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Addiction Counselor Mock Interview

Question 24 of 30 for our Addiction Counselor Mock Interview

Addiction Counselor was updated by on June 8th, 2017. Learn more here.

Question 24 of 30

If a client began to be physically aggressive toward you, how would you handle the situation?

"I had an experience with a client who became aggressive during a counseling session before. It can be a frightening situation, but the important thing is to remember to stay as calm as possible. Most aggression comes from fear and anxiety. If we can learn to identify signs that a patient's anxiety is increasing, we can then engage efforts to decrease those feelings and try to prevent the patient from escalating to an aggressive state."

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How to Answer: If a client began to be physically aggressive toward you, how would you handle the situation?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Addiction Counselor job interview.

  • 24. If a client began to be physically aggressive toward you, how would you handle the situation?

      How to Answer

      One of the things that people who deal with direct care, such as counselors, are faced with is the potential for a client to become angry or aggressive. It is important to understand what cues to look for that may be a precursor to aggression and know how to approach the situation before it gets out of hand. Being able to be vigilant as far as providing a safe environment for yourself and your clients and having an idea of how you will handle a possibly uncertain situation is very important. If you have ever had to deal with an angry or aggressive client, share that experience and how you dealt with it with the interviewer.

      Written by Heather Douglass on December 22nd, 2018

      Entry Level

      "If a patient becomes aggressive, I always try to diffuse the situation by speaking calmly and asking them to take a moment and try to explain why they feel angry. Many times, reacting with a softer tone and giving a client an opportunity to calm down will help calm the situation before it gets out of hand."

      Written by Rachelle Enns

      Answer Example

      "I had an experience with a client who became aggressive during a counseling session before. It can be a frightening situation, but the important thing is to remember to stay as calm as possible. Most aggression comes from fear and anxiety. If we can learn to identify signs that a patient's anxiety is increasing, we can then engage efforts to decrease those feelings and try to prevent the patient from escalating to an aggressive state."

      Written by Heather Douglass on December 22nd, 2018

      Experienced

      "Of course, the first priority is safety for the client and for myself. I would calmly ask the client to calm down. I would explain that I want to provide assistance, but that I also have to make sure we are all safe. It's really important for patients to understand that we are there to help, but we also have to firm and professional so that boundary lines are drawn."

      Written by Rachelle Enns

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "You do not engage them. For example, I had one client yell at me very close to my face because I'd asked him to please bring his voice down while he was using a phone that all residents had to share usage of and some were becoming upset and anxious because of the language he was using and the volume of his voice. I didn't yell back or attempt to quiet him, I told him to please bring his voice down and to use more appropriate language in the common area then I turned around and went back behind the main desk. This resident later apologized for his behavior towards me. The main thing is to keep yourself calm as best you can in this type of situation because nothing gets solved by two people yelling (or physically fighting) at each other while becoming more and more agitated. I have seen staff argue with residents and it's very non-productive and unprofessional."

      Kristine's Feedback

      Excellent answer! You will convince the interviewer you know how to deescalate a situation where a client begins to get aggressive. When telling a story, you want to say it way with a beginning, middle, and end. The STAR method can help with that, where S = Situation, T = Task, A = Action, and R = Result. I rearranged your response a bit so that it follows the STAR storytelling method.
      "I would not engage a client who began to be physically aggressive toward me. For example, I had a client who was using a phone that all residents shared, and the language he was using and the volume of his voice was making some people upset and anxious. I asked him to please bring his voice down while he was using the phone in the common area, and he yelled at me very close to my face. I didn't yell back or attempt to quiet him. I turned around and went back behind the main desk. This resident later apologized for his behavior towards me. The main thing is to keep yourself calm as best you can in this type of situation because nothing gets solved by two people yelling at each other or physically fighting while becoming more and more agitated. I have seen staff argue with residents, and it's very non-productive and unprofessional."

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