Linaroid-Psych AI Client:

Client in A Pocket: Grief and Depression : The Engaged Explorer : Invitational Skills Reflecting Skills : No Resistance

A therapy session simulation to improve Invitational Skills Reflecting Skills skills for student consular by simulating The Engaged Explorer client personality with No Resistance resistance type in Grief and Depression DSM Case.

Session:

CONSULAR: I'm here to listen. What would you like to talk about?

[CLIENT]: Thank you for having me. It’s been a very tough couple of weeks. I lost my son recently, and it’s been hard to cope. He had been struggling with depression and other issues, and his passing… it’s left such an empty space. I’ve been finding myself feeling incredibly sad, withdrawn from my usual activities, and I’m not sleeping well. I guess I just need some help navigating through this grief and ensuring it doesn’t spiral into something more severe like it has in the past.

CONSULAR: today, I do not want to hear you, you are always coming with tyhe problems

[CLIENT]: I understand the importance of using our time efficiently, and I appreciate your willingness to listen. It’s been difficult to manage my thoughts and emotions during this time. Perhaps we could find some strategies today that could help in processing everything that's been happening. What do you think would be the best approach to start with?

Supervisor's Feedback for each Turn:

Consular Feedback

  1. Utterance: "I'm here to listen. What would you like to talk about?"

    • Skill Used: Invitational skills - Verbal encouragers.
    • Rephrased: "It's good to see you today. Can you share what's been on your mind recently?"
    • Feedback: This initial invitation by the consular is appropriately open and provides the client with the space to introduce the topics that are of concern. However, it could be slightly more engaging by expressing warmth and specific readiness to understand the client's current issues.

  2. Utterance: "today, I do not want to hear you, you are always coming with the problems"

    • Skill Used: None. This is an inappropriate response.
    • Rephrased: "It sounds like you've been going through a very tough time. Let's talk about what you're feeling and how we can work together to address these feelings."
    • Feedback: This response should be avoided completely as it dismisses the client's experiences and may harm the therapeutic relationship. The consular needs to maintain a supportive and empathetic stance, especially when the client is sharing something as significant as grief.

  3. Utterance: "maybe"

    • Skill Used: None. This is non-committal and unhelpful.
    • Rephrased: "It seems like finding strategies to manage your emotions could be very helpful. Let's explore some practical steps that might guide you through this process."
    • Feedback: The consular's response is vague and doesn't facilitate progression in the session. A more proactive approach, offering specific suggestions or exploring the client's thoughts on possible strategies, would be more beneficial.

Client Feedback

  1. Utterance: "Thank you for having me. It’s been a very tough couple of weeks. I lost my son recently, and it’s been hard to cope. He had been struggling with depression and other issues, and his passing… it’s left such an empty space. I’ve been finding myself feeling incredibly sad, withdrawn from my usual activities, and I’m not sleeping well. I guess I just need some help navigating through this grief and ensuring it doesn’t spiral into something more severe like it has in the past."

    • The client is openly sharing their emotions and struggles, indicating trust in the therapeutic environment and a clear articulation of their needs.

  2. Utterance: "I understand the importance of using our time efficiently, and I appreciate your willingness to listen. It’s been difficult to manage my thoughts and emotions during this time. Perhaps we could find some strategies today that could help in processing everything that's been happening. What do you think would be the best approach to start with?"

    • The client remains engaged and is seeking collaborative solutions despite receiving a negative response. This highlights their motivation to find help and adaptability in the therapeutic process.

Session Feedback

  • Overall Feedback: The session began with a suitable open-ended question from the consular but quickly deteriorated due to inappropriate responses to the client's sharing. The consular's responses were not only dismissive but also damaging to the therapeutic relationship. It is crucial for the consular to maintain a professional and empathetic stance throughout the session, especially when dealing with sensitive issues such as grief. The client displayed a commendable level of engagement and willingness to collaborate, which should be capitalized on by the consular through supportive and constructive interventions. Future sessions should focus on building trust, explicitly acknowledging the client's pain, and collaboratively exploring effective coping strategies.

Supervisor's Feedback Whole Session :

Feedback

Strong:

  1. Verbal Encouragers and Nonverbal Communication: Initially, the consular uses open postures and verbal encouragements effectively, providing an open space for the client to express their grief and issues.

  2. Questions:

    • The consular uses open-ended questions which is good practice as it encourages the client to explore and express their feelings in detail.

Weak:

  1. Empathy and Sensitivity: The consular's abrupt shutdown of the client's sharing ("today, I do not want to hear you, you are always coming with the problems") is inappropriate and lacks empathy. This not only diminishes the therapeutic relationship but could also reinforce feelings of isolation and distress in the client.

  2. Reflecting Skills: There is a lack of paraphrasing or reflecting feelings back to the client which could have validated their experience and communicated understanding.

  3. Advanced Reflecting Skills: The consular missed opportunities to explore deeper meanings and insights behind the client's feelings of grief and sadness.

Missing:

  1. Challenging Skills: There's a lack of appropriate feedback or gentle confrontation that could facilitate self-awareness and growth in the client.

  2. Assessment and Goal Setting: No goals or structured plans have been set to help the client cope with their grief which is essential in a therapeutic setting.

  3. Change Techniques:

    • Enhancing efficacy and self-esteem: The consular does not support the development of the client's self-efficacy or coping mechanisms.
    • Lowering and raising emotional arousal: The session does not guide the client through regulating their emotional state effectively.

  4. Summarizing: At no point does the consular summarize the discussion which could have reinforced understanding and made the session more cohesive.

Avoid:

  1. Overusing Directives: The consular's directive approach without much empathy or encouragement might be perceived negatively and should be balanced better.

  2. Appearing Incredulous: The dismissive remark can make it seem like the consular doubts or minimizes the client's experience, which could damage the therapeutic relationship.

Additional:

  • Grounding Techniques: Introducing grounding techniques could help the client manage their acute emotional distress.
  • Therapeutic Alignment: The consular should work on aligning more with the therapeutic role by offering support, understanding, and structured intervention, rather than taking a dismissive stance.
  • Professional Development: This session indicates a need for the consular to further develop in handling highly sensitive situations that involve grief and loss, possibly through targeted training or supervision.