Disciplines of Counseling

Learning Objectives:
• At the end of the topic the students should be able to:
• Define the counseling based on their knowledge and
understanding from the different sources,
• Identify the goals of counseling,
• Define the scope of counseling,
• Enumerate the core values of counseling, and
• State the principles of counseling.
 Definitions of Counseling
• Glanz (1972) defines counseling as an “open-ended, face to
face problem solving situation within which a student, with
professional assistance, can focus and begin to solve a problem
or problems”
• Rogers (1965) speaks of counseling as the assistance which
comes to a child through face to face contact, with a
professionally trained person in a psychological relationship
using either talk or counseling as a relationship in which one of
the parties has the intent of promoting the growth, development,
maturity and improved functioning of the other.
 Definitions of Counseling
• Shostrom and Brammer (1962) reinforced by defining
counseling as “a purposeful, reciprocal relationship between
two people in which one, a trained person, helps the other to
change himself for his environment”
• Brewer (1993) describing counseling more in the language of
counselors today when he said: “Counseling is talking over, a
conference, a friendly discussion, upon as equal terms as may
be, with no attempt to impose a decision, and with every effort
to stimulate the thought of the student to find or generate such
technical knowledge and wisdom as will lead him to a right
decision.
• Webster dictionary defines counseling as “consultation, mutual
interchange of opinions; deliberating together”
 Definitions of Counseling
• Clarence Dunsmoor considers counseling as an interview or
conference between a pupil and a member of the school staff
with whom he has a guidance relationship, for the purpose of
considering some of his problems and a desirable course of
action.
• Arthur Coombs referred counseling as “an attempt to aid the
individual assisting him to a reorganization of attitudes, feelings,
and emotions, such that he can make optional use of his
abilities and physical endowments”
• Williamson defines counseling as “a means of helping people to
learn how to solve their own problems”
• Jones believes that counseling is an activity in which all facts
are gathered and focused on the particular problem of the
counselee, who is then given direct and personal help.
 Goals of Counseling
Counseling, as it is known, is geared toward the attainment of the
individual for self-knowledge, self-realization and self-development.
Counseling is also a process of assisting the individual to solve his
own problems. According to Dunsmoor and Miller (1955), the goals of
counseling are:
• To give the student information on matters important to his
adjustment and growth;
• To get information about the student which will be help to him in
solving his problems;
• To establish a feeling of mutual understanding between pupil and
teacher;
• To help the pupil work out a plan for solving his difficulties;
• To help the pupil know himself better, his interest, abilities, aptitudes
and available opportunities;
• To encourage special talents and develop right attitudes;
• To inspire successful endeavor toward the attainment or
realization of objectives; and
• To assist the pupil in planning for his educational and vocational
choices – formulating plans for vocations, making surveys of
employment opportunities, administering vocational or aptitude
test, gathering cumulative occupational information, following-
up pupils for placement, and sponsoring convocations,
programs, and career day seminars.
 Scope of Counseling
• The core, the most intimate and vital part of the entire
guidance program, is counseling. Counseling maybe
defined by telling first what it is not. It is not lecturing,
which is one-sided; counseling is much more than
talking to a pupil. Neither is it merely giving advice,
although advice may be given. The counselor gives
advice only when it is impossible not to give it.
Counseling is not just teaching carries with it the
element of indoctrination and counseling does not resort
to compulsion.
 Scope of Counseling
Ford and Urban in their book entitled Systems of Psychotherapy
(1963); they cited nature of counseling. These are as follows:
• Counseling involves two people in interaction, a generic term for
the exchange of meanings between people which includes the
direct communication of talking and listening as well as gestures,
glances, nods or shakes of the head, frowns, and other non-verbal
features by which meaning is transmitted from one person to
another. The interaction is highly confidential, and since counselee
discuss themselves in an intimate fashion, it is highly private and
unobserved by others.
• The mode of interaction is usually limited to the verbal realm; the
counselor and counselee talk with one another. Counselees talk
about themselves, their thoughts feelings, and actions. They
describe events in life and the way they respond to these events.
The counselor listens and responds in some fashion to what the
counselee says to provoke further response. The two think, talk,
and share their ideas.
• The interaction is relatively prolonged since alteration of
behavior takes time. In contrast to a brief conversation with
friend in which distortions or unconscious desires are usually
maintained and usually only temporary relief is gained,
counseling has its goal, the change of behavior. It is assumed
that through the counseling interaction, the counselee will in
time revise his distortions and alter his behavior.
• The purpose of the relationship is change in the behavior of the
counselee. The counselor focuses the interaction upon the
counselee. Counselees need not be concerned about the
happiness of the counselor but must devote their energies to
changing themselves.
 Core Values of Counseling
The following are the core values of counseling according to Appalachian
University:
• The potential of every human being to change and to continue learning
throughout their lifespan, in formal and informal settings, and especially in
the environment of counseling and psychological services.
• Strong relationships as the primary vehicle in helping others to learn new
ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, including collaboration within the
university community and partnering with other offices to provide
comprehensive mental health services to students an emphasis on
prevention of mental health problems via education, intervention and
outreach into the University community.
• Training new professionals and support for on-going training of staff
• Respect for diversity of individuals, their cultures, languages, lifestyles,
identities, ideologies, intellectual capacities, personalities, and capabilities
to expand our learning opportunities and understanding of global
connections
 Principles of Counseling
• When counseling is effective, it cause changes in the thinking and behavior of the
counselee. These changes are accomplished through the learning process as
stressed in the following statement:
• “…counseling is basically a learning function, subject in large measure to
the same laws of learning which are applicable in the classroom. This view of
counseling will remove much f the vagueness and mystery from counseling
activities and will naturally and inevitably lead to the integration of these activities
with the instructional program of the institution”
• The article describes some of the learning accomplishments that may occur
during counseling. These include clarification of the counselee’s self-concepts
through objective information he is given about his aptitudes, achievements, and
personal traits, learning ways of reaching sound decisions by weighing evidence;
and acquisition of new attitudes that will improve his efficiency, happiness, and
relations with others.
• Images inserted should be from open resource websites and make sure you have
credited the original owner of the picture. You may credit them by including
caption with your images. Use the caption style for each image or table caption.
Word has an automatic table and caption feature.