Counselling techniques

It is important that life-style measures be instituted within the framework of a structured plan that includes the use of counselling and monitoring by appropriate health professionals such as nurses, dieticians, clinical psychologists and other therapists, as well as the responsible physician. Recommendations should be tailored for each individual and greater use should be made of modern and well-validated counselling techniques. 

Importantly, the counselling techniques as deployed in standard form may need significant modifications for individuals with additional psychiatric illness, and given the increasing emphasis on this population within psychiatrically based drug services there is much discussion of this aspect in Chapter 7. 

Bryant RA, Sackville T, Dang ST, et al. Treating acute stress disorder an evaluation of cognitive behavior therapy and supportive counseling techniques. Am J Psychiatry 1999 156 1780-1786. 

The DHHS influence is apparent on every medication bottle delivered from the manufacturer, in the patient counseling techniques utilized, and treatment guidelines and research protocols administered throughout the country. 

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE INTERACTIVE PATIENT COUNSELING TECHNIQUE EVALUATION FORM... 

Building rapport Counselling Coaching techniques Conflict handling constructive challenge ... 

Patients switched from an MDI to a DPI should be counseled that the DPI requires a rapid and forceful inhalation as compared to the slow inhalation used for an MDI. Patients using a DPI should also be counseled not to exhale into the device, as it will cause a loss of dose or decreased drug delivery. Because delivery technique with inhalers deteriorates over time, the health care provider should take every opportunity to reinforce appropriate inhaler technique. 

Counsel patients about glaucoma, drug therapy options, ophthalmic administration techniques, and the importance of adherence to the prescribed regimen. 

Patients prescribed topical P-blockers should be counseled on the nasolacrimal occlusion technique to decrease systemic absorption. 

Providing guidance or counseling as needed (e.g., stress-reduction techniques). 

In addition to adequate pharmacotherapy, specific forms of psychotherapy may also be indicated. These may include cognitive or interpersonal psychotherapy or various behavior desensitization and biofeedback techniques. Some patients may benefit from insight-oriented psychotherapy group, family, or marital counseling or both. Finally, in more chronic disorders, patients often benefit from vocational rehabilitation. A knowledgeable clinician realizes that these disorders do not occur in a vacuum, and, regardless of diagnosis, each patient requires an individualized treatment plan to optimize outcome. 

Development and growth can, however, be consciously facilitated. The practice of such facilitation is the basis of counselling, psychotherapy, much management development and all the many personal development techniques that are on offer today to people seeking to improve themselves. Indeed, this book, advocating the use of experience as a basis for personal development, must be counted amongst this genre. 

Based on the outcome of your assessment if fhe employee is achieving above-sfandard performance, you should acquire fhe role of a mentor average or standard performance requires coaching and substandard performance needs your involvemenf as a counselor. However, each of these techniques may be required for any employee at some time in his or her career. Even the best employee will have moments when counseling is warranted. 

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