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Reflective Essay on Counselling Skills in a Role Play Practice Session

Skill improvement and client bonding in counselling depend on consistent self-

examination practices, according to Egan (2019). Examining oneself through reflection

allows counsellors to see their professional capabilities and improvement potential alongside

evidence-based practices. This paper analyses a practice counselling session with Renee

which evaluates fundamental counselling techniques the core elements behind the counselling

process and the client's reactions. The evaluation analyses session effectiveness based on

well-recognized counselling approaches of Carl Rogers' person-cantered model. During this

analysis, verbatim dialogue displays significant client interchanges and understanding points.

This reflection helps counsellors improve their skills and develop better practices for more

efficient client support in future counselling sessions. The process leads to ongoing

improvements in professional development services, adapting to changes in client

requirements.

Establishing Rapport and Informed Consent

The establishing of rapport with specialized consent acquisition forms the base for

constructing a secure and professional counseling setting. Building rapport stands vital for

counseling practice because it allows clients to become more trusting and disclose thoughts

freely (Geldard et al., 2012). Informed consent provides clients with necessary information

about counselling procedures as well as confidentiality boundaries and their rights according

to Corey (2016). In the session, I initiated the conversation by introducing myself and

clarifying my role: “Hi, my name is Qadi, I'm your training counsellor, and your name is

Renee, I believe. So are you comfortable with me calling you that?” ([Link]). I then

explained confidentiality, noting: “Whatever is being said here will be kept confidential

unless there’s a court order” ([Link]). The introduction built a professional setting which
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maintained openness with clients. Renee expressed positive acceptance of the process while

saying “Yes, that’s fine” at [Link] during the session. Although I gave abundant details I

should have condensed my delivery to prevent overwhelming my client. I will work towards

delivering information in a steady manner between professional clarity and a friendly

approach in future sessions.

Active Listening and Paraphrasing

Active listening together with paraphrasing enables counselors to show listener

comprehension as well as support client reflective processes (McLeod, 2019). Active

listening means complete focus on the client together with paraphrasing the essential issues in

the counsellor’s own vocabulary (Ivey et al. 2018). When Renee expressed her struggles with

identity, I responded: “So, if I'm hearing right, you are really keen to understand more about

yourself, to explore more after becoming a mother?” ([Link]). The essence of her concerns

came through this paraphrase yet the response failed to show emotional support. A more

empathetic response, such as “It sounds like you’re feeling lost in your identity as a mother

and want to reconnect with what makes you feel fulfilled”, would have demonstrated deeper

understanding. The next step I plan to take involves adding reflective statements which

directly express emotions in my future paraphrases.

Reflection of Feelings

Reflecting feelings represents the key process which enhances emotional perception

and validation within the counseling context (Hill, 2014). Through reflection of feelings

processing emotions becomes possible because clients can both express their experiences

verbally and obtain confirmation from the counselor (Egan 2020). Renee revealed her anger

about performing the same daily tasks as she said: “Life is a bit of a groundhog day... I get

up, make the lunches, take them to school, then just domestic stuff” ([Link]). The situation
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led me to pass up a chance to demonstrate an understanding of her frustration. A more

effective response would have been: “I hear that you’re feeling stuck in a cycle, and it seems

like it’s draining your sense of purpose.” This approach would have strengthened the

discussion by enabling her to delve more deeply into her emotions. The next time I have a

discussion I will first limit my speed to better understand emotions before I move ahead.

Encouraging Client Self-Exploration

Self-exploration through therapy lets clients recognize themselves better and

understand their individual aims (Corey, 2016). Through effective counselling clients can

develop insight about their experiences through dialogue exploration (Hill, 2014). When

Renee discussed her passion for counselling and art, I asked: “And tell me more about that

art that you were talking about?” ([Link]). The vague nature of this query permitted Renee

to discuss an essential element of her identity in depth. The question functioned well to help

Renee discover herself. Renee responded positively, stating: “I just find it really therapeutic

and calming, and quite enjoy it” ([Link]). I failed to build this thread by showing how her

past enjoyment would connect with future development. The improvement will use reflective

probing for clients to find ways connecting their past interests to achieve future goals.

Use of Open-Ended Questions

The counseling methodology depends heavily on open-ended questions to enable

clients to examine their emotions and thoughts in greater detail (Egan, 2020). The design of

open-ended questions differs from closed questions because they invite clients to share

detailed thoughts about personal experiences which creates more opportunities for

introspection (Ivey et al., 2018). Open-ended questioning techniques employed by skilled

counsellors aid clients in self-discovery and boost their motivation toward change according

to Hill (2014). During the session, I attempted to encourage Renee’s self-reflection by asking,
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“So, in your past, before the kids, or even some time in your life, was there any situation that

has made you perk to your passion, or your interest?” ([Link]). The question led her to

describe her time before parenthood when she was deeply interested in counselling along

with her purpose to provide assistance to others: “Well, before I had kids, I was quite

passionate about being a counsellor... I had a real drive to help people improve.” ([Link]).

