4.

2 Strategies for problem-solving and decision making

The contexts of decision making and problem-solving can be attributed to the development of
common ground for problem identification within counsellor and client with emphasis on
achieving reasonable solutions to the problems in systematic manners for reflecting improvement
over the current or previous states. However, within the counselling process, there can be
different problems and challenges for effective decision making. Using creative thinking can
result in focusing on problems with novel perspectives for developing unconventional solutions
with stimulation through an unstructured process like brainstorming session or structured one
like lateral thinking (Roberts et al., 2015). However, mind mapping can be used for visual
representation with an emphasis on hierarchical information connected to a central idea or
concept. The interlinking can be used to ensure close attention with emphasis on mapping
knowledge, sharing of information and facilitating decision making through understanding the
relationship towards the subject matter (Sutton and Stewart, 2017). Goal setting can be used to
this perspective, and exploration of costs and benefits of goals must be directed towards
achieving a coordination within the goal setting and action plan. SMART targeting in terms of
specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound goals can be used to direct and yield
progressive results. However, goals customised to personal needs like time frame and living
areas can be developed through SWOT analysis reflecting strengths, weakness and relative
opportunities and threats in the process. However, force field analysis can be used to weigh
within driving and resisting forces for client’s conditions to facilitate effective decision making
(Anuar et al., 2015).

5.1 Skills necessary for concluding a counselling interaction

Counselling sessions in terms of effective implications of counselling skills can be attributed to
gradual development to a rapport within client and counsellor. These emphasise a successful
conclusion of the interaction between them. However, counselling skills to be used in the phase
can be versatile in terms of providing an actual sense of accomplishment and solutions to clients’
problems in effective manners. The skills like valuing clients and giving a sense of control in
clients regarding the content, goals and pace of the interaction can be used to enhance the
relationship to effective level (Slovák et al., 2015). Moreover, building rapport and reflecting on
clients’ requirements and inquiries through clarification can be attributed to providing the highest

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level of support. However, concluding an interaction is mostly based on client’s overall state and
counsellor’s approaches. The focus on preparation after a successful counselling process can be
related to the use of reframing, summarising and boosting reflection, providing scope for
clarification and ensuring a positive body language indicating the level of comfort within clients
(Kwong, 2014). Reframing can be used to ensuring instigating important points for receipt by
clients regarding insights for future and clearer perspectives. Ability to encourage reflection from
clients can render strength to the outcomes in effective manners with an emphasis on developing
an action plan. However, the importance of preparing the clients for the ending of the interaction
can be attributed to assessing their benefits and emotional stage related to the ending through
focusing on assistance, care and reflective skills of a counsellor (Nelson-Jones, 2015).

6.1 Skills for managing an appropriate ending to interaction

The focus on counsellor’s skills within the helping interaction can be used to attribute the
management of the entire process from the beginning to an appropriate ending of interaction with
a greater level of emphasis on building rapport, facilitating changes within clients and closing the
rapport with a view to installing the changed state within the client. In order to ensure an
effective ending to interaction, the implications of using different counselling skills through
problem solving and decision making tools can be used to enhance the end result with
established rapport and connectivity with clients for clear sense of success that can be used to
direct an appropriate ending to interaction (McVey et al., 2015). Effective problem-solving tools
like creative thinking can be used to render exploration to issues, understanding and action based
on the reflection in the entire process for strengthening the solutions developed through
counselling. Moreover, the focus on a holistic approach towards each client during and at the end
of the interaction can be used to customise solutions according to clients’ preferences and
requirements of counselling (Davis, 2014). The ability to provide unbiased information and
enabling clients to understand these with emphasis for coming to solutions and defined action
plans for fulfilling clients’ requirements can be used to end the interaction. Failure to
appropriately end interaction can result in disagreement, discomfort along with other adverse
emotional outcomes. These require effective implications like understanding and clarification of
recognition, being heard, establishing independence and self-reliance within clients effectively
(Tolan and Cameron, 2016).

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6.2 Benefits of the interaction with individuals in helping the relationship
Within the contexts of helping the relationship, the counselling cannot be limited to exploring
issues and finding varied perspectives related to clients’ difficulties and problems. It can also be
related to the development of trust and relationship in the process of inducing the level of
comfort and content within clients in effective manners. Even though the confidentiality and
formal contractual relationship are at the centre, the focus on positive impact through caring,
listening and guiding along with a focus on unearthing core issues related to the discomfort of
clients in effective manners can be of prime to implications (Bond, 2015). Elimination of the
chance of imposing counsellor’s view, values and beliefs within clients within the counselling
and helping relationship has resulted in providing impartial and non-judgemental guiding and
opportunities to explore clients’ own beliefs and values in prudential manners. The improvement
within the behavioural pattern in terms of understanding of the positive changes and impact on
the problems and issues along with focusing on confidentiality can be used to render effective
solutions to helping needs (Roberts et al., 2015). Moreover, the development of comfortable
relationship can be attributed towards the effective assessment of the counsellor's abilities with
responsibilities to ensure the contexts and offering understanding, respect for clients. Moreover,
limiting boundaries in a therapeutic setting and social contexts within can be attributed towards
the comfortable levels of clients. The unearthing of issues in confidential manners along with a
focus on proactive instances from a counsellor can encourage clients for exploring ideas with
positive impact (Sutton and Stewart, 2017).

