BCA Holistic Mental Health Therapy: Quality Process

The BCA approach incorporates Edward Demings’s concepts of quality service delivery to build in therapeutic consistency, effectiveness and flexibility. This therapeutic process quality focused approach includes formal and informal interventions and static and dynamic guides that encourage client empowerment, engagement and comfort, as well as build a framework to enhance therapeutic competence and confidence.

The informal process starts at the first point of contact with a new client. There are three initial informal points to be delivered – greeting, courage and acceptance.

Greeting is simply saying “Hi” and introducing yourself. Along with the greeting is usually casual conversations and comments to just talk and break the silence. After the greeting, as one walks to the office, the talking is usually without any overt or covert intentional goals and is just as comfortable and appropriate as possible.

Courage is acknowledging the strength and actions that they have done to get themselves to the office or zoom meeting. It takes some courage to make changes and start something new in our lives. It takes courage to even just showing up for a therapeutic session. It is important to recognize at the start of the therapeutic process that they have already made changes in their life. This recognition is verbally expressed, “Thank you for having the courage to come in today.”

Acceptance is about expressing and then being non-judgmental and accepting the client where they are in their life. It is important to overtly express, “I am not going to judge you or reject you for anything you say or feel.” Notice this is about thoughts and feelings, as in a therapy session all thoughts and feelings are okay. However, it is not about behaviors, as all behaviors are not okay. Not even in a therapy session. Not even for one time. Some behaviors are unsafe, illegal, unethical, disrepsectful and inappropriate and are not to be tolerated. Behaviors can be reasons to discontinue therapeutic services or refer to more intensive services.

With the BCA Holistic approach it is important to recognize that thoughts, feelings and behaviors will be addressed and treated differently. From a BCA perspective, all emotions, no matter how overwhelming, uncomfortable or unexpected are appropriate and acceptable. That is because we are hardwired to have emotions and can not stop them from happening. The same can not be said about thoughts, however, as not all thoughts are appropriate or acceptable. However, all thoughts can initially be expressed and discussed, and through that process, they can be evaluated regarding appropriateness or acceptance. Each therapist has their own personal boundaries of what they consider appropriate or acceptable thoughts. To porivde effective therapeutic services, it is important to discuss and be clear about thought boundaries, and the process to recognize and honor such boundaries. Behaviors, like thoughts, can also be acceptable or not, appropriate or not, and also need boundaries. Unlike thoughts, which can always be initially expressed, some behaviors are not allowed and are no okay even once. There are professional and personal boundaries regarding behaviors that are acceptable within a therapeutic setting and session.

to be continued…