Speaker 1: Hello, everyone. My name is Chris Boudreaux. I'm here delivering another presentation. For my presentation today, I'm going to be talking about referrals and counseling. I'm going to describe what referrals are. I'm going to discuss when it should be time to make a referral, what reasons that might come up or why you might have to make a referral, and also some recommendations to up-and-coming counselors, some tips and some things that they should think about or should be of concern to them. So here we go. So to get things started here, what are referrals? There might be times as a counselor where you find yourself in a situation where you're working with a client and you come to realize that the client has a problem or some type of issue that requires services that are beyond whatever you can provide. So in situations like these, you would have to refer the client to another source or another professional service or another counselor. You know, referrals are pretty much taking clients that you already have and putting them in touch with someone else or some type of professional service so that they can get the specific help that they need. Pretty much, you're just sending a client of yours to someone else who has the necessary expertise to help the client. You know, he or she, whatever counselor or whatever service it is you're sending it to, he or she specializes in working with that client's specific problem or issue. Or it might be just a better match for the client. When counselors make referrals, they are in charge for bringing the client and that person or service together and uniting them. As counselors, we might find ourselves in situations where we are unable to provide the appropriate services and treatment to a client. So there are a lot of reasons why we might refer a client. And I'll dive into that going on to the next couple of slides of this presentation. But the purpose of referring a client is to help that client get the necessary help that they need within their specific issue. So making referrals comes along with the territory of being a professional counselor. It's part of it. And it's important to realize that making referrals isn't anything a counselor should be ashamed of doing or they should look down upon themselves for making a referral. A lot of beginning counselors may feel guilty about sending a client away and they might think, man, I'm not doing my job. I'm showing weakness right here. It's my job to help this person, but I'm just sending them away. But actually you're helping those clients you refer because you're putting them in the right direction towards getting them the help that they need. So making referrals is actually a skill that counselors should possess. It's not a sign of weakness at all. It's actually an ethical obligation. It's a skill. And as with any skill, referrals may be unsuccessful if counselors are not confident and knowledgeable in making referrals. So moving on, as a counselor, when should you make a referral? When should you refer a client to another source, another professional service? As a beginning consultant, you might be happy about getting any work at all, but it is still important to be careful to get the right clients that are fit for you. It's okay to refer a client to another person. Some might look at it as if they failed to do their job, but it shouldn't be looked at it in that way. As I was saying to end the previous slide, you know, there are some people that consultants don't fit well with. The match just isn't suitable. It's not a good match. So the sole purpose is to serve the client with the best possible care. So referring a client to someone else might be the best decision. So going into it, what are some reasons for a consultant or counselor to refer a client? First thing, obviously, it's just not within their expertise. It is really significant and also ethical that the counselor is honest about whether or not they have the expertise and competence to help serve a client's needs. A counselor may have knowledge about a specific issue, but sometimes that isn't enough. And the client would be best served by seeing someone else that does have that special knowledge and that expertise within a particular issue, having the skills to help best serve the client. For instance, a medical issue could be outside the counselor's expertise. So a counselor would have to refer a client to go see a doctor. Also, if a client explains that he or she is hearing voices, for instance, then a counselor should refer that client to the appropriate medical professional. It's important for counselors to make an honest self-assessment and to determine what their strengths and what their weaknesses are. Maybe you are able to deal with issues such as marriage issues or confidence issues in certain areas, but maybe you lack the skills necessary to deal with issues such as child abuse or sexual assault issues. It's important to recognize as a counselor what you're good at, what your field is, what your niche is, and what you may not be so skilled at as far as dealing with certain issues. Moving on, dual relationships. That's when you might need to make a referral. Counselor has an existing relationship with the client, so counselor should seek to avoid dual relationships. A dual relationship is where a counselor and a client have some type of relationship or friendship that is already established. They already have an existing relationship. It is a dual relationship. It's a pre-existing relationship that is not professionally based. It could be a relationship in person or even online. So if a counselor has a Facebook page, for instance, and a potential client is just on their friends list, then that could be considered a dual relationship right there. Dual relationships are more difficult to manage, and they rarely end well. Dual relationships can influence bad judgment and decision making throughout a consultation session whenever trying to make a diagnosis or whenever trying to create a treatment plan. So it is vital that counselors try and