Lesson 10: Focusing Attention We spend some time trying to figure out what the focus of the counseling is going to be...we know that many times the client may not know what the "real" issue is at the beginning. Don't be afraid to throw a few arrows trying to find it! In preparation for this Lesson, read Chapter 10 in your textbook Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching Reading Chapter 10: Focusing the Interview Focus When someone enters counseling they may or may not be aware as to why they are there! This may sound surprising, but it is not uncommon for there to be "smokescreens" or simply a sense of "something is not right" on the part of the client. On the other hand, a client may need help in identifying which of many issues they want to work on "right now", assisting in prioritizing what is going on. Smokescreens While this term has a negative connotation to it, it is actually our best clue to what might "really" be going on...it is our starting point. The "smokescreen" is the presenting issue that might be the "test" for getting into other, more deep issues. It is more "surface". It is "real", but it is probably not the main issue. Personal Focus Much of counseling has a "personal focus" and you may choose to focus the client in one of the following ways:
Environment Focus Sometimes the counseling session might focus on issues related to cultural or environmental issues. (This is not to be confused with the environmental focus of Behavior Management, which is really a Personal Focus)
Prioritization Some of our best work comes from helping the client FOCUS on a particular problem...helping them prioritize based on a number of factors:
Assessment Lesson 10 Quiz
|