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M52PY Reflective Report Assignment:
Reflecting on your counselling session
1. Thoughts, feelings, about:
a. What were your
fears/expectations
of meeting your
client beforehand?
b. How did it actually
go?
c. What things went
well? What did you
I feel extremely nervous that
I have to do a quick review
on examples about role-
playing in clinical sessions. I
was worried that I could not
deliver a proper session as
speaking in English has been
really tough for me. I also
worried that I become
clueless on what the client
will be talking about, or even
couldn’t understand on
perhaps some words or
some phrases. I always feel
shy when meeting a person
for the first time.
It was horrible. My mind
could not even think off how
to continue with the
conversation, but I still have
to keep the conversation to
go on. I started to lose my
focus at the middle of the
session, as I was interrupted
by my mind about the time
to end the session. I just kept
hoping the time pass as fast
as it could so that everything
could be ended sooner! The
beginning of the session was
a bit awkward and both of us
got really nervous. It was a
smooth opening where I
talked about confidentiality
and video recording,
followed by the reason that
brought Amelia here.
I did a great contact
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feel the client throughout the whole

benefitted session. I felt that my client
particularly from? was benefited from how I
recommended her to try
discussing her problems with
her husband in order for her
husband to understand her
that having a baby could be
an extra burden for them
although they are 33 now.

d. Are there specific

aspects of the
session you felt I would say that I did certain
didn’t go so well? minimal encouragers such as
nodding head, keep playing
with my hand, and could not
sit properly as I was really
nervous. I also feel that I lost
my focus during the session,
and in my mind, I was having
a lot of questions, but did
not have the courage to ask
as we were still strange to
each other.

e. What issues/themes
did you feel were
overlooked/missed?

2. Can you remember any specific moments/exchanges where you used any of
the following listening skills:
a. summarising

b. paraphrasing

c. open ended questions Why do you think that?

d. eye contact Look at her throughout the session

e. body language Hand gestures

f. minimal encouragers
Nodding head, ‘umm,yeah’
g. silence
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h. empathic statements That’s really sad to hear that.

3. Were there any specific therapeutic psychological interventions or

strategies that you touched on or utilised in the session? When and where
exactly?

4. Were there any transference or countertransference issues that you noticed

were going on between you e.g.
a. How did the client
respond/react to you as
during the course of the
whole session?

b. How did they make you feel

towards them?

c. Were there any problematic

moments in the session?
What might this hint at
under the surface?

5. Looking forward to the next/future sessions:

a. Specific themes you might
want to explore in much
greater detail in the next
session?

b. Specific homework you

might get them to do in
future sessions?

c. Specific therapeutic
strategies you might employ
in future sessions?

d. What would you

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adjust/change generally in
your approach to the next
session?

It also conveyed that I was empathetic towards her

situation. Geldard and Geldard (2009) explain that
minimal responses not only convey that the
counselor is listening, they can also be used to
convey a message, such as surprise, agreement or
even to challenge what has been said. The meaning
of these minimal responses is also influenced
greatly upon the delivery of them. Tone of voice,
facial expression, posture and eye movement all
help to determine the way in which these messages
are received.