Goals Of Counseling Sessions: Initial And Working Pha 922886

Goals of Counseling Sessions: Initial Phase, Working Phase, Closing Phase

Characteristics of effective counseling sessions are often delineated into distinct phases: the initial phase, the working phase, and the closing phase. Each phase encompasses specific objectives, activities, and considerations crucial for fostering client progress and ensuring ethical and effective practice.

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The counseling process is a structured journey that guides clients through self-discovery, problem-solving, and behavior change. This process is typically conceptualized into three interconnected phases: initial, working, and closing. Each phase has unique goals that collectively contribute to the client's overall well-being and development.

Initial Phase

The initial phase of counseling establishes the foundation for a successful therapeutic relationship. It begins with a comprehensive history assessment, where the counselor gathers vital clinical information about the client. This includes identifying personal background, presenting concerns, and the level of client distress. Understanding the history of the presenting problem, family background, previous counseling experiences, and risk factors such as suicidal or homicidal ideation is essential at this stage (Mitchell, 2007). The counselor also works to establish rapport and build a trusting therapeutic relationship, which facilitates open communication and cooperation. During this phase, the counselor clarifies the aims of therapy, discusses risks, benefits, and available alternatives, and provides structure to the counseling process. Additionally, helping clients take active roles in their change process and developing initial case conceptualizations are crucial objectives, as they set the groundwork for subsequent work (Prieto & Scheel, 2002). Establishing clear goals and obtaining informed consent further solidifies the client-counselor alliance, which is vital for progress.

Working Phase

The working phase centers around active exploration and intervention. Here, the counselor examines the client's cognitions and thinking patterns to identify maladaptive or unhelpful beliefs that maintain problems (Newsome & Gladding, 2014). Recognizing and exploring emotions is equally important, as emotional responses often provide insight into underlying issues. Emotions, whether overt or covert, positive or negative, in or out of awareness, are assessed for their intensity, appropriateness to the context, and overall helpfulness (Mitchell, 2007). The counselor employs intervention strategies tailored to the client’s needs, which may include cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation techniques, or behavioral tasks.

Documentation during this phase is critical. Using formats such as the STIPS method (from Prieto & Scheel, 2002), counselors record topics discussed, symptoms, progress, interventions used, and plans for future sessions. When working with high-risk clients, meticulous documentation is mandatory to justify clinical decisions, actions taken, and ongoing safety planning (Mitchell, 2007). The note-taking process supports clinical transparency, accountability, and continuity of care.

Closing Phase

The closing phase is designed to facilitate a proper termination of therapy, ensuring that clients can maintain the gains achieved and generalize problem-solving skills to new contexts.Post-therapy closure also serves as an opportunity for reflection on the client's growth, maturity, and resilience. Key objectives include evaluating whether the client has met behavioral, cognitive, or emotional goals, and whether they have developed more effective coping strategies (Newsome & Gladding, 2014). The counselor assesses if continued therapy is necessary or if the counseling relationship has served its purpose. A final assessment includes determining if the therapy has shifted the client’s functioning in a positive direction and if the client feels prepared to manage issues independently.

Effective closure emphasizes empowering clients to sustain improvements and recognize their own progress. It involves summarizing achievements, discussing future steps, and addressing any remaining concerns. Proper termination ensures that clients leave therapy with a sense of closure, increased confidence, and clear pathways toward ongoing personal development (Mitchell, 2007).

Conclusion

Structured counseling sessions aligned with the initial, working, and closing phases promote systematic, ethical, and client-centered practice. Each phase plays a distinct role in fostering trust, exploration, intervention, and empowerment, ultimately leading to meaningful change and personal growth. Recognizing the purpose and activities associated with each phase helps counselors provide effective support tailored to the evolving needs of their clients.

References

• Mitchell, R. M. (2007). Documentation in counseling records: An overview of ethical, legal, and clinical issues (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
• Newsome, D. W., & Gladding, S. T. (2014). Clinical mental health counseling in community and agency settings (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
• Prieto, L. R., & Scheel, K. R. (2002). Using case documentation to strengthen trainees’ case conceptualization skills. Journal of Counseling & Development, 80, 11–21.
• American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA.
• Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th ed.). Brooks/Cole.
• Lambert, M. J., & Barley, D. E. (2001). Research summary on the effects of psychological treatments. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 38(4), 367–378.
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