This document demonstrates my ability to work with a client and ask them purposeful questions about the situation they are discussing with me. This assignment shows my effectiveness in using the appropriate counseling skills when working with a client.

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Self-Evaluation Paper/Transcript
Morgan Sanders
COUN 531 Counseling and Communication Skills
Spring 2020
Dr. Kathleen Woods

2. FINAL TRANSCRIPT 2
Transcript
The client I chose to interview is my younger sister. She is currently a high school senior
and she is in marching band and the IB program at her school. She puts a lot of pressure on
herself to be successful and wanted to talk about the stress that her senior year of high school has
brought. I played the role of her school counselor in this scenario.
Client and Helper
Responses
The Skill I Used Comments
H1: Hi Taylor! Come on in! Greeting I tried to make Taylor feel
welcome as she entered my
office.
C1: Hi, Miss Sanders!
H2: How’s everything going? Open Question I wanted to get a feel for
Taylor’s emotional state.
C2: Pretty good. How’s your
day going?
H3: It has been a little busy,
but not bad. How is marching
band going?
Build Rapport/Open Question I wanted Taylor to know that
I care about the activities she
is involved in. This would
help build some rapport with
her.
C3: It’s good! We have state
coming up and we have a
good chance to win.
H4: That’s great! I saw you
guys perform at a football
game and it was really good!
Build Rapport/Non-directive
listening
I showed Taylor that I was
invested in her extra-
curricular activities.
C4: Thanks, I am having a
blast with it!
H5: Good! How are your
classes going?
Open Question I also demonstrated that how
Taylor feels about her current
class schedule is important to
me. I really wanted to know
how she liked her classes.
C5: They aren’t quite as bad
as they were last year, but
they keep me pretty busy.
Especially my Literature
class.

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H6: Yeah, I have heard a lot
of kids say that Literature is a
lot of work.
Affirmation of Feeling As a school counselor, I have
heard many students say that
Literature is a tough class. I
wanted Taylor to know that
she isn’t the only student who
feels this way.
C6: Yeah and I am really
stressed for the exams that are
coming up. But I have been
studying pretty hard so I’m
feeling confident about them.
H7: That’s great! I’m sure
your preparation will pay off!
Minimal Encourager I think this was a good way to
show Taylor support in her
stress over the upcoming
tests.
C7: Thank you! But I am
definitely ready to graduate
this year.
H8: I definitely understand!
So, before we get started, I
need to tell you that whatever
we talk about during this
meeting will stay in this
office unless you talk about
feelings of hurting yourself or
others. Otherwise, the stuff
you tell me will not be
repeated. Do you understand?
Confidentiality I felt like this was a good
time to talk about
confidentiality with Taylor. I
didn’t want her to start
talking about what was on her
mind before I told her the
policy about confidentiality.
C8: Yes, that sounds good to
me.
H9: All right, great! So, what
would you like to talk to me
about today?
Open Question I think that this is a kind way
to ask a student why they
wanted to come into your
office. I think it is warm and
welcoming to discuss what is
on their mind.
C9: I just wanted to talk to
you about the fact that a lot of
my classmates and friends
know what they want to do
next year. I just don’t know
where I want to go or major
in.

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H10: Yes, that’s a really big
decision. Have you gone on
any campus tours?
Affirmation of
Feelings/Closed Question
I wanted to figure out where
Taylor was on her college
search process. I think I dove
in a little too quickly. I think
it would have been better to
ask an open question, so she
did not feel bad about not
going on a lot of tours.
C10: I’ve toured LCC, but
nowhere else.
H11: That’s good! Have you
been to UW at all?
Closed Question Yikes… I shouldn’t have
asked such a closed question
here. Many Wyoming
students attend the University
of Wyoming, or at least
consider it. I really put her in
a corner with this question
and could have made her feel
bad for not looking at UW.
C11: Well, I’ve been there.
But I haven’t toured it.
H12: Gotcha, well going on
campus tours is a really good
step to take if you feel uneasy
about the college search
process. You can get a feel
for the campus and the
facilities, which can help you
out. What are you thinking
you would like to major in?
Guidance and Open question I think this was okay. I
wanted to try and encourage
Taylor to check out some
schools so she could get a
feel for what she likes. It was
a good time and natural
transition to ask what she
wants to study.
C12: I would like to become
a vet. I’ve been interested in
that because I love to work
with animals. But I’m not
100% sure that’s what I want
to do.
H13: Do you have any other
ideas for what you would like
to study?
Closed Question This is awkward. I should
have built on what she just
told me. I think this makes it
sound like I am not interested
in what she originally told me
she would like to study. That
was not my intention at all.

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C13: I don’t know. It changes
all the time. I’m so indecisive
about it.
H14: Yes, there are so many
great options out there for
what you can major in! It’s
hard to narrow it down! What
have your parents been
saying through this?
Feeling Validation and Open
Question
I tried to help Taylor know
that the process of choosing a
major can seem very
overwhelming. I also wanted
to know what kind of support
she had at home.
C14: They have been putting
a lot of pressure on me to go
to college because they didn’t
go to college. They just know
it’s the right decision for me
to go. I see where they are
coming from, but it adds even
more stress on me.
H15: Do you guys have a
good relationship where you
feel like you can talk to them
about how you’re feeling
about the whole thing?
Closed Question I wanted to dig a little deeper
to try and figure out if Taylor
has really talked to her
parents about what she is
going through. I think this
question was a little
unnecessary because she told
me quite a bit about her
relationship with her parents
right before this. I should
have built on that more than
asking an irrelevant question.
C15: Yeah, I talk to them
about everything.
H16: That’s great! So, what I
hear you saying right now is
that you have some ideas
about what you might want to
do after high school, but you
kind of have a lot on your
plate right now. You’re in
marching band, the IB
program, you take school
really seriously. So, you just
have a lot going on right now.
You’re also trying to think
about what you will be doing
next year. Am I hearing
Paraphrasing and
Summarizing
This was a good time to piece
together everything that we
had discussed during this
meeting up to this point. I
wanted to paraphrase what I
was thinking in my mind so
that I wouldn’t misinterpret
Taylor’s situation. This is an
important step for a counselor
to do before moving into the
body section of the session.

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everything you’re trying to
tell me?
C16: Yes, that’s right.
H17: What are some ways
that your teachers and I can
support you right now?
Open Question/Minimal
Encourager
I brought up more school
staff than just myself so that
Taylor could think about the
teachers and other trusted
adults in her life that can
bring support to her. I was
trying to help build
community around her.
C17: I just need to know that
I am going in the right
direction because it is hard to
make these decisions on my
own. My parents do not really
understand the college
process, so I have been trying
to figure this all out on my
own.
H18: Yes, definitely! That’s
pretty tough. Have you been
thinking about your plans
after high school for a while?
Or did it just come up? How
do you feel when you think
about life after graduation?
Reflection of Feeling and
Closed Question
I wanted Taylor to take a
moment to think about when
this anxiety first hit her and
process those emotions that
she feels about life after high
school.
C18: It really just hit me all
of the sudden. Junior year I
just tried to ignore it because
it felt so far away. But these
past few months have become
really stressful because of
how much closer graduation
is. I just put it off way too
long. I just really need to get
this figured out soon.
H19: So, I want you to know
that the feelings you’re
having right now are
completely normal. All
seniors go through a time
where they are stressed and
worried about the future.
Seniors have so much
Feeling Validation It was important to me to
make sure that Taylor knew
that what she was feeling is
normal for many seniors. I
wanted to make sure that she
didn’t feel like she was alone
in her emotions.

