Directions:

Follow the below directions to complete this
three-part assignment. First, you are to create a counseling informed
consent form and an opening statement. Then you are to identify someone
to assist you with a short “counseling” session where you will practice
your informed consent and opening statement as well as the “Five Minutes
of Silence” exercise. You will then write a reflection critiquing your
experiences.

Part I: Develop an Informed Consent to Counseling Form

Review the “Written Consent Template.”
Develop your personal written informed consent form referencing the
template as a guide. Your form should have a personal letterhead,
contained to a single page (you can use single spacing), and contain all
of the required essential information.

There are five major sections for your
consent form: Letterhead, Introduction, Confidentiality,
Audio/Videotape, and Boundaries of Competence (see the template above).
Note that your informed consent will vary according to the setting
(i.e., a mental health clinic, a psychiatric hospital, or a private
practice) and the client with whom you are working (i.e., a child, an
adult, or a couple).

Part II: Create an Opening Statement

In approximately 1 page:

Create an “Opening Statement” monologue
regarding what you might specifically say to your client when meeting
him or her for the first time. This statement should include the
following:

• Formal education/training
• Continuing education and supervision requirements
• Your supervisor’s information
• Philosophy and approach to counseling (write in layman’s terms)
• Counseling fee schedule—Remember, for your practice sessions there will be no fee!
• Limits of confidentiality (also review the American Counseling Association’s [ACA’s] website)
• Contact information for any complaints related to counseling/counselor

Part III: Practice and Reflection of Your Informed Consent, Opening Statement, and Five Minutes of Silence

Part of this module’s assignment is to
practice your opening statement with a “client” and review your informed
consent. For this session, your informed consent should include
informing your client about the silence exercise. The “Five Minutes of
Silence” exercise will include two parts: 1) where you, as the
counselor, attempt to stay silent for five minutes allowing the client
to speak while practicing being attentive; 2) where you sit in complete
silence with the client for 15 seconds.

It is important for clinicians to be
comfortable in silence and be self-aware of their nonverbal attending
skills, thus allowing clients to have time to reflect during the session
and choose to speak when ready. Nonverbal body language can also say a
lot to the observer as to whether a counselor is fully engaged and
attentive. Additionally, it is important to be comfortable with absolute
silence as this can give client’s time and permission to internally
process.

For this “Five Minutes of Silence” portion
of the assignment, you will take an opportunity to practice both skills.
You are to engage with your client, during which you must take at least
five minutes of this time to say absolutely nothing but try to just
fully understand what your client is saying and feeling. Additionally,
you will practice sitting in silence (both of you being silent) for at
least 15 seconds to explore your reactions to the silence.

SOLER Technique

While listening to your subject, be aware of
your own nonverbal attending skills. Effective listening is the key to
being an effective counselor. These nonverbal skills are covered with
the acronym SOLER (Egan, 2014). (Note: Use of this
resource is not necessary to complete the activity.) Egan (2014)
presents “SOLER” as a way the listener can: “. . . make sure you are
physically present to a client.”

• S—If it suits them, face the client squarely (some prefer up to 45 degrees, etc.).
• O—Maintain an open posture with the client.
• L—Lean toward the client (as appropriate) and nod your head.
• E—Maintain
  appropriate eye contact with the client. Always consider culture when
  maintaining eye contact and watch for signs of stress or discomfort.
  (There is also a suggestion of changing the “E” to “A” to symbolize
  “aim” toward the client physically and directly, for the visually
  impaired counselors.)
• R—Be a relaxed helper, as by doing so you greatly improve the quality and comfort of the sessions.

Reflection:

In 2–3 pages, critique your delivery of the
informed consent, opening statement, and nonverbal attending skills
(i.e., visual/eye contact, vocal qualities, verbal tracking, and body
language—SOLER). Include the following in your critique:

• A critique of your opening statement and informed consent delivery
• A statement regarding if you were able to meet the minimum of 5 minutes of attentive silence or if you had difficulties
• Identification of what was getting in the way of you fully listening for understanding while remaining silent
• Discussion regarding your internalized thought and emotional process
• Determination of what else you were aware of during this time
• Explanation of how your “client” reacted to your silence
• Development of strategies of ways to maintain this attentive “self-silence” in the future

Allow yourself at least three attempts to get the full five minutes, and then you can stop trying.

Your final product will be in a Microsoft
Word document, written in APA format, and be approximately 3–4 pages in
length (including your consent to counseling form). Your paper should be
written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical
scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and
display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.