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1. Self-disclosure: - Self-disclosure is a process of communication by which one

person reveals information about them self to another. The information can be
descriptive or evaluative, and can include thoughts, feelings, aspirations, goals,
failures, successes, fears, and dreams, as well as one's likes, dislikes, and favorites.

Self-disclosure in therapy is when a therapist shares their own personal views or

experience with a client with the purpose of improving the client’s emotional or
mental state. It should be done solely for the purpose of helping the client, and not
to meet the needs of the therapist. 

2. Crisis intervention: Crisis intervention refers to the methods used to offer

immediate, short-term help to individuals who experience an event that produces
emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral distress or problems. Crisis
intervention has several purposes. It aims to reduce the intensity of an individual's
emotional, mental, physical and behavioral reactions to a crisis. Another purpose is
to help individuals return to their level of functioning before the crisis

A number of events or circumstances can be considered a crisis: life-threatening

situations, such as natural disasters (such as an earthquake or tornado), sexual
assault or other criminal victimization; medical illness; mental illness; thoughts
of suicide or homicide; and loss or drastic changes in relationships (death of a
loved one or divorce, for example).

Crisis intervention is an immediate and short-term psychological care aimed at

assisting individuals in a crisis situation in order to restore equilibrium to their bio-
psycho-social functioning and to minimize the potential of long-term psychological
trauma

3. Trust Building: One of a counselor’s first objectives when meeting with a client
is to build some form of trust Trust in a therapeutic relationship builds when clients
feel that their therapist: (1) will be helpful, guiding them through to resolution of
the issues that trouble them (2) will keep clients safe from blame, anger or hurtful
comments, and (3) will nourish positive feelings of hope and self-esteem. 

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4. Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing occurs when the counselor states what the client

has just said, using fewer words but without changing the meaning of what the
client said. When utilizing this skill, you attempt to feed back the essence of what
the person has just said. Paraphrasing help the person to feel heard. When the
listening can repeat back the main points of a message or get to the emotion behind
a message, it lets the speaker know that they have been heard.

5. Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is

experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place
oneself in another's position.[1] Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range
of emotional states. Including caring for other people and having a desire to help
them; experiencing emotions that match another person's emotions; discerning
what another person is thinking. Types of empathy include cognitive empathy,
emotional empathy, and somatic empathy.

6. Guidance: Guidance is a process of helping every individual, through his own

efforts, to discover and develop his potentialities for his personal happiness and
social usefulness. Guidance is a process through which an individual is able to
solve his problems and pursue a path suited to his abilities and aspirations.

7. Referral: A referral for counseling should be considered when you believe a

student’s problems go beyond your own experience and expertise, or when you
feel uncomfortable helping a student with some issue. A referral may be made
either because of the way the student’s problems are interfering with his or her
academic work or with your teaching, or because observation of the student’s
personal behavior raises concerns apart from his or her academic work.

8. Rapport: Rapport is defined as a harmonious relationship between people while

understanding each other's feelings or ideas and communicates smoothly. It is
extremely important that you as the client feel comfortable and safe with the
counselor. If you do not experience this then you will be hesitant to fully disclose
and be vulnerable with your counselor. 

9. Goal setting: Goal setting involves the development of an action plan designed

to motivate and guide a person or group toward a goal. Goal setting can be guided
by goal-setting criteria (or rules) such as SMART criteria.[2] Goal setting is a major
component of personal-development and management. Goal Setting Approach:

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1. Identify your goal.

2. Choose a starting point.
3. Identify the steps required to achieve the goal.
4. Take that first step and get started

Goal setting is an extension of the diagnosis or assessment process. During the

assessment process, the goal is to determine what problems or concerns the client
wants to work on in counseling. In goal setting, the clinician and client identify
specific areas they want to work on in the counseling process.

When our therapists set goals with clients, they base the goals on what they
communicated during the interview process. Goals are most useful depending on
how comfortable the client feels about being transparent, and how much they wish
to make changes in themselves. Although goals are meant to challenge the client so
that they can improve from where they begin,

10. Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an ethical concern. Means that information

between a patient and a therapist cannot be shared with anyone the fundamental
intent is to protect a client's right to privacy by ensuring that matters disclosed to a
professional not be relayed to others without the informed consent of the client. In
discussing confidentiality, therapists also hope to encourage communication.