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pressure to be successful and
to make the right decisions on
their plans after high school.
Do not feel bad for being
worried or anxious about the
future. At this stage of your
life, it is normal to feel this
way!
C19: Thank you, Miss
Sanders. That makes me feel
better. I have felt so alone in
this since so many of my
friends know where they are
going to college. I just feel so
much pressure to go to
college.
H20: Many seniors do! Do
you want to go to college?
Door Opener and
Interpretation
This question was a little
bold; however, I think it was
a good time to get serious
with Taylor and find out what
she really wants once she
graduates. I was getting the
feeling that she did not want
to admit that she wasn’t
interested in college.
C20: Well, I’m turning 18
next week and I have been
working at Red Lobster this
year. I feel like I have already
showed that I’m mature and
ready to take on being an
adult. I have never really
liked school. I enjoy some of
my classes, but I don’t really
think college is for me. I
know I would not enjoy
sitting in class for a few more
years. Honestly, I just want to
work and get into full
adulthood right away.
H21: I understand that. Have
you talked to your parents
about it?
Closed Question I kept bringing up Taylor’s
parents because I want her to
know that it is important to
tell her parents what is going
on in her life.

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C21: I have kind of talked to
them. That’s how they started
out. They both just started
working right out of high
school and they are doing
fine. I don’t know why I can’t
do the same.
H22: I see where you’re
coming from. Do not take it
personally that your parents
are maybe not agreeing with
this idea right now. Try to
understand their point-of-
view. They love you and they
just want what is best for
you!
Minimal Encourager,
Suggestion, and Immediacy
I felt like this came across as
more of a lecture. I think I
pushed the parent card too
much and I shouldn’t have
kept coming to this point. I
just really think it is valuable
for kids to know that their
parents are their top
supporters in situations like
this one.
C22: You’re right. It can be
hard when they argue with
me about my future. I just
really don’t want to go to
college.
H23: That’s fine, Taylor. If
that isn’t what you want, then
don’t do it or you will be
miserable.
Feeling Validation I knew this was a tough thing
for Taylor to admit. I wanted
her to know she wasn’t alone
in this decision and that it is
very important for her to be
happy.
C23: Yes, I would really hate
having to go to more school.
H24: I see what you mean.
Do you have some ideas
about what you might like to
do instead of college?
Minimal Encourager and
Open Question
I think this was a good
question to ask. I felt like it
gave Taylor the chance to
speak up about what she
really wants to do after she
graduates without any
external pressures.
C24: That’s the thing. I have
heard a lot of people say that
there are a lot of options for
kids who don’t want to go to
college. I just don’t really
know what those options are
right now.

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H25: That’s fine! I can help
you out with that! Here is
what I think we should do.
You spend some time
thinking about and
researching potential options
for what you could do after
you graduate. This could be
jobs, trade schools, or other
programs that you might be
interested in! Then, next
Thursday, you can come to
my office and we can discuss
some of the options that you
have looked into and like!
This will give you some time
to really think about and
research some options that
are out there for you!
Immediacy and Goal Setting After Taylor told me that she
wasn’t interested in college, I
didn’t want her to feel like
she didn’t have options. So, I
thought it would be valuable
for her to know that she had
so many options. I think I
could have spent more time
actually diving into specific
examples with her instead of
just throwing her to the
wolves. This can be an
intimidating process, so I
think it would have been
better for me to sit with her
and find some examples of
options she might like.
C25: I think that sounds
great! I will really try to think
about some of the things I
might be interested in!
H26: For sure! I also think
that it would be good for you
to sit down and talk with your
parents about what you would
really like to do after high
school.
Immediacy and Goal Setting I know I kept pushing the
parent thing. I just think it is
important for parents to be
involved in these very serious
decisions.
C26: I was afraid you were
going to say that….
H27: I just think that it would
clear a lot of anxiety for you.
You need their support in this
decision more than anything
else.
Reflection of Feeling I know Taylor was struggling
with feeling overwhelmed
and anxious about this whole
situation. I think talking to
her parents would really help
her feel better.
C27: I know. It is just such a
tough thing to do.
H28: I know it is. But it is
very important that you tell
them how you’re feeling
about this decision. We can
set up a meeting with them if
Guidance and Empowering
the Student
I wanted to support Taylor
however I could. I thought
that offering a meeting time
with her parents might help
her know that I had her back
no matter what.

