Table of Contents

Counseling process ....................................................................................................................................... 1

Relationship building ................................................................................................................................ 1
Some steps for relationship building for the counselor: ...................................................................... 2
Assessment and Diagnosis ........................................................................................................................ 2
Formulation of Counseling Goals .............................................................................................................. 3
Guidelines for selection of goals: .......................................................................................................... 3
Data collection .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Intervention and Problem-solving ............................................................................................................ 4
Termination and Follow up ....................................................................................................................... 4
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
References .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Counseling process

The counseling process is a planned, structured dialogue between a counselor and client.it is a
cooperative process in which a trained professional helps a person called the client to identify of
difficulties or concerns that he or she is experiencing. Together they develop ways to deal with
and overcome these problems so that person has new skills and increased understanding of
themselves and others. counselor give assistance to client to resolve his/her social, psychological,
and personal difficulties According to McLeod (2013), the psychological therapy that the
counselor provides to the client includes relationship therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and
psychotherapy. The client should communicate the difficult feelings to the counselor and the
counselor help the client in finding their own solutions for the problem. The essay will discuss the
main stages that are involved in the counseling process which includes: relationship building,
problem assessment, the creation of assessment goals, interventions for the problem, follow-up,
and termination. The essay also discusses the communication skills required during counseling
and includes: listening skills, questioning skills, responding skills, analytic skills, observation
skills, and influential skills. The communication barriers during counseling that include being
judgmental, sending solutions and lack of attendant behaviors have also been discussed in the
essay.

Relationship building

The counselor should initiate the counseling process by establishing a rapport with the client
(Hackney & Cormier, 2013). The counselor has several tasks to undertake in order to build a
relationship with the client. The task includes articulating their roles as counselor to their client.
The counselor should also introduce himself/herself by full names to the client and should also
address the client by their names. According to Bond (2015), an informed consent is important
while establishing a relationship with the client as the client should understand the whole process
of counseling and give assent to it. According to Hackney & Cormier (2013), the core conditions
required for a successful relationship building includes empathetic understanding, respect,
immediacy, self-disclosure, concreteness, congruence and unconditional positive regard.

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Some steps for relationship building for the counselor:
1: Introduce yourself.

2: Invite client to sit down.

3: Ensure client is comfortable.

4: Invite social conversation to reduce anxiety.

5: Watch nonverbal behavior as signs of client's emotional state.

6: Invite client to describe his or her reason for coming to talk.

7: Allow client time to respond.

8: Indicate that you are interested in person.

Assessment and Diagnosis

Assessment and diagnosis represent the second stage of the counseling process. According to
Nelson-Jones, (2013), the assessment and diagnosis stage is when the counselor gathers the
information from the patient in order to understand his/her problem and reasons for undertaking
the counseling. The counselor should help the client to communicate their problems rather than
pronouncing for them. Hackney & Cormier (2013) assert that the problems of the client being
counseled can be categorized into several divisions that include stressors which are unpleasant
events that cause a person to experience distraction and distress. The second problem may be a
need where the client may be lacking something that is very vital for life and hence becomes
disturbed. The third problem may be life conditions which are the conditions that are out of control
of the client which limit his success for happiness. The fourth problem may be dysfunctional social
patterns in which the client experiences problems in relating with some people but get along well
with other people.

The counselor should, therefore, look forward to understanding the client problem in order to set
the necessary goals and interventions meant to alleviate the client problem. Hackney & Cormier
(2013) argues that the cause of the client problems seeking to counsel may be relationship based,
behavioral based, milieu based, emotion based and thought based. The counselor should be
observant to the client in order to detect any signs of manifestation of their problems. The client

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manifests their problems through worries, fear, feelings, and an unsatisfactory interpersonal
relationship among others.

Formulation of Counseling Goals

Goals formulation is an important stage during the process of counseling. The setting of goals is
vital in determining whether the counseling is working and when should be concluded. According
to Bhargava & Sriram (2016), the general goals associated with counseling include a reduction in
dysfunctional behaviors, reduction in emotional stress, and assistance in decision-making,
development of potential and promotion of adaptation. The specific goals of counseling should be
set immediately after understanding the client expectations and problems. The counselor has a role
at this stage in guiding the client in setting the goals that aim towards alleviating the client
distressing condition. Goals should be selected and define with care.

Guidelines for selection of goals:

1: goals should be related to the desired end or ends sought by the client.

2: goals should be defined in explicit and measurable terms.

3: goals should be feasible.

4: goals should be within the range of counselor's knowledge and skills.

5: goals should be stated in positive terms that emphasis growth.

Data collection:

It is also an important stage in counseling process.in this stage counselor collects the data about
his client counselor may collect data from client’s school, college, friends, family and relatives.

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Intervention and Problem-solving

Intervention and problem solving is the stage where the counselor and the client initiate a solution
to the client problem. The solution to the problem is related to the assessed problem by the
counselor and the formulated goals. The counselor should first ask the client on the solution they
have tried for their problem but it has failed. The counselor is, therefore, able to design an
alternative solution to the problem. According to Jordans, Komproe, Tol, Nsereko & de Jong
(2013), the counselor should relate the client problem with the intervention the client will use. The
problem that is related to how the client view on the life situation (cognitively determined
problem), the appropriate intervention would endeavor to bring cognitive changes to the client
((Hackney & Cormier, 2013). The intervention for behavioral changes would be used if the client
has a problem that is related to how he/she affects other people. The intervention to resolve
emotional crises would be used to a client that experiences emotional problems. The identification
of the client problem is, therefore, important in formulating the right intervention for the client.

Termination and Follow up

The counseling process does not end immediately after providing the interventions necessary to
solve the client problem. The client should have appointments with the counselor so that the
counselor can be able to access whether the client is in the process of solving the problem (Manthei,
2007). The counselor should encourage the client to call if a need arises before the appointment
date. The purpose of follow-up is to ensure that the counseling solves the client problem and
identifying other needs for counseling before the counseling process is terminated.

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Conclusion

Counseling is planned cooperative process in which trained professional person helps a client to
resolve his personal social or psychological issues counselling process involve six steps.in
counseling process after building relationship with client the counselor help the client for to
overcome from his/her problem he or she may be suffering. The counselor sees if they client has
tried to solve problem but failed. The counselor is therefore able to design an alternative solution
to the problem. Many stages come in counseling process relationship building Assessment and
diagnosis formulation of counseling goals intervention and problem solving termination and
follow up.

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References

1: https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/counseling-process

3: https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/counseling-process/

3: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/counseling-process

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