Author: Alena Prikhidko

Counseling Philosophy

Alena PrikhidkoCounseling

Personal Counseling Philosophy

My Counseling Experience

My counseling experience began in Russia. I have been working in a private practice with diverse populations of clients and running psychological training groups related to emotion regulation and interpersonal communication. Additionally, I have obtained further counseling coursework and experience in the U.S. during my doctoral program, including advanced family counseling. I have also completed intensive training in crisis counseling through the Alachua County Crisis Center and have obtained a certificate as a crisis phone counselor. I plan to participate in training related to domestic violence and become an advocate for domestic violence. As a counselor educator and as an emerging leader, I have a goal to promote awareness about family violence and engage counselors in appropriate training activities. This goal is supported by my counseling approach focused on Bowen’s family systems theory.

Goals of Bowen’s Theory

Murrey Bowen stated that the development of self occurs through relationships with other members of the family system (Bowen, 1974). This connection helps us to survive and satisfy our motivation of affiliation. However, sometimes family connections develop in an unhealthy way, hindering personality development through comparing our thoughts and emotions with parental opinions. Additionally, Bowen (1974) proposed that emotional and cognitive systems govern our life choices. He aimed to show that the decisions we make should be based on thinking, rather than feeling. Furthermore, Bowen’s approach focused on improving the intergenerational transmission process (Gilbert, 2006).

Emotional Field

The family is an emotional field. The term “field” indicates the complexity of emotional stimuli transmitted and perceived by family members at different levels of interaction (Varga, Chamitova, 2005). Two opposite forces govern emotional system: (a) the desire for compatibility, in maximum – to merge with others emotionally, to be enmeshed, and (b) the desire for individuality with complete isolation. A man who lives under the laws of the emotional system is seen as impulsive and reactive, while the one whose life is governed more by the cognitive system is rational and non-reactive. This relates to eight essential concepts of Bowen Theory (Gilbert, 2006): (a) nuclear family emotional system; (b) the differentiation of self scale; (c) triangles; (d) cutoff; (e) family projection process; (f) multigenerational transmission process, (g) sibling position, and (h) societal emotional processes.

When working with clients in Bowenian Theory, I aim at achieving specific goals, such as: (a) raising the level of emotional awareness, (b) increasing the amount of functional behavior based on critical thinking, (c) decreasing emotional reactivity, and (d) developing coping skills repertoire. I obtain an extensive family history from the client’s perspective by interviewing the client. Another intervention I would rely on would be a family genogram, which is created in collaboration with a client. The genogram highlights names, occupations, dates of birth, and dates and issues related to the anxiety and other relevant issues in the family. My way of raising awareness towards emotion reactivity is through emotion observation. The client would be asked to observe her emotional experiences in a particular sequence, which would be related to the components of the emotional reaction. Finally, I firmly believe in psychoeducation, and emotion coaching that is aimed at developing emotion regulation skills, which would help my client to decrease emotional reactivity and increase the amount of functional behavior based on critical thinking. Finally, I often encourage my clients to explore emotional cut-offs and develop strategies to re-establish communication with particular family member.

 

References

Baker, C., Varga, A.Y. (2008) Murrey Bowen family systems theory. Main concepts, methods and clinical practice. Moscow: Cogito Center, ISBN 978-5-89353-243-2

Brennstuhl, M. J., Tarquinio, C., Strub, L., Montel, S., Rydberg, J. A., & Kapoula, Z. (2013). Benefits of immediate EMDR vs. Eclectic therapy intervention for victims of physical violence and accidents at the workplace: A pilot study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 34(6), 425-34. doi:10.3109/01612840.2012.759633

Bowen, M. (1974). Toward the differentiation of self in one’s family of origin. Family therapy in clinical practice (reprint ed.), Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield (published 2004), pp. 529–547, ISBN 0-87668-761-3

Gilbert, R.M. (2006). The eight concepts of Bowen theory. Washington: Bowen Center. ISBN-13: 978-0976345510

Harris, Russ. ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (The New Harbinger Made Simple Series) (Kindle Locations 243-244). New Harbinger Publications. Kindle Edition

Knudson-Martin, C. (1994). The female voice: Applications to Bowen’s family systems theory. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 20, 35-46. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1994.tb01009.x

Luepnitz, D., 1988. The Family interpreted: psychoanalysis, feminism and family therapy, NY, Basic Books

Varga, A.Y., Chamitova, I. (2005) Bowen’s theory of family systems. Journal of Practical Psychology and Psychoanalysis. 4, 25-35

Young, P. (1991). Families with Adolescents. In F. Herz Brown, Reweaving The Family Tapestry, NY, Norton

 

