Unit 7.1 DB: Leadership Skills
Working with children differs from working with adolescents because of their developmental differences. Essential leadership skills when working with children, including the ability to combine meaningful materials with some extent of verbalization and activity. Leaders should also have self-control listening and communication skills to be able to talk and understand children. They should also be patient and understanding (Geldard, Geldard, & Foo, 2017). I have learned that working with children requires a lot of knowledge of their developmental needs and their unique circumstances to help them to overcome traumas, such as child abuse. The skills are necessary to earn the trust of the children so that they can open up to get help. While some skills might be similar for the two groups, such as communication and listening, leaders should have some additional skills to help teenagers. For example, collaborative and cooperation skills are critical in helping them to get engaged in their group activities (Sutton & Stewart, 2017). The leader should also have critical thinking and problem-solving skills to help teenagers. Trust is also necessary, as well as the ability to respect their independence.
Of these skills, I currently have excellent communication skills and problem-solving skills. I am also a critical thinker and take time to understand members of each group to know what interventions are necessary to address their needs. However, I have some personal limitations that I should resolve to become better at working with children and adolescents. Some of the barriers are lack of patient and the tendency to lose control fast. I understand the importance of these skills to become a better counselor and work effectively with children and teenagers. I plan to practice the skills and practice through mindful exercises to gain self-control. I will also seek mentorship to help me to overcome my weaknesses and improve the skills to work with the two groups.
Unit 7.2 DB: Groups in Adolescence
While growing up, I participated in various groups that impacted my life in the long term. Some of the groups that I actively participated in were sports and athletics, and music and drama club. Sports and athletics had a significant impact on my development because it taught me how to work with others, and most importantly, how to deal with conflicts and solve interpersonal challenges. It played a crucial role in the problem-solving skills I use today to address any issues emerging when working with others. The drama and music clubs provided an outlet for me whenever I felt stressed out by pressures in life. The most important skill I learned in the process is self-control. Although I still struggle with emotional outbursts, I would be worse if I did not participate in the groups.
I still have some aspects of the development through membership in the groups, and they still have an impact on my life and career. For example, I am still a great negotiator in interpersonal conflicts because of the skills I learned through participation in sports and athletics. I also became great at communication and listening because it was necessary to understand the rules and follow the rulers of the game. I have become competitive in life because of engaging in sporting and athletic events. Generally, the experience has shaped my life and continues to affect the way I work with others.
References
Geldard, K., Geldard, D., & Foo, R. Y. (2017). Counselling children: A practical introduction. London: Sage.
Sutton, J., & Stewart, W. (2017). Learning To Counsel: How to develop the skills, insight and knowledge to counsel others. New York: Robinson.
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