Assignment 2: Feeling Words and Encouragement

Identifying underlying feelings that your clients might be experiencing, yet unable to identify for themselves, can be a challenge. But it is an important part of the counseling process. Assisting the clients to process their emotional connections to their stories can be the therapeutic key to healing. This also connects with the counselor's holistic work with clients. For this reason, the first part of this module's assignment begins with identifying emotional (i.e., feeling) words that can be grounded in five core feeling words: angry, sad, lonely, scared, and happy.

Additionally, it is beneficial for counselors to be encouraging within the counseling session. However, counselors do not compliment but encourage by recognizing effort and process, and noticing how they "are" with their clients. To understand this phenomenon, identifying others in your life from whom you have felt encouraged and how they have done this can help you model their methods with your clients. The second part of this module's assignment is designed for you to refine your understanding of encouragement.

Tasks:

For this assignment, you are to follow the directions to fill out a Feelings template. Then, you will read two articles involving encouragement and write a 3- to 4-page response.

Part 1: Nothing But Feelings Template

Using the Nothing But Feelings Template:

• Complete the template's list with at least seven feeling words under each of the five core feeling categories (happy, sad, angry, lonely, and scared).
• Determine and include an additional five ambivalent or mixed feelings (or phrases) not already listed as examples in the template. Provide a description of what you have heard people say.
• Identify five metaphor statements and the basic core feelings that underlie each (i.e., happy, sad, angry, scared, and lonely). Write a brief justification as to why you sense this core feeling would underlie the metaphor.

Part 2: Encouragement

First, read and analyze these two articles related to the counseling relationship:

• Eckstein, D., & Cooke, P. (2005). The seven methods of encouragement            for couples. The Family Journal, 13(3), 342–350.
• Eckstein, D., Belongia, M., & Elliott-Applegate, G. (2000). The four            directions of encouragement within families. The Family Journal,            8(4), 406–415.

Now, complete the following in 3–4 pages:

• Identify two significant people in your life who have encouraged you in a positive way. Without mentioning specific/actual names, describe what each did/said and/or how he or she interacted with you (specific examples are required).
• Explain what resulted from their encouragement that has affected you positively today as the person you are (or career direction, etc.). Connect your relationship to theirs, as in the article by Eckstein, Belongia, and Elliott-Applegate (2000). Keep in mind that these levels do not have to be within a family structure.
• Connecting to Eckstein and Cooke's (2005) article, identify the method(s) each of your two special people in your life demonstrated. Provide an explicit explanation to support your thoughts.
• Discuss your understanding of encouragement as a counseling skill. Explain how you might use these experiences to provide encouragement to your clients.
• Discuss the pros and cons that might result from implementing encouragement. Be mindful that encouraging and complimenting are not the same.

Your response document will be a Microsoft Word document written in APA format, and should be approximately 3–4 pages in length.