PSI Tutor:Mentor

Open questions
*Advantages: Are useful especially at the beginning of an interview to use open questions as they allow the client to tell me their story using of their own words. This helps the client to feel more involved in the interview situation as they will likely feel more comfortable.

When asking open questions, there is more scope for the client to explore themselves and to discover relevant areas of their lives that may be contributing to how they feel at the moment. In fact, open questions can encourage the client to more freely express the concerns and/or anxieties they may have that could be missed if only closed questions were asked. Overall, open questions can provide a rich source of new information from the client to by letting them talk freely and openly.

*Disadvantages: Too much information could lead to a prolonged interview time, or to an interview that is more difficult for the practitioner to control. Also some of the information given may not be relevant to their problem at hand, and so the practitioner needs to be alert as to the information that is a priority.

Example of An Open Question:
Practitioner:
“How did you feel about the interview with me after first session? ”
Client:
“I was not comfortable when I came here and sat down in front of you. But I found that I felt better after I started talking to you. I was thinking more about myself after the first session and I think I can talk more about myself today.”
The client sounds like nervous at the first session. But after knew that need to know themselves to find out and sort out their problem, they can face to themselves and feel more comfortable to know own self.

Practitioner:
“Can you tell me what concerns you the most in this situation?”
Client:
“I am worried about my children.”

The practitioner would keep asking open questions until the client finds the answer/s that they want.

Closed Questions
*Advantages: Closed questions are very useful when I as the practitioner need a specific answer. It may be an answer like “yes” or “no”, or something short and to the point. It is very useful to use closed question when the practitioner has a time limitation, and to control the length of the interview. Closed questions can help to make client responses more precise.

*Disadvantages: The client may feel restricted when answering such questions. Hence, the client may feel that they need to talk more to enlarge their answer. Sometimes a client misunderstands why the practitioner wants such a specific answer as would be given with a closed question.

Example of A Closed Questions:
Practitioner:
“Do you think that your first session with me went ok?”
Client:
“Yes”
Practitioner:
“Are you concerned about this situation?”
Client:
“Not really”

As you can see the answers are brief and to the point. However, the information given in the answer is very limited.

Whether open or closed questions are asked the practitioner needs to remember that when too many questions are asked that the client may feel;
* Coerced into answering, like they are being interrogated.
* That the practitioner is deflecting them from the real issue by controlling the direction of the session.
* That they want to stop exploring their own world and instead wait for the counselor to ask more questions.

Summary
It is very important to recognize that when questions are used creatively and appropriately they can be extremely powerful in helping a client to feel comfortable, build a relationship with the practitioner and to find the answers they are looking for.

Recording a person’s sexual history can be very complicated due to the personal nature of the task, so there is a need to be sensitive as well as sensible. Firstly there are many opportunities for embarrassment on the part of both practitioner and client. To counter this I would set up the room to keep the privacy of the client and the practitioner.

As well I would keep the practice room quiet to let client concentrate and also to stay calm. Furthermore, as a practitioner it is important to keep a professional attitude, such as not disclosing too much of my personal information and not discussing client details with others. Also, the client may feel not comfortable when disclosing personal details with a practitioner of the opposite sex, but in this case my client was female.
I believe that my client is not going to start talking without my trying to build a relationship with her.

For my client her concern appears to be associated with a medical problem and/or social problem. The practitioner needs to listen carefully to the client to decide whether it is necessity to take a sexual history or not. If I feel that I am not suitable to take care of a client then I will refer them to another specialist.

During the consultation I will be aware that if I may make the client angry when I ask question in the wrong way. So I need to be aware of the sensitivity of the topic. When I start to take a sexual history I will let the client know why it is a necessity to talk about this matter (be purposeful) and ask if client comfortable to talk or discuss this with me.

Questions that I must cover in a sexual history are:
*When was your first sexual experience?
*What was the nature of previous sexual activity/ies?
*Is there a history of pregnancy or miscarriage, and what contraception or barrier protection does she use?
*Is there a history of other sexually-transmitted disease?
* Do they travel for work etc?
* Is there a history of alcohol and other drug use?
*Is there a history of sexual abuse?
*Are there any known psychological problems?
*Are there any known psychosexual problems (election, ejaculation.loss of sexual desire, or pain during intercourse)?
*What are their cultural and religious rules and practices with regards to sexual activity?
To avoid the client becoming embarrassed I will remain professional, such as asking questions in a manner where I:
*Don’t judge people’s sexual activity.
*Don’t judge people’s lifestyle choices.
This is to be sure that the client does not feel unnecessary discomfort or embarrassment and so be offended by the practitioner and be less likely to build a relationship and share information.

To avoid misunderstanding I must explain clearly to the client why I am asking such personal questions before start taking history.

Summary
I (practitioner) decide whether I need to take sexual history or not. When I decide that it is necessary I must explain to the client why and what we will discuss, so as to get an agreement from them to discuss the sexual issue. However, the sexual issue may not be in my field or I may feel not feel comfortable discussing the issue; in this case I will refer the client to another specialist.

Overall, I will aim to stay professional and to show in my attitude that I am keen to help the client.

My job description
I am working for a sporting team as a sports trainer and also as a sports psychologist. I am working for a local Australian football team as a head sports trainer, and this is my first year with the team. I have 6 years experience as sports trainer. I am expected to do both roles and this means I have to have good communication skills with the president, team manager, technical coach, strength coach, as well as the team’s committee.

My Role as Sports Trainer
I look after athletes by use of my skills such as with sports massage, remedial massage, preventive strap taping, first aid and rehabilitation programs. To support my athletes I mainly use massage to prevent injury and to maintain their muscle condition, which will also put them in the best condition to play.

My Role as Sports Psychologist
I must conduct counseling sessions with the athletes who may be facing depression, suffering from pain or struggling in their personal life. I must remain professional, so I must not be judgmental and I must keep the confidence of those who share their personal information with me. Part of this role is to listen; the other part is to help the athletes to find their answers they are looking for.

Skills as a Sports Trainer
I definitely need excellent communication skills as well massage and first aid skills. Any massage skills are very useful and are the main duty of a sports trainer. It is compulsory to have at least Level 1  Sports Trainer Certificate and a First Aid certificate.

However, another priority in this field is to conduct counseling to know their condition both mentally and physically to find out what is their physical problem. Also as I do this I can see how much the athlete knows about their condition.

After I gather information of the athlete’s mental and physical condition I can be more constructive in deciding on the proper treatments that they need.

Skills as a Sports Psychologist
Again, communication skills are essential. Conflict resolution, teamwork, motivation, stress management, life style coaching and problem solving are key areas of communication with athletes. I must actively listen to the athletes, and show empathy and discipline with them as needed.

I should not forget I am working as a part of the team and that means that at times, with permission from the client, I have to share information given during counseling. An athlete may be depressed due to their performance, injury or personal life. I look at their problem in a global way and treat them in holistic way as well.

The importance of my communication skills is generally in building a relationship of trust with the athletes. Hence, I am able to let them know I am here to support/help them. To build trust I must let them talk, and I ask questions to find what is the cause of depression or the inhibition of their performance.

Conclusion
My role in the sporting team is quite broad and a I have a lot of responsibility. I must know my limitations so as to protect myself and to provide better help and options (e.g., another specialist) to the athletes. As such, I must keep all my certificates knowledge up-to-date to offer the best treatment and care to athletes. I use a variety of skills to support all the athletes as my part in the team.

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