As you counsel your hurting clients, what you say to them will be guided by your own beliefs about the role of suffering in human experience (part of your own “theoretical map” as discussed in the lecture). Considering the numerous points that were made in the course, make a list of at least 5 concepts that you found particularly helpful, insightful, unique, or had not thought about before.
What guidelines would you particularly emphasize as you counsel hurting people? The five concepts you list should be based on the course materials, so make sure you cite the source you use.
Then consider the following scenario. What suggestions from the course materials would you want to apply to this hurting client? Why did you choose those suggestions as most important?
Scenario
You work primarily for an adoption agency but on some evenings, you volunteer your time at your church’s free counseling clinic. Your client in that setting, Jamie, was recently divorced, and expresses that she “has no direction” in life. She feels very rejected and alone. She often cries in session and in her latest session, lashed out at you, her therapist, since she was “not feeling better.” She questioned whether you were really helping her since she is still “feeling all this pain.” She left asking, “Why can’t you help remove this needless suffering?”
