COUNSELLING
“Counselling”, like the terms “personality” and “intelligence”, has acquired different shades of meaning. Counseling is a learning oriented process, carried on a simple one to one social environment, in which the counselor professionally competent in psychological skills and knowledge seeks to assist the Clint by methods appropriate to the latter’s needs and within the context of the total personal programme, to learn how to put such understanding into effect in relation to more clearly perceived and realistically defined goals to the end that the client may become a happier and more productive number of the society.
· Assistance provided to improve psychological, emotional, social, intellectual, personal and existential developments.
· One to one, one to many or one to group. (e.g. Family counseling and group counseling.)
· It is through a helping relationship between the counselor and the counselee.
· It is through the professional conversation and series of problem solving interviews
· A process that leads action on the part of the counselee.
The goal of counselling is to help individuals overcome many of their future problems. Naturally counselling has to minister to a variety of problems ,such an educational ,vocational ,marital, parental and personal. The major objective of all counselling is to help individuals become self-sufficient, self-dependent, self-directed and to adjust themselves efficiently to the demands of a better and meaningful life.
The counseling services are preventive developmental and therapeutic in nature. In order is assist the clients the counsellor must understand their needs, motives, perceptions, defenses etc. In this, counselling could be defined an a therapeutic experience for otherwise reasonably healthy persons faced with problems.
According to Rogers (1942),” Effective counseling consists of a definitely structured permissive relationship which allows the client to gain an understanding of himself to a degree which enables him to take positive steps in the of his new
Definitions of Counselling
“ Counselling is an interactive process conjoining the counselee who needs assistance and the counsellor who is trained and educated to give this assistance” – (Perez 1965)
Smith (1955) defines counseling as “a process in which the counseller assists the counselee to make interpretations of facts relating to a choice, plan or adjustments which he needs to make”
“A process which takes place in a one-to – one relationship between an indlbeset by problems with which he can’t cope alone and a professional worker whose training and experience have qualified him to help others reach solutions to various types of personal difficulties “(Halin and MacLean, 1955)
Patterson (1959) characterizes it as “the process involving interpersonal relationships between a therapist and one or more clients by which the former employs Psychological methods based on systematic knowledge of the human personality in attempting to improve the mental health of the latter”
Blocher (1966) explains it as “helping an individual become aware of himself and the ways in which he is reacting to the behavioural influences of his environment. If partner helps him to establish some personal meaning for this behaviour and to develop and clarify a set of goals and values for future behaviour.
Gustard (1953), “Counselling is a learning oriented process, carried on in a simple one to one social environment in which the counseller professionally competent in relevant Psychological skills and knowledge, seeks to assist the client by methods appropriate to the latter’s needs and within the context of the total personnel program, to learn how to put such understanding into affect in relation to more clearly perceived ,realistically defined goals to the end that the client may become a happier and more productive member of society.
Webster’s dictionary, “ Counselling is defined as consultation, mutual interchange of opinion deliberating together”.
Robinson: “ The term counseling covers all types of two persons – situations in which one person, the client is helped to adjust more effectively to himself and to his social environment”.
Elements of counseling
1. Empathetic relationship
2. Adherence to the clients problems
3. Existence of an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence
4. Clearly defined goals and objectives
5. Well maintained rapport
Characteristics of Counselling
1) Professional relationship
2) Emphathetic
3) Growing replationship – Relationship between the counselee as well as counseller should be a growing one.
a) It is a person to person relationship.
b) It involves 2 indls one seeking help and the other a person who gives help.
c) There must be a mutual respect co-operation and friendliness between the counseller and counselee.
d) The objective of counseling is to help the counseller to discover and solve the counselee’s problems in a scientific manner and also aims to help the incls to solve the problem independently.
e) In the whole of counseling process the main emphasis is on the counseller’s direction and acceptance of the problem by the counselle.
f) Counselling is a democratic process. It allows the counseller to do freely whatever he likes to solve the problem and also to understand the problem that he faces in his life and also the counseller and counselee decision to steps in the counsilling process.
Counselling is not:
a) Giving information though information may be given.
b) Giving advice, making suggestion and recommendation.
c) Influencing the clients values, attitudes, beliefs, interests, decisions etc. with or without any threat or admonition.
d) Interviewing clients.
GOALS -the expected results and objectives from the counseling process. General objectives or goals---- Purpose of counseling-To make the individual fully functioning and productive individual -- solving the immediate problems and concerns to recapitulate the real existence of the client-- to fulfill the potentials of the individual.
