Plan of Action
Build Foundation
I will introduce myself to Sven as William Snyder, a registered counsellor at the rehab facility. I will address the client by his full name first, ask how he would like me to refer him, and shake hands.
I greet Sven with a smile so he can sense that I am a caring individual. My body language is professional and indicates openness. I will not have my arms crossed when meeting Sven, but I instead walk into his room, smile, and ask if I can take a seat to have a conversation with him. I want Sven to know that our counselling session is a collaborative effort, so we will work together to find a health plan that works for him to quit smoking and may improve how his lung cancer disease. I will ask Sven to tell me a little bit about how he is dealing with his diagnosed lung cancer and how he feels about his health. Are there any goals you would like to get out of this counselling session?
Gathering Data
This was already partially measured in the building foundation stage, but I will talk to Sven a little bit about what he knows about his diagnosis. I will then proceed to tell him I will be collecting a medical history. I will ask Sven to take me through how many cigarettes he smokes in a day. I will ask Sven if he thinks that I should take up about 30 minutes of his time. Defining the problem, what I hear from you is that you are addicted to smoking cigarettes, which leads you to be diagnosed with lung cancer.
Determine Goals/Education
What would you like the outcome of our session to be? What would you like to accomplish before leaving the rehab? How do you hope this counselling can impact your health in the long term?
After the patient provides his goals, I will offer up my own. I will recommend some short-term aims to increase knowledge regarding health issues and substitutes for addiction. I will then move on to the education portion of the counselling session. During this time, I will teach Sven a little bit about how to control and cope with depression and how essential it can be in taking control over you.
- Allow the client to discuss alternatives. If Sven mentions that he cannot smoke at once, I may offer an option such as whenever you feel like smoking a cigarette, use any substitute like an e-cigarette, which will help him quit smoking.
- Closing/Reaching Commitment
Before we close, I will express that I believe in Sven and that he is capable of bringing about this change. I will review his weaknesses (relying on smoking to cope up with his depression), but also emphasize strengths (that he is incredibly receptive to learning, and willing to make some changes). I will reiterate that he will try to incorporate healthier activities. I will show confidence in him that he can make an impact on his health in the future. I will tell Sven that we are just about finished and summarize the goals we discussed and solutions to achieve them. I will schedule a time to meet again before he is discharged.
