ABSTRACT
To illustrate how the principles described in the preceding two chapters can be applied in the practice of counseling, let’s look at a counseling relationship in which growth-oriented methods are used. This is a composite case created from several counseling relationships in which I have been involved. Such a composite case is a teaching device that protects confidentiality and yet retains some of the realism of an actual counseling relationship. My hope is that this chapter will illuminate the process by which the counselor-therapist facilitates creative change in the lives of two persons and in their relationships. Because the primary focus is on what counselors can do to facilitate growth, I am aware of citing many more counselor responses than client responses. This may give the erroneous impression that the counselor directs the interaction more than actually happens in effective counseling or therapy. Growth work is done, it should be emphasized, by the clients with the encouragement and coaching of the counselor. My comments about the counselor’s intentions and the dynamics of the counseling appear in brackets. Near the close of the chapter, I’ll summarize what I regard as the crucial methods used to facilitate the growth process.