There are Counselor s’ goals and counselees’ goals --Varying at different levels and phases ___They merge together at one stage to form the counseling goals.
Examples of counselor’s goals: -- understanding the behavior, motivation, feeling ect..
Examples of counselee’s goals: -- relief from tension, solving a problem, taking a decision ect.--The goals will give a sense of direction --needed for a useful evaluation and monitoring of the process.
Immediate goals or Short-term goals --counselee’s problems.
Long-term goals --purpose in general counselor’s goals.
Process goals --for the counselor counselee relationship.
Major goals of counseling
1) Achievement of positive mental health. - Selfactualising-self realizing-fully functioning.
2) Resolution of problems.
3) Improving personal effectiveness.
4) To aid the change process
5) Improvising decision-making.
6) Preventing the further occurrences of issues
7) Behavior modification
Types of Counselling
According to John J Pictrofesa there are 4 types of counseling. They are
1) Crisis Counselling
2) Facilitative Counselling
3) Preventive Counsellling
4) Developmental Counselling
Crisis Counselling
It is developed by Belkin in 1975. According to Louis Thomson : “crisis is a state of disequilibrium or lows of steady state due to stress and precipitating event in the life of a person who usually has a satisfactory level of functioning.”
Chambers Dictionary: Crisis is a crucial or decisive moment or a turning point, emergency period or a time of difficulty or distress.” (Crisis is a prolonged period of tensions)
Definition of crises_ “An acute, sudden or unexpected crises of a problem or difficulty e.g. Death of a spouse _loss of employment _accident this disturbs and makes the smooth functioning difficult .it creates single or recurrent traumatic experience--Unresolved crises create fixations and later serious psycho-emotional problems.
- The application of counseling process to resolve the crises in a persons or groups life is crises counseling.
- Information giving and awareness creation.
- Giving psychological support and clarifications.
Motivation for activities
Crisis has 5 components
a) Hazardous event
b) Vulnerable event
c) Precipitating factor
d) State of active crisis
e) Re-integration or Resolution Stage or “T” phase.
Two types of crisis:
(a)Developmental crisis (b) Accidental crisis
Techniques
Ego support, Emotional support, Short term psycho therapy
Preventive
To prevent the recurrences of life threatening issues e.g. HIV—Give informations and makes awareness – Clarifying doubts and motivating to take pro-active action.
Preventive counseling
(a) Primary Preventive counseling
(b) Secondary preventive counseling
(c) Tertiary prevention counseling
Facilitative
To facilitate the utilisation of potentials for self-actualization and realization _to facilitate in the functioning of creation activities
Academic improvement_ guidance to make the resources utilised for the decision-making and implementation.
Developmental
To make positive mental health--to improve the personality and other qualities development of skills of the people
Methods directive and nondirective
Directive approach is the same as the authoritarian approach. This is based on the Freudian Psycho analysis which believe that the problem is deeply imbedded with the Unconscious.---Therefore the client is helpless and the worker or counselor has to do everything including the decision ,making. The counselor is directing the process and is authoritarian in his/ her approach.
On the other side there is the Humanistic approach based on the Client centered approach of Carl Rogers. This is more close to the psychological counseling. In this approach the client has more functional freedom and the counselee directs the process and the functionalism of the client is given importance. According to this approach the problem is in the present level of the emotions and feelings and by solving the present emotional problems the counselee can be made helped. The approach is non authoritarian and non directive.
There is another approach followed is the Behaviuoristic approach. This approach is based on the Behaviuoristic theories developed on the basis of the learning processes on the conditioning theories.
The present approach, which is followed, by most of the counselors is a combination of these two approaches that means there is an eclectic approach taken today which integrate the concept of these two approaches.
Counseling process
A process is a series of planned activities with a definite beginning and end. ---Counseling is a process of series of continuous changes in an individual to a desired goal and direction. —This process is a relation ship process.
aim of this process
- Awareness on the part of the client.
- Behavioral change in a desired direction to achieve the goals
- Understanding the potentialities and limitations
- Utilisation methods and proceed of them to achieve the goals and to achieve self-actulisation
Different stages in the process
Different authors and approaches have different processes with the counseling practices.
(1)Awareness of need for help. (2) Development of relation ship (3) Expression of feelings and clarification of needs (ventilation) (4) Clarification of problem identification of the problems (5) Exploration of deeper feelings (6) Integration process (7) Insight creation.
Contacting—Contracting—Drawing out—Case-history making—Problem formulation—Analysing and clarifying the problem—decision-making—Action planning—motivation for action—Ending.