Counseling & Consultation

Alena PrikhidkoCounseling

On this page, you will find an introduction to my areas of personal growth. My Counseling Philosophy can be found here: http://prikhidko.com/?page_id=14

I strive to grow as a counseling practitioner. There are two main areas of my professional development in counseling today – improving my skills in using Acceptance-and-Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Harris, 2009).

hexaflex

And receiving an education in the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDMR) (Brennstuhl, Tarquinio, Strub, Montel, Rydberg, & Kapoula, Z., 2013). The EDMR Training is used when working with trauma. In Summer 2016 I went to volunteer in Orlando after the Pulse tragedy. I was eager to help people, who were shocked by the murders. While I have had training in the Crisis Resolution Counseling

Certificate_Crisis

I had felt that my work and help would be more useful in the long run, if I would be able to use EDMR as it contributes to change the brain neuro-connections, erasing the traumatic pathway and decreasing the intensity of traumatic experience, along with reducing the chance of the PTSD development.

Training in working with Anxiety among Children and Adolescents was another great learning experience for me!

In Spring 2017 I have organized the Level 1 Theraplay Training in Gainesville, Florida. This was an amazing experience, I obtained excellent tool in working with children and parents.

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Supervisor evaluation

Alena PrikhidkoSupervision

To Whom It May Concern:

My experience with having Alena Prikhidko as a supervisor was very pleasant and rewarding. Alena was very helpful in making me feel comfortable in opening up, accepting the process of learning, and in trying to find the most effective techniques and treatments for my clients during my internship at PACE center for girls in both the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semesters. She validated the emotions I was experiencing, such as frustration from questioning competency and confusion on how to apply techniques effectively, from beginning my journey in applying what I had learned so far throughout the UF Counselor Education program. She was able to make helpful suggestions that provided me with a new perspective, especially with maintaining the focus on a family systems lens, on how to approach certain cases. An example of the help she provided was through role-playing how to implement techniques during a counseling session and to keep consistency. Alena was very respectful and culturally-sensitive. Alena also helped me through some ethical dilemmas I faced throughout my clinical practice. She validated the frustration and anxiety I felt for confronting the ethical dilemma and taking the appropriate steps to reach a conclusion. Through her feedback and validations for my experiences throughout clinical practice, I was able to develop more self-confidence and competency in applying or implementing what we had discussed and what I had learned into clinical practice.

 

Supervision Model

Alena PrikhidkoSupervision

My supervision philosophy involves the integration of three theories: Discrimination Model (Bernard, 1979), Integrative Development Model (IDM) (Stoltenberg & McNeil, 2010) and the Wellness Model of Supervision (WELMS) (Lenz, Sangganjanavanich, Balkin, Oliver & Smith, 2012).

Primary Goals and Roles in Supervision

I believe that supervision goals are closely related to the roles of the supervisor and supervisee. The functions of a supervisor are best described in the Discrimination Model of Supervision, created Bernard (Bernard, 1979; Bernard & Goodyear, 2014). This model is concerned with the process of supervision and attends to three separate supervision foci (intervention, conceptualization, & personalization) and three supervisor roles (counselor, teacher, consultant). The Discrimination Model is situation specific, which means that the supervisor’s roles and foci may change between and within sessions. In my work with supervises I evaluate the need for the particular intervention. If I see that the supervisee needs psychoeducation or is struggling with a deeper comprehension of a particular counselining theory, I would use a role of a teacher. However, if a supervisee is experiencing strong negative emotions toward a client, I may use a role of a counselor to uncover the underlying triggers of the emotional reactivity.

The Wellness Model of Supervision (WELMS) was presented by Lenz, Sangganjanavanich, Balkin, Oliver and Smith (2012) and focuses on assisting supervisees in developing self-care habits and styles of coping. This model encompasses four assumptions regarding the professional and personal development of the supervisee. I believe that it is essential for a supervisor to support continual wellness assessment. “Formal planning and evaluation activities is facilitated through practice using self-selected wellness objectives and model wellness and holistic case conceptualization practices to promote the parallel processes between supervisor-CIT and CIT-clients” (Lenz et. al, 2012, p.13).

I use WELMS with supervisees who are showing signs of burn-out. We would start each session with a ten minute conversation about their wellness plan and challenges on following it. The wellness plan is usually developed during the first session, when I evaluate a supervisee as being at the risk of a burn-out. The wellness plan is comprised of the areas of improvement according to the supervisee. Particular recreational and relaxation activities are discussed and planned. The ways to follow the plan and the obstacles on implementing the plan are discussed and written down.

The Integrative Developmental Model (Stoltenberg & McNeil, 2010) encompasses three levels of supervisee development. In Level 1, the supervisees are entry-level high motivated practitioners, experiencing sufficient anxiety and fear of evaluation. Level 2 supervisees experience an increase of confidence, linking their own emotional states with the client’s achievements. Level 3 supervisees are usually mature, stable in motivation, objective, know how to regulate their emotions, and have accurate empathy. IDM assists the supervisor with assessing the level of clinical competence of the supervisee, and building upon the existing knowledge base of the supervisee. The implementation of IDM in my practice of supervision is related to using skills related to the developmental level of the supervisee. For example, with a first level supervisee I might use more interventions aiming at decreasing the supervisee’s anxiety and validating his counseling skills, while being supportive. However, in working with the Level 3 supervisee, I would emphasize supervisee’s autonomy and confront the supervisee in sessions. In regards to the developmental levels concerning motivation, autonomy, and self-other awareness, what seems to be important for me concerning my supervisory experience is the following idea: “the high motivation of the Level 1 therapist across relevant domains is at least partially a function of the fear and anxiety present.” (Stoltenberg, McNeil, 2010, p. 41).

I believe that we need to support our supervisees in developing emotion regulation skills that they can use when supervisors are not present.

References

Bernard, J. M. (1979). Supervisor training: A discrimination model. Counselor Education and Supervision, 19, 60-68

Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (2009). Fundamentals of clinical supervision. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill/Pearson

Lee, R. E., & Nelson, T. S. (2014). The contemporary relational supervisor. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group

Lenz, A. S., Sangganjanavanich, V. F., Balkin, R. S., Oliver, M., Smith, R. L. (2012). Wellness model of supervision: A comparative analysis. Counselor Education and Supervision, 3, 207-221. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6978.2012.00015.x

Stoltenberg, C. D., & McNeill, B. W. (2010). IDM supervision: An integrative developmental model for supervision counselors and therapists. New York, NY: Routledge

 

 

 

 

 

Family Counseling for Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence in Russia

Alena PrikhidkoAcademic, Articles, Research

The chapter on working with the victims of domestic violence in Russia in Marriage and Family therapy for the Handbook Intercultural Perspectives in Family Counseling (in progress) presents an overview of dominant cultural norms, which endorse domestic violence and sexual assault in modern Russia, addressing social inequalities and providing a rationale for specific treatment plans for family counseling within domestic violence. Ethical and clinical issues in family counseling with couples where violence is present are addressed. Clinical assessment and screening, guidelines for conjoint treatment, therapeutic tools and treatment plans within Russian culture are provided.

Domestic violence and discrimination against women are the most pressing problems confronting Russia today (Horne, 1999; Hawkins, & Knox, 2014). Domestic violence is considered a private matter in Russian society, which is seen as a “dirty laundry not to be washed in public”. Additionally, battered women are concerned that should they leave their abuser, they will be unable to support themselves and their children as the traditional cultural norms of Russian gender culture dictate a dependent status for women (Horne, 1999). Moreover, Russian proverb “he beats you, which means he loves you” shows that violent actions of male traditionally are perceived as signs of care.

Additionally, sexual violence against women in Russia is widespread, and for many years this topic remained taboo. However, recently researchers and family counselors acknowledged the necessity of examining the effects sex, age, and level of traditional values on Russian adults’ perceptions of a sexual assault scenario. Overall, Russian adults endorse more traditional roles for women than what research indicates for adults in the U.S., with men holding more traditional beliefs than women. When a man was given more authority and power, he was seen as more justified and was more likely to be exonerated when he committed a violent act against a woman (Diakonova-Curtis, & Porter, n.d.).

Family therapy intensively develops in Russian society, however, “there is no standardized psychosocial (psychological) assistance for the family” and this type of care almost doesn’t exist in rural areas and small towns, (Bebtschuk, Smirnova, & Khayretdinov, 2012), where the level of domestic violence is high (Volkova, Lipai, & Wendt, 2015). Needless to say, there is a lack of special education on working with the issues of domestic violence and sexual abuse in marriage and family therapy.

References

Bebtschuk, M., Smirnova, D., & Khayretdinov, O. (2012). Family and family therapy in Russia. International Review of Psychiatry, 24(2), 121–127. doi:10.3109/09540261.2012.656305

Diakonova-Curtis, D., & Porter, N. (n.d.). Factors affecting the perceptions of sexual assault of women in Russia. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e625292013-001

Hawkins, C. A., & Knox, K. S. (2014). Gender violence and discrimination in Russia: Learning from an American–Russian partnership. International Social Work, 57(5), 511-522. doi:10.1177/0020872814536416

Volkova, O., Lipai, T., & Wendt, S. (2015). Domestic violence in rural arears of Russia and Australia. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 55, 101–110. doi:10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilshs.55.101