Counselling / Lifestyle
Counselling
When counselling a patient:
Set clear therapeutic goals with the patient
Allow adequate time
Evaluate your own skills (e.g., Does the problem exceed the limits of your abilities? Are you the right person and is this the right time to unpack the patient’s concerns?)
Recognize when you are approaching or exceeding boundaries (e.g., transference, counter-transference)
Recognize when your beliefs or biases may interfere with counselling
Remain aware of the risks of offering advice versus providing options
Pay close attention to the quality of the therapeutic relationship and alliance
For a patient who is considering or requesting referral for counselling/psychotherapy, clarify concerns and provide realistic information about the process and available resources (e.g., expectations, timing, frequency, costs, duration, homework, starting/ending the relationship if ineffective).
See also: Crisis
Lifestyle
In the ongoing care of patients, ask about behaviours that, if changed, can improve health (e.g., diet, exercise, alcohol use, substance use, safer sex, injury prevention (e.g., seatbelts and helmets).
Before making recommendations about lifestyle modification, explore a patient’s readiness to change, as it may alter advice.
Explore a person’s context (e.g., poverty) before making recommendations about lifestyle modification (e.g., healthy eating choices, exercise suggestions) so as to avoid making recommendations incompatible with the patient’s context.
In the ongoing care of patients, periodically review their behaviours, recognizing that these may change.
In the ongoing care of a patient, regularly reinforce advice about lifestyle modification, whether or not the patient has instituted a change in behaviour.
Counselling
Explore context (eg. Financial, social, culture, etc...) to make appropriate recommendations
Remain aware about
Transference
Patient redirects feelings for others onto therapist
Counter-transference
Redirection of a psychotherapist's feelings toward a client (eg. emotional entanglement with a client)
Strategies
Readiness to change
Precontemplation (Not ready)
Highlight advantages for change and problems with current behaviour,
Harm reduction
Contemplation (Getting ready)
Weigh pros and cons, explore ambilance/alternatives, identify reasons for change/challenges, increase confidence
Preparation - Action (Ready)
Goal setting, start date and strategy for change, as well as address challenges
Support and praise, stress that episodes of relapse are normal
Maintenance (Sticking to it)
Help identify and use strategies to prevent relapse
Relapse (Learning)
Help renew process of contemplation and action without becoming demoralized
Five A's (Health risk behaviour):
Ask "Would you mind if I talked to you about your smoking? How often do you smoke/exercise/wear a seatbelt?"
Advise "As your doctor, I strongly recommend that you ____. It is one of the most important things you can do for your health."
Assess "Are you ready to quit smoking in the next 30 days?"
Assist "Quitting smoking can be a real challenge. I can help you with this change, as well as pharmacotherapy/community resources/spousal support may help.”
Arrange 'I'd like to see you again/call you next week to see how the plan is going."
BATHE (Psychosocial problem)
Background "What's going on in your life?"
Affect "How do you feel about this situation?"
Troubles "What bothers you most about the situation?"
Handling "How are you coping with the situation?"
Empathy "It sounds very difficult."
RULE (Motivational interviewing for behaviour change)
Resist the righting reflex
Understand the patient’s own motivations
Listen with empathy
Empower the patient
Generic Lifestyle Advice
Decrease
Smoking, alcohol, marijuana, drugs
Salt, fat, sugar, calories
Screentime/TV
Stressful activities/work
Exposure to triggers (allergies)
Increase
Exercise
Healthy eating choices
Relaxation strategies (breathing)
Injury prevention (helmets/belts)
References: