Christine Miller graduated fromLancaster University in 1971 witha BA Hons in linguistics. She wenton to train as a teacher, subsequently taking up a researchpost to use her languages and totravel abroad. She has lived inEurope, Scandinavia andAustralia, developing an

understanding of cultural difference and an awarenessof the challenges posed by frequent change. Discoveringa strong interest in coaching and counselling, Christineretrained as a therapist and has recently completed aMasters Degree in Counselling Practice.

This study explores the effects of resourceful states of mind on the outcomes of counselling and the relationship between therapist and client. The researchwill be published as a book in 2004. Working in privatepractice as a counsellor, coach and mentor to childrenand young people, with clients ranging from primaryage to university-level students, Christine deals with avariety of issues from bereavement and loss to selfesteem and learning difficulties. She also runsResourceful State seminars and workshops in personalgrowth and development, and training for other therapists, counsellors and childcare workers in thetechniques she has developed. Her book, ResourcefulIntelligence, based on the research, will be published by Crown House in early 2004.

In recent years there has been an upsurge of interestand concern in relation to children’s emotional andmental health. Media stories about bullying in schools,excluded children, disaffected youths creating mayhemin their communities, concerns about child pornographyand the safety of the internet – all have been presentedin the nation’s living rooms. Whether we judge the publicity good or bad, it is now important to recognisethat the well being of our children is of widespreadinterest and concern. A recent government report,‘Promoting Children’s Mental Health within Early Yearsand School Settings’ (DfES 2001)1 states that ‘the mental health of children is everyone’s business’, andthat adult society as a whole needs to recognise theimportance of children’s mental health and emotionalliteracy. Self-esteem, a sense of identity, strong family

relationships and good communications with teachersand peer groups are widely acknowledged as key elements in children who are resilient. The risk factorsfor mental ill health increase with every element missing from the list of desirable conditions.

Being resourcefulYou might be wondering just what is a resourceful stateof mind, and how is it relevant to counselling and working with children. Webster’s dictionary defines‘resourceful’ as: ‘able to act effectively, or imaginatively,especially in difficult situations’2. The Oxford EnglishDictionary defines ‘resources’ as: ‘a stock or reserve onwhich one can draw when necessary; an action or aprocedure to which one may have recourse in a difficulty or emergency’. ‘Resourceful’ is defined as ‘full of resource; rich or abounding in resources’ (OED, 1979)3 and as ‘having inner resources, adroit orimaginative; someone who is resourceful is capable of dealing with difficult situations’ (Wordnet, 1997,Princeton University)4.

As described above, the qualities of being resourcefulwould be beneficial for all of us, and especially for ourchildren, increasing their resilience as they learn to dealwith a modern life fraught with many potential pitfallsand anxieties. Although there are some people whoappear to be naturally gifted with a consummate abilityto respond appropriately to life’s challenges, it seemsthat coping with difficult situations with grace and elegance, for at least some of the time, is a skill thatmay be learned at any age or stage. Clients who presentthemselves, (or are ‘sent’), for counselling are unlikely to be demonstrating resourcefulness in the parts oftheir lives which are causing trouble; if they were coping effectively with difficult situations, they wouldn’t be clients in the first place. This applies toadults as well as children, but it is particularly relevantto a child, as generally they have less control over theirenvironment and little, if any, choice in how they aredealt with when things are not going well. They arerequired by law to attend school, where they may beexperiencing difficulties, and they cannot usually leavetheir home and family, if that is a source of challengefor them. The demise of the extended family inWestern culture has led to children’s support networksdiminishing, and with the breakdown of family life and

Growing resilience through resourcefulstates of mindCase-study research explores the potential for growth and change in children experiencing learning and/or emotional and behavioural difficulties when theylearn to create their own personal ‘welfare state’. Christine Miller explains

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increasing single-parent families, their contact with elders as role models has reduced. Less able to usetheir resources to change the external situation, it istherefore useful for children to be able to control theirown inner world, to be more resilient, and gain masteryof more effective ways of dealing with external stimuliwhich may provoke undesirable behaviours. Creating a resourceful state, a ‘personal welfare state’ may be a means of achieving that ability to exercise self control,gain a sense of self worth and remain in mental good health.

Resourceful states of mindA resourceful state of mind is perhaps best described as a personal inner retreat, a safe platform from whichto move forward and explore responses rather thanreact on impulse. The client can be facilitated in creating this state, using existing inner resources, elicited by sensory-based techniques such as visualisation. It is accessed by the client’s recalling positive experiences and creating, initially with guidance from the therapist, then independently, theirown representation of the moment they have chosen.As a first step, some carefully chosen exercises andgames are introduced which will guarantee the client

has a recent positive experience of success on which todraw, should it prove challenging for them to rememberany other suitable event. The process for creating aresourceful state will vary from client to client, according to their needs. It will include speciallydesigned breathing and posture exercises, visualisation,sounds and feelings (depending on the client’s preferences) and adjustment of the image by the clientto make the strongest possible representation of theirchosen moment. This is followed by cultivation of thechild’s sensory perception, and contextual rehearsal androle play in situations which have proved challenging inthe past. An important factor for the therapist is thedevelopment of keen observational skills in noting specific physical responses and their congruence withspoken expressions, and the ability to identify preferredsenses and styles of communication in the client, andmatch them where appropriate.

With practice, resourceful state can become part of a person’s repertoire of voluntarily chosen but unconsciously achieved behaviour, such as riding a bicycle or driving a car, to be accessed and utilised by choice whenever required. When they know andunderstand themselves better they have a wider range

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of choices available in how to respond to themselvesand to their environment. They can literally becomemore resourceful in their way of being.

Resourceful states of mind, then, are based on an abilityto reflect on and, in action, to operate from, a chosenresponse rather than an impulse, and to have an innermental sanctum, a reserve of strength to draw on whenneeded. Being able to reconnect to a positive and powerful experience can give confidence and buildself-esteem, empowering a client to believe in themselves and in their potential.

My fascination with, and passion for, resourceful statesof mind stemmed initially from a strong personal interest when a young family member had coaching inlearning skills about 10 years ago, and was taught tocreate a personal resourceful state. The subsequentincrease in confidence, self-esteem and performancewas dramatic, and prompted me to discover moreabout state management. I researched widely andfound references to ‘flow’ (Mihalyi)5, a state that athletes and performers use in preparation for, and during, performance; ‘peak experience’ (Maslow)6, involuntary ecstatic states which can have transformational effects on those experiencing them:‘plateau experience’ (Maslow)7 which is a milder versionof the peak experience, with a more voluntary element;‘vital moments’ (Goud)8 and ‘mindfulness’9, all of whichbore some resemblance to resourceful states of mind.This is of necessity a brief list of the reading thatinformed me, although I can say that in all my searchesI found no specific reference to resourceful states ofmind pertaining to counselling.

Research projectI undertook this research for a Master’s Degree inCounselling Practice, which required that the topic wasgrounded in the researcher’s own practice. When planning the project, I was moved by a desire to discoverwhy at certain times, with certain clients, certain interventions (with particular reference to resourcefulstate) would appear to work more effectively. I believethat by reflecting in, and on, action, as described bySchön in The Reflective Practitioner (1991)10, I was ableto examine my own practice and gain invaluable knowledge about my work, while benefiting from personal insights and, most importantly, being extremelysensitised to the expressions and responses of myclients. My personal resourceful state was important inhelping me to adopt an observer position when reflectingon my practice, and in enhancing my empathic skillswithin the therapeutic relationship.

I chose to use a case study in order to pay close attention to the unfolding process during a series ofcounselling sessions with a specific child client. This

methodology is particularly suited to a detailed studyof phenomena occurring in a practice situation, and the work was carried out subject to all ethical considerations, including consent, confidentiality andnon-harming, in accordance with BACP guidelines andunder academic and clinical supervision. The initialtherapy took place between September 2000 andMarch 2001. The interviews and analysis took placesubsequent to the completion of the therapeutic contract, and further research has since been conducted into additional cases, with group work carried out until July 2002.

Assessment‘So, why are you here?’ I said to the client. He was a little reserved, quiet and his eyes were downcast as heresponded candidly to my request for his story aboutwhy he was attending. ‘I’ve been getting into trouble at home and at school’, he replied. ‘How do you feelabout that?’ I asked. He looked at me and hesitated,chewing his lip. He looked down, at his hands, thenlooked back at me and said ‘I get… kind of… I’m sort of angry... and I feel… bad.’ He spoke quietly and slowly,body twisting slightly to his right, his hands wringingtogether, his posture slumped.

During the assessment, the client’s own account of hisbehaviour matched closely with that of his mother. He told me that, as a result of coming to counselling,he would like to ‘feel better and not get so mad’ and‘do better at Maths and English’.

After the assessment session with the client, I askedhim if he was interested in participating in my research,

Case studyThe client was a 10-year-old boy experiencingemotional and behavioural difficulties, with problemssuch as tantrums and aggression reported both athome and at school, resulting in his schoolworkalso being affected. He was referred by his mother,on word-of-mouth recommendation, and attendedfor 12 one-hour sessions. I initially saw the mothertwice, to discuss the case history from her viewpoint,and then to agree the contractual terms, includingthe agreement for her to be interviewed subsequentto the completion of the therapy. We establishedthat the outcome most desired by his mother wasthat the client should be happier, more confident,less angry, have fewer tantrums and be more prepared to engage with his family, teachers andpeers. If his schoolwork also improved, that wouldbe an added bonus. We remained in contact forfeedback throughout, as is recommended whereverpossible in work with children.

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taking utmost care to ensure there was no pressure orobligation. I checked again scrupulously the followingweek when he enthusiastically agreed. After the end ofthe 12 sessions of therapy, I conducted two interviewswith the client.

The first interview took place within a final thirteenth‘closeout’ session, and he was very comfortablethroughout. He enjoyed going through the agenda wehad followed, and choosing those interventions he felthad been most beneficial. He was also quick to tell mewhat had been least favoured, (‘boring’, to use hiswords), which I regard as a good indicator of the equalbalance of power in our relationship. His willingness tointerject and interrupt, offering his thoughts during ourinterview sessions, left me sure that he felt no constraints in communicating his true feelings to me.The same remarks apply to our second interview, whichwas taped, and where, on transcription, I was able toidentify even more precisely how powerful his contribution was. The subsequent interview with hismother gave rise to some painful, tearful moments forher. She said she was relieved to have uncovered herfeelings, and felt very safe speaking to me. I stayed withher until I was sure she was grounded and calm, andsuggested she might like to have her own counsellor.She was definite in her positive assessment of the valueof the work I did with her son, and confirmed that shehad noticed great changes in him. It was extremelyinteresting that she told me how she had felt enabledto make changes herself. Her observation of her son,and the way he went home and told her about what wedid in our sessions, led her to decide that she couldalter the way in which she related to him. Their relationship improved as a consequence and the household was generally much calmer, with better communications.

ResultsIn analysing the data in the case study, I noticed thesimilarity in the perceived changes identified by theclient, his mother and myself. Although I had notundertaken an outcome study per se, I knew from myreading about case study research (Yin, 199411; Stake,199512; Silverman, 200013; McLeod, 199414; Higgins,199615) that multiple sources of data are highly regardedas a means of reinforcing validity. Therefore I selectedamong the available material from pre-, during andpost-counselling, the behaviour, emotions and attitudesidentified by all three participants as being subject tochange. Changes were also reported from other members within the family, from teachers, both verballyand in writing, and from peers with whom the client’srelationships improved noticeably.

The ABA model shown overleaf (p18) illustrates theconditions pre-counselling at A in column one.

B represents the changes noticed during counselling. A, in column three, shows the effects when counsellingwas discontinued. I regard this information as importantbecause it illustrates triangulation (see above), the convergence of opinion between participants, thuslending credence to the proposition that change occurred.

One of the most effective ways to demonstrate what Idiscovered about resourceful state in this case is tooffer some verbatim quotations from the client.

We explored his experience of resourceful state, and hetold me ‘everything is really calm. It’s just silent, and all Ican hear is myself’. He had such internal dialogues as‘How’re you feeling?’ responding with ‘really happy’,‘really sad’, ‘no emotions’, ‘every single emotion you canthink of’, with the most common emotion being happy.He told me that ‘it’s calm sometimes and it makes mefeel really good when I’m happy and it’s peaceful as well’.The resourceful state was important to him because it helped him ‘a lot’ and ‘when I’m feeling sad I go intothe resourceful state to get over it’, and that he used it mostly ‘just before I go to school on Monday’ and ‘if I feel really bad on another day then I’ll use it again.’

It appears that the client’s experience of resourcefulstate supported a wide range of emotions, and thatresourceful state might offer the therapeutic potentialfor the clarification of emerging emotional patterns – exploration and clarification of feelings being a goalof the counselling process. It is also possible that thatresourceful state offers the development of emotionalregulation skills. The process is not dissimilar to meditation or co-counselling techniques.

The client deliberately accessed the resourceful statewhen entering stressful environments, when he wasfeeling very sad, or when he wanted to achieve apeaceful, calm and quiet state. The state was ‘silent’ for him, possibly enabling him to ‘hear himself’, and providing a quiet retreat away from external influences.It appeared that he had made definite choices in identifying the times when he would use resourcefulstate, and was also aware of those moments when itwould best support him in challenging circumstances.

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I asked the client: ‘So, what have you learned aboutyourself?’ He replied: ‘That I’m very important. I’m notjust somebody who walks around every day doing nothing. I’m really important. That as well.’

The foregoing statement is probably an indicator of theclient’s self acceptance, that he values himself for whathe is, and believes he has worth both to himself and tohis world. This might indicate that the conditions for afully-functioning person were present. Satir says that aperson with high self worth ‘has faith in his own competence. He is able to ask others for help, but hebelieves he can make his own decisions and is his ownbest resource.’16 Mearns and Thorne say: ‘This achievement of self-acceptance is usually followed by a sharp increase in the client’s personal power’17.

