You have been a part time employee at Lillypad community centre for six months, and you have limited experiences beyond this job. During your time at the centre, you have not received any training in conflict resolution or de-escalation strategies, and before this situation, you have not experienced an angry or confrontational client before.

You are approached by a client named Lachlan, who has told you they are feeling unwell from an unsettling experience and they need to talk with their counsellor, who they have been seeing for an extended period. You explain to the client that the counsellor they usually see is busy right now, but that you are a counsellor and are free to see them if they would like. The client agrees, and you begin the session by asking them what they would like to discuss today. They are diverting the conversation by instead asking if you are a real counsellor or not, to which you respond calmly with your qualifications and previous experience. However, the client is reluctant to listen and instead becomes agitated. They start insulting you, and when you try to keep them calm, they respond by yelling louder, becoming more and more angry.

Their insults and yelling offend you, and you react, becoming frustrated and upset. You terminate the interview and ask Lachlan to leave. This only escalates their anger, and your immediate response leave the area feeling upset. You were the only worker there and did not have any staff in the area for support.

Create a personal development plan that includes:

• Your goals
• Time frames for achieving goals
• Ways of measuring progress toward your goals

Template for professional development plan:

Employee name:
Department/section:
Position:
Time in position (provide years and months):
Appraisal period:
Set, review, and rate key responsibilities Rating scale: 1= Excellent, 2= Competent, 3= Needs Improvement, 4= Unsatisfactory
Key responsibilities	Standard required	Comments on standard achieved	Rating
Improvement targets Rating scale: Exceeded (E), Met (M), Not Met (NM)
Goals	Target date	Action plan	Comments on achievements	Rating
Overall performance rating Rating scale: 1= Excellent, 2= Competent, 3= Needs Improvement, 4= Unsatisfactory
Strengths	Development areas	Overall rating
Employee comments:
Employee signature and date:
Manager comments:
Manager signature and date: