Why Is the Initial Consultation so Important? What Factors Will an Ethical Therapist Cover at This Time?
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- Date Submitted: 10/28/2014 10:21 AM
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Why is the initial consultation so important? What factors will an ethical therapist cover at this time?
In this essay I am going to look at why the initial consultation is so important for both the client and the therapist and how much you can get from just the first meeting. I will also look at all the factors that will contribute to being an ethical therapist from confidentiality, to knowing whether it is a case that you can look at or need to refer on. The initial consultation will probably be one of the most important sessions of all. This session will form the basis of the whole therapy and help it to be a success for the client. There are certain steps the therapist needs to take to make sure that the client is going to benefit from the whole therapy and this can be looked at in the initial consultation.
The initial consultation should not last any more than an hour and in this time you can do all the fact finding you need to do about the client and then towards the end of the session do a PMR with them just so they get a feel of what will happen in future sessions. There is much debate around whether the client should be charged for the initial consultation. One thought is that charging would be unjust if the therapist cannot provide the sought therapy for one reason or another. A counter argument to this is: if there is no charge clients may take advantage of this “free” session without any intention to return. It could also be said that a “free” session acts as a lure for the client, implying they may feel obligated to enter into a contract with the hypnotherapist. In my opinion, the initial consultation is fundamental for the evaluation of the client, in order to have a clear idea of the client’s issues and needs. It would be unethical practice on the part of the therapist if this evaluation was not carried out. As long as this is explained to the client in the very first contact then it is right to charge. However I myself would prefer to offer...
Why is the initial consultation so important? What factors will an ethical therapist cover at this time?
In this essay I am going to look at why the initial consultation is so important for both the client and the therapist and how much you can get from just the first meeting. I will also look at all the factors that will contribute to being an ethical therapist from confidentiality, to knowing whether it is a case that you can look at or need to refer on. The initial consultation will probably be one of the most important sessions of all. This session will form the basis of the whole therapy and help it to be a success for the client. There are certain steps the therapist needs to take to make sure that the client is going to benefit from the whole therapy and this can be looked at in the initial consultation.
The initial consultation should not last any more than an hour and in this time you can do all the fact finding you need to do about the client and then towards the end of the session do a PMR with them just so they get a feel of what will happen in future sessions. There is much debate around whether the client should be charged for the initial consultation. One thought is that charging would be unjust if the therapist cannot provide the sought therapy for one reason or another. A counter argument to this is: if there is no charge clients may take advantage of this “free” session without any intention to return. It could also be said that a “free” session acts as a lure for the client, implying they may feel obligated to enter into a contract with the hypnotherapist. In my opinion, the initial consultation is fundamental for the evaluation of the client, in order to have a clear idea of the client’s issues and needs. It would be unethical practice on the part of the therapist if this evaluation was not carried out. As long as this is explained to the client in the very first contact then it is right to charge. However I myself would prefer to offer...