Qualities of a good counselor
Empathy—Warmth—Geniuses—Positive regard—Concreteness—Sense of humor—Sense of the tragic—experience—openness—flexibility—Awareness
Counseling Skills
Empathising—Listening—Accepting—Drawing informations—Giving informations—Clarifying—Analysing—Interpreting—Dealing with emotions--Making suggestions—Verbalising—Challenging—Supporting—Motivating (reinforcing)—Decision making—Questioning—Communicating
Specific Counselling Techniques
The techniques are the specifically developed and used systems and procedures in the application of a method or process. The counselling process also uses many specific techniques in its application. They are
Observation:- watching closely with the expressions—feelings—gestures- movements—ect—always participant but in group counselling—Verbal behavior—Nonverbal behavior—discrepancies in the behavior—body language
Listening:- Passive listening—active listening—selective listening—there can be lot of blocks in the process of listening
Attending:- Attending out—attending in—focused—primary functions of attending process—secondary functions of attending—visual contact—vocal contact—verbal tracking—attending body language.
Non-Verbal behavior:- SOFTEN—Smile—Open-posture—Forward-lean—Touch—Eye to Eye contact—nodding—
Observing the non-verbal behaviors of the client—face—gestures- tone-ect..
Expression of the appropriate non-verbal communications from the counsellor also is needed.
Communication;-both the verbal and nonverbal communication---language—communications from---communications to appropriate giving and taking—verbal communication along with the non-verbal communications need to be analysed.
Questioning:- to elicit or solicit informations from the counselee—open-ended questions—close-ended—facilitative questions—challenging or directing questions
Silence:- Therapeutically significant—different from pausing—need not be frustrated can be used as a technique—pause or silence can also represent a block and needs facilitation—can be an indication of the resistance—silence is communicative—the counsellor has to attribute and analyse the meaning of it with the experience and knowledge.
Transference:- Direct transference—indirect transference—negative transference—Positive transference—Therapeutically important—The counsellor should recognize it accept it and use that. If that does not work refer the client.
Counter transference also needs to be taken care of.
Counselor-Counselee Relationship.
The core of the counseling process is the relationship. Professional relationship. This is based on the concept that the problems are generating from the relationship issues themselves. It is a hypothetical construct to designate the inferred affective character of the observable interaction be5tween two individuals.
It is from this relationship from the feelings and problem issues are identified.
It is a curative agent of itsown.
Each counselor- counselee relationship is unique. It is purposeful.
It depends on the unique factors such as attitudes—beliefs—likes and dislikes—physical and psychological characteristics—home and social characteristics ect.
The relationship should be objective.
Transference can be used in the relationship. Counter transference need to be averted at any situation.--Resistance--Verbal and nonverbal communications--Degree of lead taken by the counsellor and counsellee--Sharing of experience --The physical setting is to be taken care-- There should be privacy and confidentiality along with the acceptance and attentiveness from each other-- The principle, which controls the relationship, is the principles of counselling.
Empathy—Warmth—Geniuses—Positive regard—Concreteness—Sense of humor—Sense of the tragic—experience—openness—flexibility—Awareness all will make the counseling relationship more effective.
Factors affecting the relationship are:-
General characteristics of the counsellor—age—sex—experience—attitude—believes—personality—sensitivity—genuineness acceptance---understanding---skills---knowledge---etc…
General characteristics of the counselee:- Expectations—readiness—co-operation—nature of personality—introvert ness / extrovert ness ect…
The Physical situations and environment:- setting—timing—distractions---ect.
Professional Ethics
Ethical principles are professions effort to guide and regulate the practice of members of that profession.
The purposes of the ethical principles are to improve the
Competence and responsibility
Confidentiality
Dual relationship
Respect for the person
Cfr. Ethical standards adopted by the national Vocational Guidance Association.
Value Crisis
The value base is of great relevance in Indian context because the clientele group is religious and ethical in basic nature.
There are five pillars of values or sources of values.
Personal values of the Counsellor
Professional values
Personal values of the client
Social Values
Organisational values.
All these values play important roles in the counselling process—Sometimes complimentary—sometimes contradictory—The counsellor should respect and follow the values of the client---then the professional values—then the social values.---The counsellor is not supposed to impose or insist on the personal values in the professional process.
Group Counselling.
The process of using group interactions to facilitate deeper self- understanding and self-actualisation
Structure of a group:-small—homogeneous—having common goal—age—similar problems—capacity for self-direction
Process of Group counselling:- The formation of the group—The involvement stage—The transition stage—The working stage—The ending stage
To get started—overcoming resistance--ending.
