A day in the life of a Counsellor

Summary

Lisa Menzel, a counselor at Well Within Counseling, discusses her approach to sessions, which includes helping clients open up about their issues. She emphasizes the importance of being authentic and building rapport quickly. Lisa highlights her work in community services, education, and private practice, focusing on substance use and family conflict. She stresses the need for counselors to debrief with supervisors to avoid burnout and aims to empower clients, ensuring they feel they've achieved something by the end of each session.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Lisa Menzel is a counselor who operates her own practice named 'Well Within Counseling'.
• 🗣️ A typical one-hour counseling session involves key stages, starting with allowing the client to express their concerns.
• 🃏 To engage reserved clients, Lisa uses 'strengths cards' as a conversation starter.
• 🤝 A good counselor, according to Lisa, is authentic, genuine, and capable of quickly building rapport with clients.
• 📚 Lisa Menzel emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and skill updating to stay current with research.
• 🏢 She enjoys working in various sectors such as community services, education, and privately, addressing issues like substance use and family conflict.
• 😔 Listening to sad stories daily can be emotionally taxing; hence, debriefing with supervisors or colleagues is crucial.
• 💪 Empowering clients and ensuring they feel a sense of achievement by the end of the session is a core aspect of Lisa's approach.
• 💡 Lisa's personal strength is her inclination to help others, which aligns with her role as a counselor.

Q & A

What is Lisa Menzel's profession?

Lisa Menzel is a counselor.

What is the name of Lisa Menzel's practice?

Lisa Menzel's practice is called 'Well Within Counseling'.

How does Lisa Menzel approach clients who are reserved during sessions?

Lisa Menzel uses techniques like getting out her 'strengths cards' to help reserved clients open up during sessions.

What does Lisa Menzel consider as key traits of a good counselor?

Lisa Menzel believes that a good counselor should be authentic, genuine, and able to build a relationship quickly.

How does Lisa Menzel stay updated in her field?

Lisa Menzel updates her skills every year to stay in touch with new and emerging research.

In which sectors does Lisa Menzel work?

Lisa Menzel works in the community services field, the education sector, and privately.

What types of issues does Lisa Menzel specialize in counseling?

Lisa Menzel specializes in counseling for issues such as substance use and family conflict or breakdown.

How does Lisa Menzel handle the emotional impact of hearing sad stories daily?

Lisa Menzel debriefs with her supervisor or a colleague to avoid taking the emotional toll of her work home.

What is Lisa Menzel's goal for her clients at the end of a session?

Lisa Menzel aims to empower her clients, ensuring they leave the session feeling like they've achieved something.

What personal strength does Lisa Menzel believe contributes to her success as a counselor?

Lisa Menzel believes her personal strength of liking to help people contributes to her success as a counselor.

How does Lisa Menzel ensure clients feel heard and understood during sessions?

The script does not provide specific details on how Lisa Menzel ensures clients feel heard and understood, but it implies that her authentic and genuine approach, along with her ability to build relationships quickly, likely plays a role in this aspect of her counseling.