What happens in a co-counselling session?

A co-counselling session is based on two people getting together and each taking turns to be counsellor and then client (or client and then counsellor). They choose how long the session is to last, and they both have equal time in the two roles. No money is exchanged. They have both learned the same set of techniques on the foundation course, and know what to expect from their counsellor.

Group co-counselling
Co-counselling can often take place in a group, where everyone is client for an equal length of time. Doing co-counselling in a group can be a particularly powerful way of getting to 'below the surface' to the feelings and senses that need working on. If you have never done this kind of intense work in a group this may sound daunting at first. The co-counselling culture and set-up that you are introduced to on the course helps you with this: there is no obligation to do anything you don't feel inclined or ready to do - 'the client is in charge'...

The client is in charge
This phrase, 'the client is in charge' (of their session), is central to co-counselling; it's one of the things that helps make co-counselling safe. As a client you don't have to take up anything your counsellor says ('interventions') - you can 'try it on' and see how it fits, develop an idea, or start a fresh one. How to do this is taught on the course.

List of techniques ('interventions') and topics
The following list of interventions taught on the course may not be self-explanatory, but it may give you a gist of things, or whet your appetite. The interventions are a combination of verbal work (talking - using words etc) and non-verbal work - sound, posture, body movements and feelings etc. The individual chooses what interventions are useful for them i.e. each person is completely free to develop their own way of using co-counselling techniques.

Celebration
Free attention
What’s the thought?
Cues; verbal and non-verbal mirroring
Psychodrama: role-play and reverse role play
Attention switching (coming back to present time)
Scanning and Literal description
Repetition, contradiction and exaggeration
Unfinished business
Work with cushions
Non-verbal work
Sentence completion
Identity check
Direction holding and Celebration into discharge
Patterns: Victim / persecutor / rescuer / distant position
Client patterns and Counsellor patterns
Balance of attention
Client patterns
Counsellor patterns
Re-evaluation
Target practice and goal setting
Appreciations, constructive feedback
Acting into emotions (mad, sad, glad and bad)
What’s left unsaid?