Egan’s model of counselling

Gerard Egan was professor of Organisational Development and Psychology at Loyola

University in Chicago,

Gerard Egan proposed a 3 stage model or framework known as “Egan‟s skilled helper model”.

It is a useful tool in helping people to solve their own

problems through empowerment and help them develop future

opportunities.

Egans goals are to help…

• people 'to manage their problems and living more effectively and develop unused opportunities more fully‟

• 'help people become better at helping themselves in their everyday lives.'

• With an emphasis on empowerment

Stage 1: Exploring Skills-The Present –where you are at now

• Primary concern to provide a safe place for the “speaker” to tell their story in their own way

• To be fully heard and acknowledged• Gently assisting them to see the bigger picture• Guiding and supporting them• Helping them to find a point to move forward

from

Contains three (3) part

• 1a: an expansive part

The helper encourages the speaker to tell their story, and by using good active listening skills and demonstrating the core conditions, helps them to explore and unfold the tale, and to reflect.

The helper Uses exploring skills include:• good active listening skills• Open-ended questions• Silence• Empathy• Reflecting• Paraphrasing• Summarising

1b: a challenging partAs the speaker is “in” the situation, they may

find it difficult to see clearly, or from different angles.

The helper listens and reflects to the speaker what is being said with the intent of uncovering blind spots or gaps in their perceptions and assessment of the situation.

Allows the speaker to see the situation from another's perspective or view point

1c -Focusing and moving forwardIn this stage, the helper seeks to move the

speaker from a feeling of being „stuck‟ or trapped with no way out

Helps the speaker to identify an area they feel motivated to change

The role of the helper is to assist the speaker in identifying and prioritizing an area or issue they would like to work on

Stage 2: Understanding Skills-Preferred –where you want to be

In this stage the helper assists the speaker in identifying what they want to do.

Enabling and allowing the speaker to see how things can be different, better.

People often move from problem to action, or problem to solution

2a -a creative partThe helper helps the speaker to brainstorm

their ideal scenario; 'if you could wake up tomorrow with everything just how you want it, like your ideal world, what would it be like?'

The speaker is encouraged to think „outside the square‟

Any idea is acceptable at this stage, the ideas are not limited to the practical only

This can be a scary situation and/or concept for the speaker initially, but then hopefully liberating

• The role of the helper is to encourage, facilitate conversation and imagination

• Not to judge or analyse• To be accepting• To allow time• To record the ideas, all of them.

2b -a reality testing partThe role of the helper is to assist the speaker to

formulate SMART Goals form all that has been identified and said by the speaker.

The goals may be challenging but also the speaker will need to show motivation to achieve them

2c -moving forwardIn this stage the helper's aim is to test the

realism of the goal before the speaker moves into the action phase.

To help the speaker check their commitment to the goal

To assist the speaker to see and identify that there may be challenges to achieving the goal but also rewards.

Stage 3: Acting Skills-Strategies –How are you going to get where you want to be?

1.Help the client find possible actions2.Help the client to find the best fit strategies-what will work for the client3. Help the client to draft an action plan

This is the 'how' stage... how will the person move towards the goals they have identified in Stage 2?

It is about possible strategies and specific actions

about doing something to get startedconsidering what/who might help and support

the speaker And who/what may hinder the speaker making

the change.

3a -another creative part!The speaker is helped to brainstorm strategies,

as many as the speaker is able to think of.Identifying what people, places, ideas,

organisations could help? The aim is to allow the speaker the freedom

generate new and different ideas for action, breaking out of old mind-sets and habits.

The role of the helper• To prompt and encourage thinking• Brainstorming • Eliciting new and innovative ideas

3b -focusing in on appropriate strategiesNow is the time for the helper to assist the

speaker to choose the “realistic” strategies form all the brainstorming ideas.

Remembering realistic for the speaker, in their circumstances, consistent with their values?

A useful tool to assist here is a Forcefield Analysis it helps to look at what internal and external factors (individuals and organisations) are there that could possibly help and/or hinder the desired or chosen action and how these can be strengthened or weakened respectively.

Forcefield AnalysisA Forcefield Analysis helps to identify the

pressures for and against changeForce Field Analysis is a useful technique for

looking at all the forces for and against a decision. In effect, it is a specialized method of weighing pros and cons.

By carrying out the analysis you can plan to strengthen the forces supporting a decision, and reduce the impact of opposition to it.

3c -moving to actionPlanning for changeThe strategy/s are is broken into small

achievable stepsThe helper works with them to turn good

intention into specific plans with time scales. Ensuring that the speaker is keen to pursue the

decided upon strategies