Iain Douglas Stewart

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 18th January 2020

By Iain 18 January 2020Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

On the first day of our weekend workshop, our tutor introduced us to Sandtray therapy. In front of us were trays filled about halfway with sand, and a large table full of objects. The idea was to choose some objects and then just see what happens when they are in the sand. I can see how using the objects as…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 17th January 2020

By Iain 17 January 2020Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

To solidify our learning and get an idea of how it is practically applied, it would be useful to take our knowledge of the three theories we have studied so far and apply it to a range of presenting problems. As I mentioned the last time we used these case studies (22nd November, when we were applying SMART goals to…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 10th January 2020

By Iain 10 January 2020Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

Over the past few weeks we’ve been learning about three very different counselling theories – Person-centred counselling, Psychodynamic counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – with very different methods, glossaries and philosophies that ultimately all work towards the same goal, which is helping people. They each offer a different language, and a different way of understanding our personality or self,…

L3CiCS Learning Log 10th January 2020

By Iain 10 January 2020Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the current culmination of several other therapies, in particular: • Cognitive therapy – focusing on a client’s thoughts and how they feel on the inside • Behavioural therapy – focusing on how a client acts and reacts to certain situations The philosophy behind CBT is that the client’s problem is not the problem itself; the…

L3CiCS Learning Log – 13th December 2019

By Iain 13 December 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

The origins of Psychodynamic Counselling can be traced back to Sigmund Freud in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and the psychodynamic theory has been continually developed, modified and refined over time. It is based around the philosophy that people are driven by unconscious patterns of behaviour and desires which are shaped by their past experiences. Some examples of things…

L3CiCS Learning Log – 29th November 2019

By Iain 29 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

Person Centred Counselling was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1950’s around the philosophy that people can change, and that they are not bound by personal events in their past, or their circumstances in the present. This change is achieved by the counsellor making use of the core conditions of the Person Centred approach, and these are: 1. Empathy –…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 29th November 2019

By Iain 29 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week our tutor asked us to watch Carl Rogers have a counselling session with Gloria in the now-infamous Three Approaches to Psychotherapy from 1965 and give our feedback on it. First of all, I must say that his body language was impeccable. He was leaning forward, showing interest throughout. He was always listening intently, nodding and verbally acknowledging everything…

L3CiCS Homework – 22nd November 2019

By Iain 22 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

The Working Contract is established at the start of the therapeutic relationship, and outlines the framework from which the relationship will hopefully flourish. It is often the first time that boundaries are explicitly communicated by the counsellor to the client, and it is important that these boundaries are laid out in a clear and easy to understand way. I think…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 22nd November 2019

By Iain 22 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week we went over some Case Studies, and applied a SMART model to them with the aim of helping the client. I really enjoyed learning about the SMART model, and having a quick look at some of the other models and systems out there. We’ve learned how to ask questions, resist the pushing of our boundaries, how to be…

L3CiCS Learning Log – 22nd November 2019

By Iain 22 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week we learnt about the importance of using models in Counselling, and in particular, using SMART goals. Models and systems are measurable ways for clients to set goals and then achieve those targets. They can be very useful for monitoring a client’s needs and recognising any changes in their behaviour which affect the working contract. The SMART method is…