Counseling Skills and Techniques
Plocha – Fall 2021
Confrontation Activity1
Let’s get confronting! For each of the following client​ statements, write down discrepancies in the
form of​, “On the one hand_________, and/but on the other hand______________.”
1. CLIENT: “I have been so anxious about getting all of my work done. I know I have to do it,
but I run out of time. Anyway, I did end up going to the party on Thursday night and it was a
lot of fun seeing my friends. I stayed out way longer than I had planned to do.”
YOUR CONFRONTATAION:
2. CLIENT: “I abruptly broke up with my boyfriend of several years. I knew things were bad
for a couple of years but​ didn't say anything. I just moved out one day. He was a jerk. I
guess I need lessons in​ assertiveness.”
YOUR CONFRONTATAION:
3. CLIENT: “Robert is the most popular guy in the junior​ class, and he is in charge of the
prom. The problem is that when we were​ freshmen, I beat him up once. I​ can't even
remember why. Proms are usually a complete waste of time because they have stupid music.
But because of working for the alternative music​ magazine, I know a lot of people we could
get to do the music for the prom. But I would have to go through him. So, I am thinking of
not going. That would be okay with​ me, but my girlfriend is really excited about​ it.”
YOUR CONFRONTATAION:
Reflection prompts are adapted from the following sources: Young, M. E. (2017). Learning the art of helping: Building blocks and
techniques, 6th Ed. NY: Pearson.; Hall, S. E., & Flaum Hall, M. E. (2015). Reflecting character: Counseling with a virtue vocabulary.
IDEAS and Research you can Use: VISTAS 2015, 1-9.
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Counseling Skills and Techniques
Plocha – Fall 2021
4. CLIENT: “I just​ don't understand myself sometimes.​ I've had this​ boyfriend, Daniel, for
over a year. And it is​ fine, but sometimes when I am with him and my​ friends, I start flirting
with other guys and I tell my friends that Daniel and I are not that serious. I am not sure why
I am this​ way, but when we are out​ together, I​ don't want people to see us. When we
are​ alone, we get along really​ well.”
YOUR CONFRONTATAION:
5. CLIENT: “The problem I have is that I have a big project to complete for my​ master's
degree in business administration. But every time I sit down to work on​ it, I start surfing
the​ Internet, playing some game on the computer. Once I get into​ it, I can spend several
hours working on my​ thesis, but half the time it is sheer torture just to sit there and go over
that boring business stuff. Sometimes I wonder why I signed on to this thing. I do like
business and am excited about the challenges ahead of​ me, but this project has nothing to do
with my​goals.”
YOUR CONFRONTATAION:
6. CLIENT: “Right now, I own my own dry-cleaning business. I have 13 stores that pretty
much run themselves. I go in `for about 3 or 4 hours a day. I am only 41 years old. The
money has been unbelievable. I remember when I was in my 20s. All I wanted was to make
money and to be a​ success, have people in the community think I​ was, you​ know,
contributing. Now I am there and I am not sure it is enough. What happens when you
achieve all of your​ goals? Where do you​ go? I feel I should be happy because there is
nothing I am really lacking. Lately I have been drinking more than I should. Maybe​ I'm
just bored.”
YOUR CONFRONTATAION: