Preliminaries:

Name Rahul Mehra

Age 20

Sex Male

Education Bsc hons.

Report

Counsellor: Hello! Rapport building providing insight into

Client: Hi! client’s current mood or

well-being. This sets a

Counsellor: How are you? welcoming tone for further

Client: good discussion and

demonstrates the

counselor's readiness to

engage with the client in a

supportive manner.

Counsellor: Exams are Open question By using these skills, the

approaching are you reflection counselor aims to create a

preparing for them? supportive and non-

Client: No. I havent started judgmental environment

preparations yet. where the client feels

their concerns and

exploring potential

strategies for coping with

exam preparation.

Counsellor: What course Open question Through these skills, the

are you pursuing by the Reflection counselor creates an

way? Empathy atmosphere of empathy

Client: Bachelors of Probe and understanding while

science honours course in facilitating further

computer science. exploration of the client's

concerns about their

Counsellor: Bsc! you must academic performance and

be very good in exam stress.

academics. Exams won’t In retrospect, the

stress you much. Do they? counselor's approach could

Client: I used to be good have been improved by

but now my performance avoiding assumptions

has been degrading. about the client's academic

Exams do stress me. abilities and their

experience with exam

stress. Instead, the

counselor could have

and open-ended questions

to explore the client's

feelings and experiences

without making premature

judgments. For example,

they could have asked

something like, "How do

you feel about exams and

your performance lately?"

This approach would have

allowed the client to

express themselves more

freely and provided a

better foundation for further

exploration and support.

Counsellor: oh! That’s very Reflection use of these skills appears

upsetting but why so? Open question/ probe appropriate as they aim to

Client: a lot lot of things Empathy create a supportive

have changed moreover environment and

my friend circle is encourage the client to

somehow responsible for explore their feelings and

this. potential sources of

Counsellor: I can totally

understand. Lifestyle

changes can affect a

person in many ways and

is a major reason for

stress. This must be very

difficult for you staying far

away from home doing

everything on your own.

Plus, have you considered

talking to your friends

about the struggle you’re

facing?

Client: indeed it is. No I

didn’t discuss this with

them.

Counsellor: oh! You should Open question Overall, the counselor's

work upon have you Reflection use of an open question

thought of any way to and a reflective response

improve your situation? demonstrates their attempt

Client: sure. I will try to do to engage the client in

something about this exploring potential

my interaction with people their efforts to improve

affecting my studies. their situation.

Councelor: I see, And how Open question the counselor's use of

do you cope with the Empathy open questions, empathy,

stress? Education education, and reflection

Cleint: I don’t have much Reflection helps facilitate a supportive

idea I just consume alcohol and informative

sometimes. conversation aimed at

guiding the client towards

Councelor: I do understand healthier coping strategies.

dealing with stress is not

an easy task. But rather

than indulging in unhealthy

coping mechanisms that

would lead you to harm

you should try engaging

yourself in healthy habits

like mediation and yoga to

deal with stress.

Client: yeah. It’s going to

take time but I’ll reduce

Identification of countertransference

Countertransference did occur on the mention of client’s alcohol consumption.

The reason could be I personally don’t approve of consuming alcohol. I’ve been told it’s

harmful to health in many ways since childhood. I’ve seen people completely destroying

their life because of substance abuse and it’s addiction. Plus, it’s heartbreaking to see a

young student with potential wasting his life like this. Overcoming such situations is not

easy but alcohol will just make it more difficult. It’ll drown him and he would never be

able to reach the shore.

Personal reflection

As a counselor, hearing the client's struggles with academic performance and stress

caused by lifestyle changes and peer influences is concerning. It's clear that they're

facing significant challenges and may be using alcohol as a way to cope, which is

worrying.

Reflecting on the session, I realize the importance of providing a supportive and non-

judgmental space for the client to express their concerns. It's essential to validate their
feelings and acknowledge the difficulty of their situation while gently guiding them

towards healthier coping mechanisms.

I'm encouraged by the client's willingness to acknowledge their reliance on alcohol and

their openness to exploring alternative ways to manage stress, such as meditation and

yoga. It's a positive step forward, and I'll continue to encourage and support them on

their journey towards better mental and emotional well-being.

Moving forward, I'll emphasize the importance of self-care and seeking support from

friends or professionals when needed. I'll also continue to explore with the client any

underlying issues contributing to their stress and academic performance, helping them

develop strategies to address these challenges effectively.

References

Gerald Corey (2009): Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Publisher:

Thompson Brooks.

Jeffrey A. Kottler & David S. Shepard (2008): Introduction to Counseling: Voices from

the Field. Publisher: Thompson Brooks.

Mearns, D. & Thorne, B. (1998): Person-Centered Counselling in Action. Sage

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