Witnessing the achievement of that empowerment and

sense of self-worth led me to consider that our therapeutic relationship, with its emphasis on resourceful state, might well have facilitated my young client in accessing his own personal welfarestate, a resource from which he will hopefully continueto benefit as he moves through adolescence to young adulthood.

ConclusionsIt seems that resourceful state may have provided aresource for the client to experience himself more fully.That it also allowed him to enter a calm, peacefulframe of mind is highly probable. I propose that hisresourceful state offered the client an enabling devicefrom which to operate differently, to consider andchoose a response, when faced with the external factors which had previously been provocative to his bouts of anger, frustration and confusion.

Pre counselling During counselling Post counselling

A B A

1 tantrums almost every day few tantrums few tantrums

2 arguments, alienation calm child/household calm child/household

3 client self doubt client confidence client confidence

4 client impulsive/thoughtless considers decisions considers decisions

5 client can’t see outcomes forsees outcomes forsees outcomes

6 client self anger self acceptance self acceptance

7 client sensitivity to comments accepts just criticism accepts just criticism

8 peer relations tense improvement improvement

9 bullying decrease decreases

10 school behaviour improves improves

11 teacher relations improves improves

12 mother guilt/responsibility mother letting go mother letting go

13 mother angry – self self accepting self accepting

14 mother angry – son acceptance acceptance

15 mother high expectations realism realism

16 mother/son tension understanding/respect understanding/respect

Baseline assessments of effects of counselling

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The resourceful state appears to help reconnect theclient to his sense of self-worth, by enabling him toacknowledge experiences of success, peace, calm orany other feeling which serves to reinforce his abilityto regard himself as worthwhile. Sometimes clientscannot remember their successes, they can’t think of anything good they ever were or did. They blocktheir memories of their own competencies, relatingonly to their perceived failures and lacks. The abilityto access a resourceful state of mind, and reconnectto ‘good feelings’ can perhaps help to provide thesense of safety which has been presented by Maslow, Rogers18, Brooks and McGuiness20 as crucial to growth and development, and a key feature of resilience.

My continued work with clients, ranging from therapists and older students to children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, has reinforced the conclusions I have drawn from my studies, and I am continuing to develop my ideas.

Equally importantly, for myself as a counsellor, workingfrom a personal resourceful state has had a noticeableeffect on the development and quality of the therapeutic alliance. Members of my cohort on the MA, who were introduced to my work, experiencedconsiderable benefits in terms of combating anxietyand stress. As a tool for personal growth, I have beenastonished by the simple power a resourceful stateholds. Through some very challenging times of bereavement and loss, I have been able to complete my work, using my resourceful state to facilitate myselfin difficult circumstances. ■

For further information, please call Christine Miller on 020 8998 1511 or visit www.resourcefulstate.com

References

1 Department for Education and Skills (2001) PromotingChildren’s Mental Health in Early Years and School Settings

2 Webster’s unabridged dictionary 1996, 1998, MICRA Inc

3 OED (1971) Oxford English Dictionary Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press

4 www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn2.0?stage=1&word=resourceful

5 Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990) Flow: the psychology of optimalexperience Harpercollins

6 Maslow, A.H. (1982) Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed)

Van Nostrand Reinhold International7 Maslow, A.H. (1994) Religions, Values and Peak ExperiencesAtlantic Books

8 Goud, Nelson, H. (1995) Vital Moments Journal ofHumanistic Education and Development 34(1): 24

9 Gunaratana, H. (1993) Mindfulness in plain English WisdomPublications

10 Schön, D. (1995) The Reflective Practitioner; How professionals think in action Arena

11 Yin, R.K. (1989) Case study research: design and methodsLondon: Sage Publications

12 Stake, R. ( 1995) The Art of Case Study Research SagePublications

13 Silverman, David. (2000) Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook London: Sage Publications

14 McLeod, J. (1999) Practitioner research in counsellingLondon: Sage Publications

15 Higgins, R. (1996) Approaches to research: a handbook forthose writing dissertations London: Jessica Kingsley

16 Satir, V. (1972) Peoplemaking London: Souvenir Press

17 Mearns, D, and Thorne, B. (1999) Person-centred counsellingin action (2nd ed) London: Sage Publications

18 Rogers, C.R. (1967) On Becoming a Person; A Therapist’sView of Psychotherapy London: Constable

19 Coeyman, M. (2000) An eye trained firmly on successChristian Science Monitor 92(247): 13

20 McGuiness, J. (1993) The national curriculum: the manufacture of sow’s ears from best silk British Journal ofGuidance and Counselling 21(1): 106

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