Practical concerns:- formation and size of the group—Frequency and duration of sessions—duration and setting of group—preparation for group participation---leadership styles (directive, non-directive)
Gains from Gp. Counselling;- Learn to understand other people and their view points—Deeper respect for other people—generate social skills in dealing with peers—share a sense of belonging—clarify one’s own concerns, problems, values ect..---Help to explore ones own feelings and relationship.
The primary concern is to create an interpersonal climate, which helps each individual to develop an insight into him and to achieve healthier personal adjustment. The empathetic Understanding is the key to it—the process should focus on the members manners of relating—focus on members thinking difficulties.
Referral Services
This include the reference to the counsellor by somebody else--- referral by the counsellor to some other counsellor or other professional like doctors, Psychologists…analyse t he reasons of reference--- The counsellor should identify the referee appropriate for the client---should get the consent of the counselee to get referred---- The when and how of the reference need to be decided.
Counselling practices in different settings
The process of counselling in every setting will be rather same--- The subject matter in each setting will be different The attitude and aptitude along with the approaches may very from setting to setting Knowledge about the fields and the possible problems are the key area to be noted. The nature of the people, who come in different settings with problems also vary (children, parents, adolescents, couples, industrial workers, substance abusers, alcoholics, addicts, ect..) and consequently the dealings also should vary.
List out all the problems possible in each setting
Select specific techniques and tools to be used and design the process.
Family counseling
There are two types of family;
(a) Pathogenic(Unhappy family)
(b) Non-Pathogenic
Areas of Family Counseling
(1) Dynamics of family
(2) Family contents (health ,food.etc)
(3) Family power
(4) Family affect
(5) Family goals
(6) Family roles
(7) Family communication
(8) Family strength
(9) Family rules
(10)Family boundary
(11)Family tension
(12)Family system
Counselling in the De-Addiction Centre
Here the Counsellor has to work with the individual, family of the Drug Addict and also in the community to remove misconceptions of drug abuse, dependence and also the use of Alcohol..
Counselling in Educational Setting
Education aims to improve the quality of the students in their scholastic achievement. This counseling aims to improve the individual performance at school or college level for that counselor has to look into :
(a) Family back ground
(b) Personality pattern
(c) Quality of teachers
(d) Environment of the Educational Institution
According to Pepinsky, in the Educational Counselling ,more importance has to given in the school and school environment.
Objectives of Educational Counselling
(a) To identify the problem of the student in school, environment…….
(b) Assessment of the student in relation to the situation
(c) To help to develop the potentials.
(d) To help to cope with the situations or problem
Industrial Counselling
Industrial Counelling deals with the human problems at the work situation. This deals with Placement, Crisis management and intake counseling,therapeutic Counselling, Counselling to tackle the problem of absenteeism….
Research Counselling
According to BARKLEY : “research is the systematic collection ,organization and interpretation of observations in order to answer questions as unambiguously as possible.
Marriage Counselling
Marriage Counselling helps in understanding of marriage relationship and in putting it in its proper perspective. Marriage Counselling looked upon as a form of crisis intervention.
Advising
In most problematic situations, individuals seek the assistance of others. Eg: an individual may face the problem of taking a decision or making a choice.
This situation has several important features:
- There is an element of voluntariness
- There is a belief (right or otherwise) that the other person has the necessary experience, wisdom and ability to advise
- The advice is sought for consensual validation..
- The advice given is not binding on the person who seeks it , that is , the person may reject it and approach another person for assistance which in turn may be rejected if found unsuitable.
Guidance
The objective of guidance is essentially to render help. Sometimes it is used synonymously with the term counseling.
General types of Counselling Situations
| Type | Timeline | Possible Concerns | Possible Counsellor Activities |
| Crisis | Immediate | Suicidal ,drug, anxiety ,rejection by lover | Personal support, direct interventions, gather additional support, individual counselling or refer to appropriate clinic |
| Facilitative | Varies (short or long) | Job placement, Academic problems, Marriage adjustment | Individual counseling, reflection of content and feeling, interpreting, confronting ,directing activities |
| Preventive | Specific time span(depending on the program) | Sex education, self awareness, career awareness, drug awareness | Information giving, referral to relevant programs, individual counseling regarding program content and process |
| Developmental | Continuous | Developing positive self concept in the elementary school | Aiding values, clarifications, reviewing decision-making, individual counseling regarding personal development |
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