Counseling Project: This project is intended to demonstrate your understanding of the counseling process Custom Paper

1. Please read instruction about this paper below. the paper should be written base on patient history form which I downloaded as well.

2. Counseling Project: This project is intended to demonstrate your understanding of the counseling process. You will be graded on the following:

1) your ability to formulate a plan for nutritional intervention based on your understanding of the case
2) your assessment of dietary needs for each individual
3) your ability to demonstrate the key counseling skills required to effectively provide nutritional counseling to an individual
4) Personal reflections on your counseling experience.

Choosing your topic and client
You can choose to counsel a person with any nutritional issue you like. This may include but is not limited to: Type I diabetes, Type

II diabetes, hypertension, celiac disease, overweight/obesity, pregnancy, an eating disorder, GERD or liver disease. These are just

examples � however please feel free to choose a topic you feel comfortable with and strike your interest.

Preparation for the Initial Assessment
The anticipation of meeting with your client for the first time can be exciting as well as stressful. Interviewing and counseling

skills take time to master, but your competence will improve with each session. Certain preliminaries should be addressed before your

patient even enters the door. For basis of continuity please make sure to include/address the following:

1. Nutrition History Form: Provide the potential client with a nutrition history form to fill out prior to the first meeting. You can

use the one I provided in class or construct your own in a Microsoft word document. This form must be filled out by your client and

handed in. Information that MUST be included on form: height, weight, DOB, the client’s goal weight, medications and supplements

currently taking, allergies/intolerances, the client’s nutritional goals (why are they seeking your guidance?) as well as a typical

documented dietary recall. [You MUST hand in the nutrition history form]
2. Environment: make sure you have a quiet, private and comfortable environment free of distractions to conduct your counseling

session.
3. Medical and Dietary Records: Often prior to meeting a client who has an indentified disease state you may want to obtain lab values

from the referring physician. For example if you are counseling a patient with diabetes you may find it helpful to know their most

recent hemoglobin A1c value or fasted blood glucose values. For purposes of this assignment (and nature of your credentials- not all

of your RD’s) this is NOT required. If your volunteer does have access to their lab values and you think they may make your counseling

intervention more effective please request the client make these values available to you.

Also many times you may want detailed dietary information Often, RDs may request their client keep a detailed food record of a certain

amount of days in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the client’s meal/snack patterns. If this is something you think will

be beneficial to your intervention as well please request this information in advance from your client and ask them to bring it with

them to the initial counseling session.

The Initial Consultation
The following is a list of issues and actions which MUST be addressed in the initial counseling session:
� Greeting verbal introduction of who you are including your title
� Small talk and establishing of report this is critical to establishing a trusting and respectful counseling relationship.
� Investigate client’s long term objectives, expectations, needs and concerns (i.e. Have you ever worked with a nutritionist before ?

What do you expect to achieve through nutritional counseling? What makes you want to lose weight)
� Set agenda let your client know exactly what your expectations are for the counseling session. (In today’s session we will)
1. Review the Nutrition History Form make sure to inquire about health history, drug history, socioeconomic history, diet history AND

ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED IN DESIGNING YOUR INTERVENTION (i.e. work history does the client have a particularly stressful

job, home life, relationship, ect). Make sure to ask for clarity when appropriate. Really get to know your client inside and out.
2. Ask about a typical day’s food intake make sure to clarify portion sizes and preparation methods. Don’t forget to ask about their

beverage intake as well as supplement intake.
3. Review any lab values or food records
– Provide feedback and assessment you can choose how you want to go about this step. The following are some considerations to keep in

mind.
o Challenge comfort zones explore barriers!!!
o Be the facilitator
o Transfer power to the client
– Educational component verbal, written handouts, exploring online websites during counseling session are all appropriate educational tools. You must provide the client with at least one piece of education material. This MUST be handed in with your paper.
– Goal setting -Work with client to identify and establish goals to be completed before next session
� Assign homework as appropriate
� Set up a follow-up appointment and disclose to client what you are intending to discuss
� Close the session on a positive note ?

Some final words of wisdom when counseling

Rules of thumb to avoid
1. Harming the clients self concept with your words
2. Being insensitive to how the world is perceived by others
3. Listening only with ears and not your eyes
4. Giving generic praises
5. Giving mixed messages
6. Ignoring the basic tenet: the important things is what a person knows but what he believes about himself
7. Asking questions you already know the answer to
8. Don’t mistakenly believe because you give enough facts and information the person will change