The question proved successful because it made Renee describe her past events while

analyzing their influence on her present circumstances..

Her response revealed her deep-seated desire to regain a sense of purpose. However, I

could have followed up with an exploratory question such as, “How do you think you could

reconnect with that passion in your current life?” to further guide her towards actionable

insights. Later in the session, I asked, “And what it means to you by finding that passion,

finding that goal, and reinventing yourself?” ([Link]). This encouraged Renee to share her

feelings of stagnation: “I kind of feel like life is a bit of a groundhog day… it’s not fulfilling.”

([Link]). Her response underscored the emotional impact of her current struggles, further

highlighting the effectiveness of open-ended questions in eliciting deeper self-awareness.

While I successfully used open-ended questions to facilitate self-exploration, I recognize the

need to incorporate more follow-up prompts that encourage clients to formulate solutions. In

future sessions, I will focus on sequencing my questions more strategically to help clients

move from self-awareness to action-oriented insights.

Managing Silence as a Therapeutic Tool

Silence, when used effectively, can be a powerful counselling tool that allows clients

time to process their emotions and formulate their thoughts (Hill, 2014). Silence in

counselling provides space for reflection and can enhance the depth of a conversation.

Research suggests that counsellors who use silence intentionally help clients feel heard and
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respected, rather than rushed into providing answers (Egan, 2020). However, managing

silence requires skill to ensure that it feels supportive rather than uncomfortable (Geldard et

al., 2012). At one point in the session, Renee expressed her struggles in balancing personal

fulfillment with family responsibilities: “It’s hard for me to take up space in the family at the

moment, I think.” ([Link]). Instead of allowing a moment of silence, I immediately asked

another question. Upon reflection, I recognize that a brief pause could have encouraged

Renee to expand on her feelings of frustration and explore deeper emotional insights. This

moment demonstrated the importance of allowing silence to encourage deeper reflection. If I

had paused, Renee might have elaborated on her struggles more naturally. However, later in

the session, I consciously allowed silence after asking, “Tell me more about that art that you

were talking about.” ([Link]). The brief pause enabled her to share a more thoughtful

response: “I just find it really therapeutic and calming… makes me feel good about myself.”

([Link]). This showed that silence can create a space for meaningful self-discovery.

Another moment where silence proved effective was when Renee reflected on the monotony

of her daily routine: “I kind of feel like life is a bit of a groundhog day.” ([Link]). Allowing

her to sit with this thought for a few seconds could have encouraged her to delve deeper into

her emotions before I interjected. While I have started to integrate silence into my counselling

practice, I need to be more intentional about when and how I use it. In future sessions, I will

resist the urge to fill every pause and instead allow clients the time they need to articulate

their thoughts fully. Additionally, I will use reflective statements such as, “It sounds like this

is a really frustrating experience for you” to encourage deeper engagement.

Summarization and Clarification

Summarization ensures mutual understanding and reinforces key themes in the

client’s narrative (Geldard et al., 2012). Effective summarization consolidates client concerns

and demonstrates active engagement (McLeod, 2019). At one point, I summarized Renee’s
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thoughts: “So, you’re trying to re-evaluate who you are after motherhood, and you have

found past passion in art” ([Link]). However, I did not pause to acknowledge her emotions

before summarizing. While summarizing reinforced key points, a more empathetic summary

including an emotional reflection, such as “It seems like you feel a loss of identity and are

looking to reconnect with something that brings you joy”, would have been more impactful.

In future sessions, I will ensure that my summarizations incorporate both content and

emotional reflections to enhance client engagement.

Conclusion

This reflective analysis highlights key counselling skills used during the session,

including rapport-building, active listening, paraphrasing, reflection of feelings,

summarization, and encouragement of self-exploration. While some skills were effectively

implemented, others required improvement, particularly in emotional validation and pacing.

Moving forward, I will refine my ability to reflect feelings, slow down when summarizing,

and enhance the depth of self-exploratory questions. These improvements will help create a

more client-cantered and emotionally supportive counselling experience.

References

Corey, G. (2016). Theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy (10th ed.). Cengage

Learning.

Egan, G. (2020). The skilled helper: A problem-management and opportunity-development

approach to helping (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Geldard, D., Geldard, K., & Foo, R. (2012). Basic personal counselling: A training manual

for counsellors (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Hill, C. E. (2014). Helping skills: Facilitating exploration, insight, and action (4th ed.).

American Psychological Association.

Ivey, A. E., Ivey, M. B., & Zalaquett, C. P. (2018). Intentional interviewing and counselling:

Facilitating client development in a multicultural society (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.