider this as core strength of mine that is questioning. I always try to seek further
information and asks the clients to elaborate their issues so I can give them proper solution.
Contemplation of feelings:
As it is very important to understand the client's point of view and communicating that
understanding (Scaife, 2014). I understood what Sasha was trying to say and accordingly I have
advised her a solution.
3. Reflection with reference to an interaction within a work/voluntary setting to enhance future
practice in health and social care
Interaction and communication are two important aspects which are necessary to conduct
the activity of providing support to patients. According to me, the most important aspect which
must be considered while working in a voluntary health and social care practice is good
communication and interaction skills. During my tenure in a voluntary setting of health care, I
communicated with several patients in order to consult them. Health and social care organisation
is a structure which allows voluntary people to come and provide basic health services to patient.
Most of the cases which were faced by me during my tenure were cases which requires less of
medical attention and more of consultancy sessions. My own personal thoughts and feelings
about the concept of voluntary setting includes that these health and social care organisation
should approach medical colleges and other institutions in order to approach volunteers.
According the me, this concept of volunteering is very beneficial to medical students, patients
and health care organisations.
In current scenario, health and social care is more focused towards medically treating
most of the patients. Despite of the fact, that most of the patients which requires social help are
in the serious need of consultancy. This need is generally arises due to sense of loneliness in old
age. From my experience of working as a volunteer in social care organisation, I have identified
that most of patients like Sasha admitted to social care are not in any need of medical attention,
they only require correct consultancy. Sasha which is in actual need of medical attention, prefers
hospitals where they have to pay extra value for their treatment but they can get a sure treatment
of their issues. As a medical aspirant, there are various opinions which can enhance my future
practice in health and social care and they are mentioned below which went well:
5

Effective interactive skills – In my opinion, the most important skill that should be
developed by me is effective interaction skills. In the case of health and social care, interaction
process is slight different from other aspects. While communicating with Sasha, it is important to
listen and attain feedback of patients as the main aim of this communication is to bring up an
interaction activity and not to simply communicate anything.
Consultancy power – According to my thoughts, the another factor which can help in
enhancing my skills and scope in health and social care is consultancy skills. Consultancy is the
ability of consulting patients by making a positive and light interaction with them. During my
tenure in social health care organisation, the positive aspects about consultancy which made me
comfortable were responses of patients especially with Sasha and empathising with them.
Positive attitude – It is important for a volunteer working in a social care organisation to
keep a positive attitude towards issues of patients. Patients admitted into a social health care
organisation are generally admitted due to their depression. It is considered that patients like
Sasha requires consultancy that must be handled with a positive attitude as they main issue with
their health is that they are not willing to take help of others.
Below are the points which doesn’t went well in my opinion:
No personal bonding – This is the aspect which I have learned with my experience in
social care organisation. This aspect can be understandable with an example, during my working
tenure I have given a task of provide consultancy sessions to a patient who was observed to be
sleep deprived due to his loneliness. While the process of consulting with him, a strong bond was
developed. Due to this bond, my superiors observed that I was more inclined towards a single
patient and sometimes act even partial. I developed a bond with Sasha in which various issues
were faced such as she was not ready to interact or communicate her problems. By this case I
developed an understanding that it is important to communicate and interact with patients but
professionals should know their limit and should be treated accordingly.
Unconditional approach to help – Another approach which is used to enhance my
future in health and social care is unconditional approach to help. According to this approach,
carer must be an individual who are willing to help their patients no matter what is the situation.
This approach can also be better understood with an example, during my tenure in a social and
health care organisation. I was given a task to take care of Sasha who was observed to have
social anxiety and lives alone and way from her family. After observing her case and
6

communicating with her, it was observed that there was no will remained in her to live more due
to which she used to abuse her carer. I was advised to show unconditional will to help her by
which a sense of belongingness developed in her which made her treatment effortless.
The above aspects were used by me during my work in social care organisation which
helped me in enhancing my future possibilities in social and health care. According to me
listening and communicating with patients is my plus point which makes me comfortable and
ensures that I can work in this industry very well. Besides these aspects, my overall experience in
social care organisation was pleasant. In my opinion, it is important to interact with patients so
that they can able to express their feelings. Enhancing future practices is an important task to be
performed as it helps in increasing the chances of higher scope in a specific industry. By sharing
feelings with me, Shasha felt better and it builds a sense of confidence in her. By considering this
task, I understood that sharing feelings is important as it helps patients to feel better and this
concept also helped me to understand their position better.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been ascertained that health and social care is an industry
which requires various skills to be possessed by its professionals. Reflection report which is
developed in this assignment concludes that as a carer, there are various aspects which should be
considered while performing various tasks in order to ensure future growth in this industry.
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Adam, D. and Taylor, R., 2014. Compassionate care: Empowering students through nurse
education. Nurse Education Today. 34(9). pp.1242-1245.
Cervantes-Soon, C. G., 2014. A critical look at dual language immersion in the new Latin@
diaspora. Bilingual Research Journal. 37(1). pp.64-82.
Coleman, D. and Willis, D. S., 2015. Reflective writing: the student nurse's perspective on
reflective writing and poetry writing. Nurse education today. 35(7). pp.906-911.
Dana, N. F. and Yendol-Hoppey, D., 2014. The reflective educator's guide to classroom
research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry. Corwin
Press.
Epstein, C. F. and et.al., 2014. The part-time paradox: Time norms, professional life, family and
gender. Routledge.
Forte, A. M. and Flores, M. A., 2014. Teacher collaboration and professional development in the
workplace: A study of Portuguese teachers. European Journal of Teacher Education.
37(1). pp.91-105.
Glass, M. R., 2014. Encouraging reflexivity in urban geography fieldwork: Study abroad
experiences in Singapore and Malaysia. Journal of Geography in Higher Education.
38(1). pp.69-85.
Hunter, V. ed., 2015. Moving sites: Investigating site-specific dance performance. Routledge.
Johns, C. ed., 2017. Becoming a reflective practitioner. John Wiley & Sons.
Knowles, Z. and et.al., 2014. Reflective practice in the sport and exercise sciences:
Contemporary issues. Routledge.
Scaife, J., 2014. Supervising the reflective practitioner: An essential guide to theory and practice.
Routledge.
Online
Reflective Accounts. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<http://www.silkysteps.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5146>.
8