Writing as a Counseling Skill

Writing IS a counseling skill. Think what you may, but it is and that is that! Need proof: What will that doctor, lawyer, judge, probation office, employer, or any other professional think about your clinical recommendations for a client if the letter, report, or discharge summary you have written to outline such

includes misspelled words—“there” when you meant to write “their”—or run-on or incomplete sentences; poor grammar—too many or too few commas or their use in the wrong places—or improperly employed pronouns—“Me and her got along well in group…”? The last thing a professional counselor wants or needs is someone second guessing his or her clinical recommendations simply because they are discounted when the reader of a report questions the writer’s clinical judgment because of the quality of the written report.

Here are a few thoughts—and recommendations—from a professor of counseling who once read on a student’s end-of-term course evaluation; Dr. Chapman seems to have forgotten that this was a counseling course and NOT a writing course!

As many of my students have heard me say so often in class, “you do best what you do most,” so “doing” more writing will help improve one's writing skills. That said, you need to get feedback on this writing that you will do. Certainly, should a student ask a professor, he or she may be willing to be particularly critical on any papers submitted and provide feedback on what a student has written, perhaps even including referrals to an online tutorial related to the indicated issue. For example, pointing out instances where specific writing issues occur, as in the use of the “passive voice” or “split infinitives” and proffer a suggestion regarding how best to correct the issue as well as perhaps suggesting a link to resources online where you can learn more.

Another option, of course, is to frequent your university’s writing center. At Drexel, the Center’s website is - http://drexel.edu/engphil/about/DrexelWritingCenter/

Another option—and this may sound like work, but it simply involves paying a different sort of attention to the reading assignments you have for your courses—is to read professional writing in a critical fashion. By this I mean, paying particularly close attention to “how” what you are reading was written. Notice the phrasing, sentence structure, and syntax. Pay particular attention to those reading assignments that seem “effortless” and those that are quite tedious. I suspect that the way an article or chapter is written will affect how easy or difficult it is to read. By this I mean, does it hold your interest? – ask yourself why and what it is about the writing that makes it so clear; is it easy or difficult to concentrate on the writing – again, ask yourself why and what the author(s) do to facilitate or frustrate your concentration.

Next, look for and complete at least one or more workshops on APA style. NO ONE will ever know all there is to  know about APA style, and by the time you think you have a handle on it, APA will come out with a new edition. You can, however, familiarize yourself with the basics and then turn to online resources if not the actual manual itself for the details or info on some obscure challenge you face in your writing. Your library likely has workshops, perhaps even an online webinar, and there are numerous resources available online that can be very helpful. The APA itself has an online tutorial regarding the “basics” of APA style.

Lastly, in this missive that is, as there are obviously many more ideas and suggestion that can be pursued, take the time necessary to construct a well written paper. To do so, consider these suggestions:

• ·         Never EVER sit down, write a draft, and then turn that in as your paper…EVER. Enough said!
• ·         Read what you have written out loud. You will discover most of the problems, especially those related to syntax, when doing so. If it does not “sound right,” chances are it is not, and there is a problem you can fix
• ·         Let some time pass between “writing” and “proofreading” your document. If you review immediately after you have written something, the fact that you know and understand what you were thinking can result in your prose “seeming” clear when they actually are not. Remember: Your familiarity with your subject may lead to “filling in the gaps” in the logic and reasoning as you proofread your manuscript.
• ·         Set up your word processor to check grammar as well as to check the document’s readability. NOTE: The links here are to instructions regarding the use of Microsoft Word 2010, but such instructions likely exist for whatever word processing program you employ.
• ·         Invest in a “pocket handbook” on writing, something like Kirszner & Mandell’s, The Pocket Handbook for Psychology, 2^nd Edition. You can find it used for as little as $4 – click the link to check online for used copies via addall.com.

These are just a couple ideas related to improving your professional and academic writing. Feel free to leave additional suggestions or writing resources as comments.

Best regards,

Dr. Robert