The Elephant in the Room: Navigating Difficult Conversations in Counseling Practice

What you'll learn

• Identify common "elephants" in therapy across five categories and recognize personal patterns of avoidance through structured self-reflection.
• Apply the COMPASS framework systematically for preparing, initiating, and navigating difficult conversations with clients.
• Utilize specific language patterns and sentence stems that promote openness while minimizing defensiveness in challenging clinical situations.
• Address treatment-interfering behaviors directly using a stance of curious compassion while maintaining therapeutic alliance.
• Navigate conversations about lack of progress, treatment failure, and termination with honesty, care, and appropriate referral practices.
• Discuss cultural differences, power dynamics, and identity with authenticity and cultural humility, including repair of cultural missteps.
• Repair therapeutic alliance ruptures using Safran and Muran's evidence-based strategies for both withdrawal and confrontation ruptures.
• Manage personal anxiety and countertransference when approaching difficult topics through centering techniques and professional self-care.

Who it's for

Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, National Certified Counselors

Approval & credit

CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 3 NBCC-approved CE hours; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.