11. Brief counseling:  Brief counseling is designed to help clients reach their goals
in quicker and more efficient ways. it focus is on solutions for the client rather than
the client's problems. it emphasizes on (a) a focus on a specific problem (b) direct
intervention for problem.

Two types of brief counseling (1) Brief strategic therapy- creates solutions by
focusing on the structure of a current problem (2) solution focused brief therapy-
focuses on improving present and future functioning through problem solving.

12. Formal and informal helping: Informal supports are people who are part of
the family's personal social network. They might be related to the family (e.g.,
maternal grandmother, sister) or they might be a friend, a neighbor, a colleague
from work, or members of a faith-based community. Formal supports are typically
individuals from organizations or agencies that provide help or a service to the
family (e.g., early intervention provider, physician, social service case manager).

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13. Counseling environment: the counseling environment, it is not just the

physical environment we are referring to. It also includes how you greet people,
how you talk to them and other aspects of non-verbal communication such as eye
contact and body language. How you treat people in these ways is all part of
setting up a good counseling environment, and you are demonstrating your use of
empathy and respect. Preparing a good counseling environment lays the necessary
foundation for forming an alliance and building trust.

THE COUNSELLING ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE

 welcoming (e.g. greet clients appropriately, show them where to sit)
 comfortable (e.g. have comfortable seats, try to sit at the same level)
 a place with few distractions (e.g. no telephone, or interruptions from other
staff or family members)
 somewhere where privacy and confidentiality can be maintained (e.g.
somewhere away from other people)
 non-threatening (e.g. a place where people can feel relaxed and
comfortable).
14. Narrative Counseling/therapy:  Narrative therapy seeks to be a respectful,
non-blaming approach to counseling and community work, which centres
people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from
people and assumes people have many skills, knowledge, talents, beliefs,
values, commitments and abilities that will assist them to reduce the influence
of problems in their lives.
15. Assessment: Assessment is the process of obtaining information for use in the
diagnostic process. Assessment data are collected through several formal and
informal techniques including standardized tests, questionnaires, diagnostic
interviews, personality measures, mental status examinations, behavioral
observation, and reports by others (e.g., parents, friends, spouses, medical,
educational, legal, social)

Assessment is the process of gathering information in a systematic way to evaluate

concerns or questions that a client brings to counseling. „Assessment includes:
Intake interviews, „Tests and inventories, „Behavioral observations, „Relevant
information gathered from other sources Assessment

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The assessment process informs diagnostic formulation and counseling plans, and
helps to identify resources that could help the client better cope with the presenting
concern. „Determining what information to gather is an important assessment skill.

16. Diagnosis in counseling: Diagnosis is the identification of a problem which

becomes the target of the counseling intervention

17. Counseling: it is an interactive process characterized by a unique relationship

between counselor and client that leads to change in the client in one or more areas
such as- behavior, beliefs or emotional concern and level of emotional distress.

18. Aims and Objectives of Counseling: Counseling aims at helping the clients

understand and accept themselves “as they are”, and counseling is to help the
student to help himself. The main objective of counseling is to bring about a
voluntary change in the client.

UNIT-I

1. Why do people seek counseling help?

People pursue counseling and therapy for a variety of reasons. Some may enter
therapy to address major life changes, such as divorce, and others may seek
help in managing mental health conditions, like depression. The most therapy
clients are ordinary people struggling with common, everyday issues.
Many people seek counseling because they have identified specific goals or
issues that they wish to work on. Others may be encouraged by family, friends,
or medical professionals to seek help, and in some cases, a person may be
mandated to attend therapy as part of a court ruling or by a parent or guardian.
These are some of the most common reasons people visit counselors:

i. Difficult Life Events: Some people seek counseling because they have
experienced a stressful or traumatic life event, and speaking with a counselor
helps them process the situation. Common life events that can cause someone to
seek counseling include:

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 Death of a loved one

 Job loss
 Abuse
 Addiction
 Diagnosis of a serious physical illness
ii. Mental Health Issues: Counseling is an excellent way for people with mental
health problems to work through their symptoms in a supportive environment.
Many people who seek counseling have anxiety disorders, which cause excessive
fear and worry. People with mood disorders, including depression and bipolar
disorder, can also benefit from counseling. There are numerous other mental
illnesses that counseling can be a helpful treatment option for.

iii. Life Transitions or Decisions: People who are in periods of transition in their
lives can benefit from counseling. Life transitions include:

 Adjusting to adulthood
 Starting a new career
 Marriage
 Becoming a parent
 Retirement
These new experiences can often bring difficult decisions with them, and
counselors can give unbiased input to help people make the best choices.
Counseling can help people discover the choices they truly want to make, even
when they’re faced with difficult decisions.

iv. Self Discovery: Even if you’re not facing a specific issue in your life, some
people seek counseling for self discovery and self improvement. Counseling is a
good opportunity for people to reflect on their past experiences and explore their
feelings and values. This can improve their sense of self and help them feel more
complete and satisfied in their lives.

v. Communication: Many people come to therapy looking for help with their
relationships. Individual, couples or family therapy can address a common source
of distress: poor communication and difficulty resolving conflicts. Some therapists

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are highly skilled at helping people communicate their needs and feelings
constructively.

2. Describe the need for counseling?

People need counseling and therapy for a variety of reasons. Some may enter
therapy to address major life changes, such as divorce, and others may seek
help in managing mental health conditions, like depression. The most therapy
clients are ordinary people struggling with common, everyday issues.
The need of counseling is to understand their emotions, clear their doubts and
conflicts; they need someone to share the special experiences and feelings. In such
cases counseling can help children to assess their abilities, interests, and needs and
find solutions to personal social adjustments at their school and home.
In the field of education and occupation counseling is highly needed. Students face
many problems related to study, memory, choosing a curriculum adjustment with
peer and teachers etc
Many people seek counseling because they have identified specific goals or
issues that they wish to work on. Others may be encouraged by family, friends,
or medical professionals to seek help, and in some cases, a person may be
mandated to attend therapy as part of a court ruling or by a parent or guardian.
These are some of the most common reasons people visit counselors:

Remarriage relationship counseling; divorce and separation issues and

adjustment; stress management; sexual abuse recovery; anxiety and depression;
adolescent and peer relationship; anger management; gender issues: identity,
sexuality, homosexuality; singles: single though divorce or being widowed;
fertility issues; parenting patterns issues, marital and relational dynamics; work
place stress and relationships.

3. What are the goals of counseling?

The main aim of counseling is to help the individual develop and strengthen the
ability to cope with difficult situation. To empower the client is to increase the
individual’s self-understanding, self-acceptance and self-realization so that to help

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the client overcome many of his future problems. The five most commonly named
goals of counseling:
1. Facilitating behavioral change.
2. Improving the client’s ability to establish and maintain relationships.
3. Enhancing the client’s effectiveness and ability to cope.
4. Promoting the decision-making process and facilitating client potential.
5. Development.
Behavioral change: To effect a change in behavior is a necessary result of the
counseling process and one of the major goals. Goal Setting done by counselor
depend upon the area of the problem the client is facing. Specific behaviour goals
have additional value as the client is better able to see any change that occurs.
Areas of changes are relation with others, family situation, academic
achievements, job etc
Enhancing coping skills: to help individuals learn to cope with new situations and
new demands. Children who grow up in excessively strict homes frequently adjust
to such training measures through learned behavioural inhibition (shyness ,
discomfort). When social or occupational responsibilities require individuals to be
assertive, they may experience anxiety and be unable to handle responsibilities
effectively. In addition to psychological symptoms, physical symptoms such as
frequent headaches, stuttering in front of people in authority or the inability to
sleep are common. This maladjustment to daily living makes coping skills an
important goal of counseling.
eg: to adjust with the changes due to development stages.
Promoting decision making: enable the individual to make critical decisions. It is
not the counselor’s decision it is the client’s, he must know why and how the
decision were made.
The goal of counseling is to enable the individual to make critical decisions
regarding alternative courses of action without outside influence. Counseling will
help individuals obtain information, and to clarify emotional concerns that may
interfere with or be related to the decisions involved. These individuals will
acquire an understanding of their abilities and interests. They will also come to
identify emotions and attitudes that could influence their choices and decisions.
The activity of stimulating the individual to evaluate, accept and act upon a choice
will assist them in learning the entirety of the decision-making process. The
individual will develop autonomy and avoid dependence on a counselor.