avoid dual relationships at all costs. The next reason, another reason, counselors that have worked with the same client in the past. Sometimes a counselor may refuse to work with the client again because he or she feels like they have done everything they could and all they could do to help a client, and they have left no stone unturned. You know, they feel like there would be no benefits of opening the door again to that same client that they have worked with in the past. So counselors need to make a smart decision and decide if they think there will be any benefits from additional counseling and be honest about that. You know, a lot of counselors may not have had this thought process at all, and they will welcome their past clients in, but it isn't universal for all counselors. And, you know, that is something that counselors should think about. So, continuing with when a counselor should make a referral, another reason could be a counselor getting too attached to a client. You know, it's possible for counselors to become too attached to their clients, and that is something that should hopefully be avoided. It is one thing to like your client and to want to help your client become the best version of themselves and want to help them succeed, but it's a whole different situation to become attached to a client. And it can be easier than you might think to become attached to a client. A client may be opening up so much to you that you just feel this personal connection with them, which is good, but it's one thing to feel connected to a client compared to feeling attached to a client. And this is where counselors need to be careful. If you're a counselor, you will know you are attached to a client or somewhat being attached to a client when you're worrying about them during your, you know, your everyday regular life, or you'll feel the need to want to pick up the phone and call them, or you'll want to really push the margins of therapy. And so being attached to a client is a bad thing that could happen. You know, it's harmful to the client, and it's also unethical. If you're a counselor, and you find yourself crossing into that attachment borderline, and you're becoming too emotionally attached to a client, to the point where the sessions aren't what they are supposed to be, or what they should be anymore, they aren't very clinical anymore, then it is probably time to refer that client. You know, the purpose of counseling is to help the client to the point where they don't need counseling anymore. And that counseling will come to an end. When counseling is no longer needed, then the counseling has been successful. You know, so it's really significant for therapists to remind themselves that the relationship isn't created for the counselor and the client to become friends. You know, it's professional. Another reason could be sexual attraction. And this is very true. You know, the situation of being sexually attracted to a client is something that almost every counselor might face, or, you know, we're all human beings, and it's within our human nature to have these attractions and feelings towards other individuals. So if a counselor finds himself or herself being sexually attracted to a client, chances are that counselor will become more attentive and invested in those clients, but he or she will also become more distracted and less objective. You know, a counselor that is in the situation needs to ask themselves questions such as, are you thinking about this client often when not in the session? Or, you know, are you having sexual fantasies about this client? Are you wanting to touch the client? Are you having trouble focusing on the therapeutic session? You know, if a consultant is sexually attracted to their client, and that consultant cannot bring their feelings under control, then it is advisable to refer that client to another professional. Another reason why you should refer a client is maybe the counselor is going through the same issue the client is going through. You know, there may be a situation where you'll have a client who needs help with the problem, and you as a counselor might be going through that same situation yourself. You know, it can be tough on the counselor because they're going through their own similar battle, and that counselor may not be able to disconnect their own issue that they are having from the therapy session. So in that type of situation, it would probably be best to refer that client. So a few more reasons why you would want to refer a client to someone else. Maybe there's a lack of a therapeutic relationship, and you know, there's a lack of progress. For whatever reason, there might be no connection being made between the client and the counselor. You know, there might be no progress being made, and it just isn't working out. Maybe there are personality differences or, you know, something that is just holding back any progress being made. Maybe counselor doesn't like the client, or maybe the client doesn't like the counselor. You know, maybe the client is being extremely negative and overly critical. Things just might not be clicking between the counselor and the client. So good counselors are aware of when these types of happenings take place, and they figure out early into a therapy session that they just are unable to create that therapeutic relationship. So they will refer them, the client, to someone else to help that client deal with their issue. And sometimes, the client will just see that there might be no benefits from seeing a specific counselor. So that person might just ask to be referred themselves. But sometimes, they are able to eventually build that connection, and the lack of therapeutic relationship is only a temporary moment. You know, so things can change. Building a strong relationship and connection between the client and the counselor is really important. It's paramount. If there is a lack of connection and relationship there, there's no empathy being established, and there's no progress being made, then a referral might be the best solution. And