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you would like me to be there
with you when you tell them?
C28: That’s a really nice
thing of you, Miss Sanders.
But I think it would be best
for me to just tell them at
dinner.
H29: I think so, too! Don’t be
nervous about it. Just tell
them where you’re at with
this decision.
Suggestions and Urging She needed support to know
that her conversation with her
parents would be okay. I tried
to tell her that everything
would be okay and that there
is nothing to worry about.
C29: Okay I will do that!
H30: Alright, Taylor. Just to
recap our meeting today: we
talked about your struggle
with deciding what you
would like to do after
graduation. You
communicated that you felt
like college was not
something you would like to
pursue so we decided that you
would write down some other
options you might consider!
You are also going to talk to
your parents about this
decision and express how you
don’t want to go to college.
We will meet again next
Thursday to talk about how
all of this when and talk
about what options you
discovered. Does this sound
reasonable to you?
Recap of Meeting and
Summary
The recap of the meeting was
a great thing to do. Taylor
and I talked about so many
things and we decided on a
few things that Taylor really
needed to do before we talked
again. I think it was valuable
to re-hash those things that
she needed to do before we
met again. It was also
important to schedule another
meeting time before she left.
C30: Yes, it sounds great! I
appreciate it!
H31: It is truly my pleasure. I
look forward to talk with you
again next Thursday!
Departure I think I ended on a good and
positive note with Taylor,
even though we discussed
some difficult things. I
believe it is always important
to leave a meeting on a
positive ending.

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Discuss in a specific and concrete manner your current strengths.
I think the greatest strength I have right now that will help in the future as a school
counselor is that I am already working in the school as a teacher and have been learning how to
build rapport with teenagers. I believe that working with students as a teacher can really help any
other profession in the school district because I know first-hand what it is like to work with
teenagers and the challenges that arise from this profession. As a teacher, I have learned many
skills involving how to talk to teenagers and how to reach them on a personal level. I also think
that being a teacher will help me as a school counselor because I have been working with students
who have been through some particularly challenging matters. For example, one of my students is
shy and quiet; however, she is sweet and respectful. One morning, she came into my classroom
and seemed especially sad and needed to talk to me alone. I sat next to her and she told me that she
had been cutting herself and dealing with anxiety and depression. I talked to her for about twenty-
five minutes and showed her that I cared about her situation. I communicated that I had to share
this with the school counselor since she was hurting herself, but I told her that would be the only
other person that I would tell about what was going on. To this day, she emails me many times
during the week, and we communicate often. I work hard so that my students know I am a trusted
adult in their lives. Having this background will equip me to understand what makes teenagers tick
and what I can do to help them as a school counselor.
Another strength I have as a counselor is the ability and willingness to listen to what my
client or student is trying to tell me about their current situation or emotional state. I do not have
an issue with putting the needs of my students first and listening to them when they come to me
with a problem. I believe it is incredibly important to just listen when someone needs to talk. I

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think many frustrations and complications can arise if a student or client feels like (s)he is not
being listened to by his/her counselor. I know from my personal life that this can happen. For
example, if I am talking with my best friends or family members, they get really annoyed if I am
not giving them my full attention. Due to this experience, I have always tried to give others my
full attention when I am speaking or working with them. Being willing to listen to a client is also
an important skill to attain so that I do not lead my client too much in an interview. If a counselor
leads too much, then she might not reach the true problem that her client is experiencing. As a
counselor, I believe this can positively advance the building of a relationship with a client or
student.
Discuss in a specific and concrete manner the progress you have made in the development
of counseling skills.
A skill that I have attained through this semester is making sure the client or student that I
am speaking with knows that he is not alone in what he is going through. To accomplish this, I
have used the feeling validation technique. Through this method, the counselor affirms the
feelings of the client they are working with. I have learned how important this procedure is
because it helps the clients know their feelings, they are experiencing are normal. It also gives
them a sense of assurance to know that they are not alone in what they are going through. When
we have been practicing our skills through the Zoom meetings this semester, I have used this
technique many times. It has proven to be one of the best techniques to use to support a client.
Since I have been practicing this skill so much, I believe that it is now one of my strengths, and I
feel extremely comfortable using it when practicing my skills. As a counselor, I will always try

