[humanser] verbal techniques and reading affect

Mon Sep 26 02:04:17 UTC 2016

Hi Ericka,

Yes-the space in and of itself is definitely a challenge.  I was
rather spoiled last semester with children in a classroom setting
because we had quite a large area to move around in for large motor
experiences.  I don't know where internships might take me, but I
don't think I'll continue to work in psych much after my schooling is
finished.  I've been pleasantly surprised so far in how much I like
working with this population and the specific factors involved in the
treatment, but my target populations are children either in a school
setting or hospitalized children who most often will be in a bed with
me playing bedside.  Still, I appreciate any other suggestions that
might come up on this thread, as counseling skills will come in handy
regardless of where I find myself working professionally.

On 9/25/16, Ericka via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Sounds like you're doing all you can in the small room you have. If you
> really enjoy this setting, maybe you'll be lucky enough to work in a place
> with more space next time.
>
> Ericka Short
> 1750 Fordem Ave. #508
> Madison. WI. 53704
> 608-665-3170
>
>  from my iPhone 6s
>
>> On Sep 25, 2016, at 7:07 PM, Kaiti Shelton via HumanSer
>> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Ericka and Rebecca,
>>
>> That probably would make them nervous or distract them.  The room we
>> are working in unfortunately doesn't have a lot of extra space, so in
>> order to walk around I'd have to walk around the inside of the circle
>> of chairs (they're lined up pretty much against the walls), and we
>> often move drums and other equipment to the center of the circle when
>> we're not using us in order to give us some physical space.  We
>> prepare and pass out lyric sheets when we plan for a particular song
>> to be discussed, but when the clients request songs to communicate a
>> part of their story to the group we don't even have words for them to
>> focus on.  I have been able to do this in other group settings,
>> though; I had a rolling stool I used when working with older adults so
>> I could play and see their faces when close at eye level, and I found
>> that helpful.
>>
>> Rebecca, I like your idea of throwing emotions out there.  Perhaps I
>> already am doing a version of this by repeating a particular line from
>> the song and asking the clients what they interpreted it to mean.  I
>> sometimes say what I think of it first and then see how their
>> responses might be similar or different from mine.  With prepared
>> songs this is even easier as I put the lyric sheet on my BrailleSense
>> and can follow along with the clients as the music plays.  I also now
>> have a general idea of how some of the clients react to different
>> types of song material, but I am also careful not to assume anything
>> hard and fast about their reactions as that isn't fair to them, and I
>> also am mindful of all the other things going on in their treatment.
>> The only bummer is that we don't have many sessions with them as
>> they're only in a 28 day program, and we only have practicum twice a
>> week.
>>
>>> On 9/25/16, Ericka via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Is it permissible to walk about the room together more not a verbal
>>> information or would that make the people nervous while the music is
>>> playing?
>>>
>>> Ericka Short
>>> 1750 Fordem Ave. #508
>>> Madison. WI. 53704
>>> 608-665-3170
>>>
>>> from my iPhone 6s
>>>
>>>> On Sep 25, 2016, at 12:15 AM, Kaiti Shelton via HumanSer
>>>> <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> This semester my practicum is in a substance abuse treatment facility.
>>>> I'm working with a partner and my supervisor on a women's unit and
>>>> have found that in spite of previous assumptions I had about the work
>>>> that I love it.
>>>>
>>>> One skill that is addressed in this particular practicum is the use of
>>>> verbal techniques and counseling skills.  It is different from my
>>>> previous practicum experiences. My first experience with older adults
>>>> on a dementia unit of a nursing home was all about just getting
>>>> comfortable using the music with clients, engaging them, and learning
>>>> to consider their various strengths and areas of growth in the various
>>>> domains of functioning.  The next two practicums with a teenager and
>>>> young children in a special needs classroom were about working in an
>>>> experience-oriented way rather than an outcome-oriented way, and using
>>>> music to work on global group needs that contributed to academic
>>>> learning, such as behavior and social skills as many of the children
>>>> had Autism Spectrum Disorders respectively. This is my first
>>>> experience working with cognitively typical adults, who are processing
>>>> complex emotions and life situations including various forms of
>>>> trauma.
>>>>
>>>> My supervisor definitely thrives while working with this population
>>>> and has a history of working in psych, particularly with juvenile
>>>> offenders.  Sometimes she can get carried away with the group and
>>>> doesn't leave much room for students to practice leadership, but she
>>>> recognizes this and has told us to not be afraid of asking/reminding
>>>> her to step back if she seems overbearing to us.  Right now as we've
>>>> only just begun co-leading (my partner and I), we often appreciate her
>>>> stepping in when she does.  The issue for me is that often times when
>>>> the group starts processing song material the clients often have
>>>> physical responses to the music, lyrics, or both that I can't see.
>>>> With the amount of vision I do have I can sometimes notice if a client
>>>> is hunched over in their seat to form a closed position, but I often
>>>> can't tell if they're silently crying or have a sad expression on
>>>> their faces.  My supervisor uses this information a lot as she
>>>> facilitates processing and will say thinggs like, "Client X, I noticed
>>>> you had some tears.  Can you share about that?"  I noticed my
>>>> supervisor also often just asks other members of the group, "Client Y,
>>>> what about you?  Can you share what you thought of in that
>>>> experience?"
>>>>
>>>> While I suppose I could always use the latter example as a means of
>>>> engaging the clients, I'm wondering how I could pick up on some of the
>>>> physical expressions I'm missing.  This wasn't so much of an issue
>>>> with the older adults or children I worked with as they were more
>>>> likely to verbally express their affect.  My supervisor says I'm doing
>>>> a good job of inserting my voice in the processing even though she
>>>> doesn't always leave a lot of room for that, and also understands that
>>>> right now I'm using her facilitation to gather information about the
>>>> clients that informs my use of verbal techniques when I do speak.
>>>> This has led me to use a lot of paraphrasing and reflection of feeling
>>>> and my supervisor understands why that is happening, but I'd like to
>>>> be able to lead processing experiences with a greater repertoire of
>>>> verbal techniques if at all possible.  I know how to use a lot more of
>>>> them than just paraphrasing and reflection, I'm just not sure how to
>>>> best gain information that will inform my facilitation when the
>>>> clients aren't verbal or don't give auditory indications of their
>>>> affect, E.G sniffling or grabbing a tissue from the box in the center
>>>> of the circle.  I acknowledge that it is okay to rely on information I
>>>> get from my partner and supervisor as a co-therapist in this setting,
>>>> but I would like to be able to also perform as well as I can when
>>>> facilitating on my own.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Kaiti Shelton
>>>>
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>>
>> --
>> Kaiti Shelton
>>
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-- 
Kaiti Shelton