Affordable Counselling with Supportive Services

Many people struggle when advocating for themselves for various reasons. These challenges can lead to a sense of not being in control of their own life or that one must simply endure any situation that is negatively impacting them. In my opinion, empowerment of the client can be one of the most important goals a client may wish to set for themselves, and many interventions used during counselling are aimed towards that purpose (McWhirter, 1991). When clients develop a sense that they have the capability to create change in their lives and are aware of their own power, the client is most likely to experience healing by taking on an active role in the process. From my own professional experience, an example how empowerment can help is when students learn how to self advocate for accommodations in educational due to disability related reasons. Another example of how empowerment can help is if one is looking for a new job or career change as it can improve the quality of jobs found through the extra motivation empowerment can provide. (Grützmacher & Schermuly, 2021). For this week’s blog post, we will examine why learning to self advocate is a necessary skill and how counselling can assist the client with obtaining the sense of empowerment needed to do it.

What does empowerment really mean?

I feel that the word empowerment can be somewhat intimidating for some as it does not only refer to control a person may have over their lives, but also that the person is responsible for how they use that power. From my experience, I have encountered individuals who are not used to using their power to ask for what they feel want, need or deserve and that can create issues for the client as they lose control over their own lives. Through counselling, you can learn to the self advocacy skills necessary to create the change in your life that may seem too daunting right now. Therefore, when we are referring to counselling, empowerment can mean recognizing your strengths, learning how to use them and developing the skills necessary to overcome challenges when encountering resistance while trying to meet your goals.

Counselling strategies that can help with empowerment and self advocacy

Learning how to set goals together that allow the client to build on small successes and turn them into larger ones.
Assisting with developing skills that allow for self reflection. Homework tasks such as journaling, and meditation can help clients gain a better understanding of what their own needs are.
Encouraging skills development when necessary to obtain a goal. This could include teaching the client skills to cope with difficult situations or learning how to communicate effectively and setting boundaries.
Allowing the client to celebrate small successes and achievements. Recognition of achievements allows the client to feel that changes are possible.

In conclusion, developing skills that lead to self advocacy and empowerment can help you whether you are in a place where you are feeling stuck in your life and you feel a change is warranted or if you are having difficulties expressing your own needs and feelings to others. A skilled counsellor can assist with developing these skills and help you with the change you may be seeking.

Creating a New Story Through Therapy

What does empowerment really mean?

Counselling strategies that can help with empowerment and self advocacy