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Improving relationships: Many clients tend to have major problems relating to

others due to poor self-image. Likewise, inadequate social skills cause individuals
to act defensively in relationships. Typical social difficulties can be observed in
family, marital and peer group interaction (e.g., the troubled elementary school
child). The counselor would then strive (make great efforts) to help the client
improve the quality of their lives by developing more effective interpersonal
relationships.
Client’s Development: Counseling seeks to maximize an individual’s freedom by
giving him or her control over their environment while analyzing responsiveness
and reaction to the environment. Counselors will work to help people learn how to
overcome, for example, excessive substance use and to better take care of their
bodies.
Counselors will also assist in overcoming sexual dysfunction, drug addiction,
compulsive gambling and obesity, as well as anxiety, shyness and depression.
 
5. Explain the skills and qualities required for counselor? (15 marks qst)

To be effective in their roles, counselors should enjoy helping others and

possess specific attributes and skills.
 Communication Skills. Effective counselors should have excellent
communication skills. ...
 Acceptance. ...
 Empathy. ...
 Problem-Solving Skills. ...
 Rapport-Building Skills. ...
 Flexibility. ...
 Self-Awareness. ...
 Multicultural Competency
Gain an insight from the experts as to the skills you'll need to be a good
counsellor.
 Excellent listening and communication skills. ...
 The ability to develop a non-judgemental approach. ...
 An understanding of confidentiality and professional boundaries. ...
 Resilience, patience and humility. ...

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 A genuine interest in others.

Professional counselors are licensed mental health therapists who provide
assessment, diagnosis and counseling to people facing a variety of life stresses and
psychological problems. They help people with relationship issues, family
problems, job stress, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, and
many other challenging problems that can impact feelings of well-being and
happiness. To be effective in their roles, counselors should enjoy helping others
and possess specific attributes and skills.
Communication Skills
Effective counselors should have excellent communication skills. Although some
of these skills can be honed during graduate school and are developed and refined
over the course of your career, you should already possess certain communication
skills before embarking on a counseling career. Counselors need to have a natural
ability to listen and be able clearly explain their ideas and thoughts to others.
Acceptance
Being nonjudgmental and accepting are important attributes in any of the helping
professions. But professional counselors must be able to "start where the client is
at." This phrase is often used in counseling to describe the ability to relate to
clients with an open, nonjudgmental attitude – accepting the client for who she is
and in her current situation. Counselors need to be able to convey acceptance to
their clients with warmth and understanding.
Empathy
Counselors help people through some of the most difficult and stressful times of
their lives. They must be able to display empathy – the ability to feel what another
person is feeling. Empathy means that you are truly able to imagine what it's like to
stand in someone else's shoes. Compassion and empathy help your clients feel
understood and heard.
Problem-Solving Skills
It's not up to a counselor to solve her clients' problems, no matter how much she
might want to help. But counselors must have excellent problem-solving skills to
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be able to help their clients identify and make changes to negative thought patterns
and other harmful behaviors that might be contributing to their issues, says Dr.
Lynn Ponton in an article for PsychCentral.
Rapport-Building Skills
Counselors must possess a strong set of interpersonal skills to help establish
rapport quickly with clients and develop strong relationships. They must give their
undivided attention to clients and be able to cultivate trust. Counselors need to be
able to place all of their focus on what their clients are saying and avoid being
distracted by their own personal problems or concerns when they are in a session.
Flexibility
Flexibility in counseling is defined as the ability to adapt and change the way you
respond to meet your clients' needs. You don't stay rigid and stick to a
predetermined treatment path when your clients require a different approach. Being
flexible is one of the most important attributes of a professional counselor, says
Gerald Juhnke, professor of counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio,
in an interview with "Counseling Today."
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the ability to look within and identify your own unmet
psychological needs and desires, such as a need for intimacy or the desire to be
professionally competent. This ability prevents your issues from affecting or
conflicting with those of your clients. Self-awareness has a major impact on a
counselor's effectiveness, says professor David Hutchinson in his book, "The
Essential Counselor."
Multicultural Competency
Counselors help people from all walks of life. They must display multicultural
competency and adopt a multicultural worldview, says Hutchinson. Multicultural
competency means that you try to relate to and understand your clients regardless
of their race, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs or socioeconomic background.

