Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Benefits And Challenges Of Developing A Therapeutic Relationship With Clients With A Mental Illness. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
4 pages in length. Developing therapeutic relationships with clients is a critical component to proper and appropriate counseling. That no two clients are treated in exactly the same manner illustrates the importance of establishing such a relationship so the therapist is able to gain the client's trust and, therefore, facilitate healing. When clients have a mental illness, however, the existence of therapeutic relationships can become a double-edged sword. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: LM1_TLCClientMI.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
manner illustrates the importance of establishing such a relationship so the therapist is able to gain the clients trust and, therefore, facilitate healing. When clients have a mental illness,
however, the existence of therapeutic relationships can become a double-edged sword. Counseling is meant to guide an individual back to a place of
peace; when something traumatic occurs in an individuals life, there is often the need to process feelings inherent to the situation. As such, the role of temperament and personality
is a critical component of said intervention where the counselor is concerned, inasmuch as that singular individual is responsible for a significant burden: Guiding someone out of emotional and/or physical
turmoil and back to seeing the reality of the situation. Characteristics such as patience, understanding and empathy are not only essential for a counselor to possess, but they also
represent the very foundation of the "caring presence" (Covington, 2005, p. 169; Davis, 2005, p. 126) inherent to therapeutic relationships. One of the
most challenging aspects of the counselor/client relationship is initially getting the individuals into the office, inasmuch as the engagement process inherently segues into resistance without the benefit of therapeutic relationship.
A particularly good example of this resistance to engagement can be found when mentally ill clients cancel or completely skip their first meeting because they are wholly unable to
bring themselves to address the painful issues surrounding their problems. As tempted as some counselors might be to concede to the clients repeated cancellations, to do so is to
immediately surrender control as the professional and fail to gain the all-important component of trust that will ultimately allow the counselor to reach beyond that fear and facilitate healing.
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