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to use validation when appropriate because I believe it is a fantastic way to support a client who
is experiencing a hardship in his life.
Another skill I have developed during this semester is the ability to pace and structure a
counseling session. At the beginning of the semester, my counseling sessions would only last
about ten or fifteen minutes and had no specific composition. I struggled with knowing when to
use the various skills that we were learning about and when to ask certain questions. I also felt
awkward in how I transitioned through the session. After learning techniques such as
paraphrasing and summarizing, I began to feel more confident in my ability to make a counseling
session flow. I began to practice listening well to my client in the beginning part of a session,
then used the paraphrasing skill to make sure I was hearing him correctly before moving on to
the second half of the session. With much practice, I was able to grow in this area as I know it
important to the counseling profession.
Discuss in a specific and concrete manner your current areas in need of improvement.
One of the most challenging skills that I have yet to master is knowing when to use
directive or non-directive listening skills and open or closed questions. I have spent a great deal
of time reading about how counselors use these skills to demonstrate to the client that they are
engaged in the topic. However, I know this is an area where I need to grow in my abilities. At the
beginning of the semester, I would participate in our Zoom meetings by just sitting on my bed.
Nevertheless, I noticed that I need to grow in these areas, so I began to sit in a chair and practice
using directive/non-directive listening skills as if I were counseling my client in-person. This has
helped a great deal, but I know that I still need to work on practicing listening and knowing when
to appropriately use open or closed questions.

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Another skill that has proven to be challenging for me is knowing the best time to use
interpretation and immediacy. I believe these two skills are valuable because they are used to
help the client understand why he might be struggling with something or feeling a certain way.
These skills also help a client take action to start resolving the issues he may be experiencing.
My issue in using these skills arises because I do not want to cut the client off in any capacity
when he is talking about his experiences and struggles. However, I know that counselors are on a
time crunch, and it is essential to lead the client to some sort of a resolve. I am also fearful of
misinterpreting what the client is actually struggling with and then using immediacy to guide him
towards an action that will not actually help, overall. Thus, I know I need to practice these skills
to increase my ability in guiding my future clients to overcome the obstacles they are
experiencing.
Describe and discuss areas of personal/professional growth and awareness.
In my personal and professional life, I believe I have grown in my awareness of truly
listening to others when they are speaking with me. As we have been studying the ways to ensure
our clients know we are listening to them, I have become more aware of making sure that others
know that I care about what they are saying to me. I have become more cognizant by making
sure my phone is on silent and put away when I am speaking with a friend. I have also made sure
to make appropriate eye contact and give others my full attention when we are having a
conversation. Since I have been practicing my listening skills in my personal life, I believe it is
affecting my professional life as an educator and future counselor because I have been working
hard to listen well to my students and help them through the trials they are going through.

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A personal value that I have that might affect my ability to work with specific
populations is that I am a Christian. As a teacher, many of my students know that I am a
Christian because I volunteer for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group at my school. Thus
far, this has not had a negative impact on the students or colleagues I work with because I have
been committed to establishing non-judgmental relationships with people. This can be a trying-
task because many people think that Christians are automatically hypercritical and judgmental
people. In the future, this could affect my job as a school counselor because students or their
parents may not want my help if they know this about my personal life. Specifically, I believe
some members of the LGBQ+ community may have issues with speaking with a counselor who
is religious. Therefore, I believe it is important to being open to any and all issues that come into
my office. My heart is to help students overcome trials, and I will always do my best to
accomplish this.