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Attitudes and qualities of a good counsellor

A capable counsellor must possess a number of personal qualities and develop the
proper attitudes to make a client feel at ease and to build rapport so that a client
can self-disclose.  What are these personal qualities?

EMPATHY

Empathic understanding is the ability to see things from the client’s perspective.
Without this quality a counsellor will be unable to comprehend the problems,
experiences, thoughts and feelings of another person, and will not be able to offer
clients the level of supportive understanding that they will require.

The counsellor’s full attention and empathy encourages a client to relax and trust
and encourages self-disclosure.

CONGRUENCE AND WARMTH

A counsellor should be agreeable and act appropriately to provide the client with a
comfortable foundation for the counselling relationship. Only by creating a
friendly atmosphere can the counsellor encourage interaction and disclosure.

 Maintain warmth and genuine understanding.

 Use appropriate body language such as a non-threatening posture, while
maintaining eye contact and respecting the client’s personal space.
 Maintain a reassuring and comforting way of speech – the tone of voice,
speed of speech and style of delivery.

RESPECT

Counsellors must at all times show respect for clients and their welfare. They must
also remain impartial and non-judgmental.

A client must feel comfortable, safe and confident that confidentiality will be
maintained at all times and also that the counsellor is committed to helping,
encouraging and supporting.

Whilst maintaining a professional focus a counsellor must be able to show a

genuine openness.

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POSITIVE REGARD

It is of vital importance in the counselling relationship that the counsellor

demonstrates a positive acceptance of the client and that the client is valued and
respected.

A positive, unconditional regard for the wellbeing of a client is the basis from
which clients can explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences, and develop an
understanding and acceptance of their emotions.

A counsellor must not judge in any way. This may be difficult in some situations,
but is the basis of a counselling relationship built on trust.

Accepting a client shows the individual that you are there to support them through
the counselling process, regardless of their weaknesses, negativity or unfavourable
qualities.

IMPORTANT VALUES

At all times counsellors must show a commitment to values such as the following:

 Human dignity
 Alleviating personal distress
 Appreciating the differences in culture
 Remaining non-judgmental
 Ensuring the integrity of the client/counsellor relationship
 Maintaining client confidentiality and ethical principles.

Personal skills

Each counsellor will bring their own unique abilities, qualities and skills into a
counselling relationship to help ensure that their client feels safe and supported.
These may include:

 Active listening skills

 Good interpersonal skills
 The ability to question, reflect and challenge attitudes and beliefs
 A genuine interest in providing support.

Other important skills include good planning and motivational skills, problem
solving, organisational ability and re-orientation skills.
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PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE

In addition to counselling qualifications, a counsellor should be armed with

sufficient personal knowledge and understanding of what counselling is all about.

He/she must also be clear about the role of the counsellor and the problems, issues
and expectations every client will present.

Counsellors must be self-aware, and must be in control of their feelings, thoughts

and emotions whilst working with clients.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Through his/her own development a counsellor will also pick up additional

understanding and knowledge, which can be used effectively to support a client
during the counselling process.

Counselling skills are constantly improved if the counsellor has an interest in self-
awareness and self-development. This continual process can include a growth in
the following:

 Self-awareness
 Self-counselling
 Work/life balance
 Career and personal focus
 Goal setting.

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