Waleed Sami

Consultation Model
Consultation
11/7/15
Consultation Model

In assessing my specific scenario, I believe using Caplans mental health consultation

model will yield me an appropriate model from which to conceptualize my scenario.
Specifically, I would use a client-centered model to conceptualize the consultation that will take
place. My reasoning behind this is quite simple. Our client is resistant and non-compliant, and
requires an individual trained in talk therapy to attempt to create a relationship, so a sensitive
matter can be investigated. Client centered consultation follows three broad steps: examination
of the client, diagnosing the problem, and reporting back to the consultee, (Mendoza, 1993). An
important component to consultation in general is for the consultee to remain independent
throughout the process, and be free to accept and disregard any of the conclusions the consultant
reaches, (Scott, Royal, Chadwik, & Kissinger, 2014).
The first step is to of course, examine the client. This could involve an intake interview
done by the counselor, and then perhaps a therapy session with the client. The consultant needs
to sit down and get an accurate understanding of the clients thought process, their conception of
self, and their overall feelings about their current situation. Using skills like reflective listening,
empathy, rapport building, and motivational interviewing, the client can perhaps to start to feel

more comfortable opening up to the consultant. The client may present with hesitations about
how and what to explore. She may also have fears about being in a psychiatric unit for the first
time, and being exposed to mental health treatment is quite a new experience for her. This may
be attributed to her culture and background, since she is of a low SES background and likely to
have experienced mental health institutions and therapy before. With these variables aligned, she
is more likely to have a mood disorder, and has shown signs of it so far, (Williams, 2011).
Secondly, a diagnosis would be made of the clients current symptoms and situation.
Though one session and a couple of interviews is not always the enough to comfortably
diagnose, we might have a greater understanding of the problem afterwards. Lastly, once I have a
conceptualization of her issue, I can than proceed to let me consultee, the psychiatrist, know of
my appraisal of the situation. This might include her willingness to speak to me or us in greater
detail about her sexual assault case. This will be an informal discussion which I can report to the
consultee any psychological insights I have on the client so that she may be more willing to
speak to the treatment team about her predicament.
For interventions and strategies, it would make sense to understand and utilize different
methods to overcome resistance that the client may offer. This can include expansion of context,
and reframing the problem with the clients, so we can roll with the resistance. These methods are
effective in combating resistance and can be an effective technique for the treatment team to
work with the client and myself, during our interviews with her, (King, 1992). Another
intervention that can help the consultant and myself deal with a resistant client is to focus
building a solid patient-doctor approach into our treatment. This model is called patient-centered
care, and would be appropriate to adopt in all of interactions with clients, especially in this one
where resistance is very high. This type of philosophy can be understood to be an intervention,

due to the fact that it focuses on viewing the patient as a partner to their medical issues and
focuses on education the client on their illness, (Del Piccolo, Goss, 2012). This can help
overcome resistance by removing the paternalization that is inherent in the process and might
create an environment where our client is more amiable to disclosing her sensitive information.

References

Del Piccolo, L., & Goss, C. (2012). People-centred care: New research needs and methods in
doctorpatient communication. Challenges in mental health. Epidemiology And Psychiatric
Sciences, 21(2), 145-149. doi:10.1017/S2045796012000091
King, S. M. (1992). Therapeutic utilization of client resistance. Individual Psychology: Journal
Of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 48(2), 165-174.
Mendoza, D. (1993). A review of Gerald Caplan's theory and practice of mental health
consultation. Journal of Counseling and Development, 71, 629-635.
Scott, D., Royal, C. W., & Kissinger, D. B. (2015). Counselor as consultant. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications.
Williams, L. J., Brennan, S. L., Henry, M. J., Berk, M., Jacka, F. N., Nicholson, G. C., & ...
Pasco, J. A. (2011). Area-based socioeconomic status and mood disorders: Cross-sectional
evidence from a cohort of randomly selected adult women.Maturitas, 69(2), 173-178.
doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.03.015