it's up to the counselor to, you know, make that judgment call. Next is a pretty important, a safety issue. You know, I'll talk about this briefly. You know, there could be a situation where the client is displaying behavior that could be harmful to themselves or to other people. And so there are times where a counselor may not feel safe around the client for whatever reason. So in these situations where safety is a concern, then it's probably best to refer the client. Last thing I'm going to talk about, the last reason why a counselor might make a referral is because maybe there's a big impact or a change or something of significance is going on in the counselor's life. Maybe the counselor became sick, extremely ill. Maybe they have found new employment. Maybe he or she retired. Maybe the counselor is going through a divorce, a family emergency, or some type of situation that it would make it difficult to see the client and help the client. And in such situations, counselors need to find referrals to ensure a smooth transition to the client. So now I'm going to speak about some recommendations for counselors, you know, especially up and coming counselors, some things that they should think about and should be a concern of theirs moving forward into their career. Before making a referral, you should at least try educating yourself. You know, counselors should try and educate themselves on the issue before making that referral. They should ask themselves what it is that they need to do to make the most appropriate service to the client. Counselors, before they decide to refer, they should do some some reading and do some research on the issue the client is having. They should try educating themselves. And, you know, they should consult with their colleagues and other resources that they have. And by talking to their colleagues and the counselors and other resources in their network, they will get a better idea on deciding whether or not they should refer the client or not. So always educate yourself first before you refer the client and then make the decision on whether or not you're going to refer the client or not. Next thing I want to talk about is referral is a last resort. Counselors shouldn't go into a session thinking, yep, probably going to refer another client here. Oh, good chance I'm going to make another referral here. No, that's not it at all. That's not it at all. The goal should be to help the client. So referring a client is kind of like a last resort. It is likely that the client has built some type of relationship and connection with the counselor. So the act of referring would interrupt the treatment of the client and it could cause the client to have some some mental harm. And it isn't desirable for the client to keep on going from place to place, having to see a new person again to speak about their issue. You know, it's not desirable for the client to do that. So you want to try and be flexible and be prepared to help. So you don't want to have to refer. But if it is necessary, then by all means, refer the client. Next, I recommend that you should have a good referral network. You should start building up your network. Find people that you can talk to. If you ever have questions about your therapy session, you should have people you can call or people you can ask questions about and talk to. And you should also try and help be that helpful counselor to others as well. You know, if other counselors in your network have questions, you know, you might be able to answer them, answer those questions for them and help them with their own sessions and their own issues that they're having within their sessions. So it's important to build your network and to always have good referrals on hand. You can't be an expert in all areas. This is why counselors make referrals. So make sure that you have some that are local and within the same area as you so that if you do make a referral, it can be an easy and a smooth transition for the client. Next thing or last thing, actually, I'm going to talk about is figure out what you want to be an expert in, you know, find your niche and figure out what area as a counselor, figure out what area you would like to specialize in, whatever it is you want to be an expert in, pick that and then run with it and become the best counselor you can become within that niche. Think about what clients you would like to work with and what interests you the most. And by selecting a precise area to be an expert in, you can be really clear about your marketing strategies and how you market yourself and who you can help and how you can help. So by doing that, you'll be able to attract your ideal clients and you will have more job satisfaction within your career as a counselor. So this is pretty much it. This is the end of my presentation. The last thing I want to end with is just remind all the counselors out there, up and coming counselors, people that are just learning about referrals, that referring is not a sign of failure. You know, it's important to remember that referral doesn't mean that the counselor failed in their session. It's not a lack of skill or a sign of weakness. It's a normal part of being a counselor and a consultant. You know, it may be hard for counselors to accept the fact that they are they are unable to or unfit to help a client with their issue. But that's all part of the process and the growth of being a counselor. And, you know, it's as I said, it's not a sign of failure. It's a professional evaluation of what your strengths are and what your weaknesses are. And counselors can be hesitant to make referrals because they might feel guilty that they are not able to help. And they feel almost obligated that it is their duty to figure figure out a solution themselves. But at the end of the day, it's about serving the client's needs. And so referring a client to someone else might be the best decision. So I just wanted to end on that note and just speak to that one more time. Thank you guys for listening. I appreciate it. Have a wonderful, wonderful day.