6.3 Outcome of the interaction

Helping relationship can be attributed to the instances of expectation of one individual
approaching to another for a greater level of appreciation, expression and cooperation of the
functional usages to intricate the latent inner resources of that individual. The interaction within
the helping relationship can be attributed towards facilitation of growth implications with a focus
on accelerating self-expression and reflection in effective manners. However, the interaction has
a purpose of promoting the development process in operational and adequate functional level
(McVey et al., 2015). The interaction can also promote non-aggressive and cooperative
behaviours from the clients due to the level of trust and understanding developed by a counsellor.

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Moreover, the ability to induce independence of clients in the process can result in better
emotional states and make choices and decisions. However, outcomes of interaction can depend
on several instances like the counsellor's effectiveness in understanding clients’ feelings and
messages, the sensitivity level of attitude and emotional involvement. The lack of these can
result in negative impact on clients’ mental health with a tendency towards aggression (Anuar et
al., 2015). The effective and empathic understanding, positive attributes and affective attitude,
genuine concerns and manifestation of positive expression can provide the client with the better
apprehension of the conditions for counselling. However, the expectation of matching clients’
internal feelings with counsellor’s responses can render the critical factor for success within the
process. The implications like reflection and summarising can be used to endure better chance of
social and psychological development within clients with scope for fostering enhanced mental
conditions and health and development of personal control (Davis, 2014).

7.1 Self-reflection improving the use of counselling skills

Self-reflection is the process to signify and adapt for expressing an understanding of the changes
and working methods for increased effectiveness that can be ensured through learning and
reflection. Due to the level of inherited pressures and emotional stresses within the job, the self-
reflection for counsellors provide scope for clarifying issues during and after the counselling
sessions. However, self-reflection provides scope for addressing the required changes to be
brought in the process along with a focus on finding the needs for continuous learning and scope
for personal development (Slovák et al., 2015). The ability to address the better and worse
aspects of the job can be mostly unveiled through self-reflection techniques. Through such self-
reflection, the level of clarification and improvement can be achieved and the overall goal of
highest excellence can be ensured. The contexts of professional understanding of the clients’
needs and requirement can be used to induce a greater level of professional efficacy (Tolan and
Cameron, 2016). To some extent, the limiting instances regarding sharing personal experiences
with a client can also reflect abilities of emotional detachment and unbiased attention to clients’
own needs. This can be attributed towards counsellors’ ability to remain neutral to large extent.
Scope for self-reflection on an ongoing basis can result in an understanding of the professional
expertise and development requirement along with focusing on learning aspects to meet the
changing environmental conditions. The level of collaboration with other counsellors can render

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simple process for self-reflection through sharing knowledge, information and experiences.
Development within working conditions and method can be achieved through self-reflection
(Kwong, 2014).

7.2 Feedback and guidance improving the use of counselling skills

Feedback and guidance can be attributed towards the systematic review from clients and others
in the same profession. The client enters into the therapy session has also understanding of the
time requirement and the self-induced feedback or those generated by open-ended questions
from counsellors can be attributed to the improvement of counselling skills. Moreover, there can
be a requirement of attributing smaller changes to the satisfaction of clients that can be solely
availed through feedback (Bond, 2015). The level of comfort and convenience of clients can be
ensured through getting effective feedback along with focusing on bringing effective changes.
Moreover, the focus on CPD training and discussion with another counsellor can render valuable
addition to the skills set of a counsellor with an emphasis on getting information and knowledge
sharing, isolating experiences and increasing motivation of the colleagues (Nelson-Jones, 2015).
The extent of monitoring of work-life balancing efforts can be attributed towards scope for
refreshing experiences. Moreover, regular vacation can enhance productivity by continuing with
a new client. The feedback process and guidance can also render effective scope for reflective
practices for counsellors that can be used to enhance expertise and experiential elements to
provide superior services to clients. However, constructive feedback can result in greater
professional development. The discussion session with other counsellors can be directed by
feedback sandwich method for delivery of corrective feedback followed with an appreciation for
counsellors that enable them to receive constructive guidance on counselling for effective
improvement of counselling skills (Roberts et al., 2015).

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References

Anuar, A.A., Rozubi, N.C. and Abdullah, H.S., 2015. The Development of Multicultural
Counselling Competencies (MCC) Training Module Based on MCC Matrix Model by Sue et al.
(1992). Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 3(2), pp.33-39.

Bond, T., 2015. Standards and ethics for counselling in action. Sage.

Davis, T.S., 2014. A literature review exploring the potential of mindfulness as a tool to develop
skills and qualities for effective consultation. Mindfulness, 5(6), pp.669-681.

Kwong, W.M., 2014. Counselling as' Conversational Art': Development of a language-based

Approach to Counselling and Laboratory Training of Counselling Skills.

McVey, L., Lees, J. and Nolan, G., 2015. Practitioner‐based research and qualitative
interviewing: Using therapeutic skills to enrich research in counselling and psychotherapy.
Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 15(2), pp.147-154.

Nelson-Jones, R., 2015. Basic counselling skills: a helper's manual. Sage.

Roberts, J.F., Fenton, G. and Barnard, M.C., 2015. Developing effective therapeutic relationships
with children, young people and their families. Nursing children and young people, 27(4), pp.30-
35.

Slovák, P., Thieme, A., Murphy, D., Tennent, P., Olivier, P. and Fitzpatrick, G., 2015, February.
On becoming a counsellor: Challenges and opportunities to support interpersonal skills training.
In Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work &
Social Computing (pp. 1336-1347). ACM.

Sutton, J. and Stewart, W., 2017. Learning To Counsel: How to develop the skills, insight and
knowledge to counsel others. Robinson.

Tolan, J. and Cameron, R., 2016. Skills in person-centred counselling & psychotherapy. Sage.

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