Counselling skills

Counseling skills are soft (interpersonal) and hard (technical) attributes that a counsellor puts
to use in order to best help their clients work through personal issues and overcome obstacles
that are currently preventing them from living a full and happy life. Counselling skills are
used consciously to support individuals in decision making or feel better without the
counsellor imposing his/her own view on what the client should do or feel.

Mastering particular counselling skills could make a great difference in whether or not you
can provide your clients with the best opportunities for personal growth.

Examples of counselling skills

There are a variety of skills that are beneficial to a counsellor's understanding of their client,
and to the client's overall comfort and willingness to be vulnerable about their personal
hardships. Here is a list of useful skills that counsellors should have:

Active listening

Active listening is an important skill for a counsellor to have. It can be defined as the use of
eye contact, facial expressions and gestures to imply that you are engaged and focused on the
information the other person is saying. It can help a client feel like they've been heard and
validated in the information they chose to share.

Questioning

There are two types of questioning styles that a counsellor should be able to utilize—open
questioning and closed questioning. Being skilled in questioning techniques can help a
counsellor to better interpret what a client is saying and it can help them think more deeply
into their personal situation as well.

Open questioning includes all questioning that is directed toward gathering more detailed and
complex information. Closed questioning is directed toward more short-ended questions with
specific answers.

Focusing
Focusing in counselling involves making decisions about what issues the client wants to deal
with. The client may have mentioned a range of issues and problems and focusing allows the
counsellor and client together to clear away some of the less important surrounding material
and concentrate on the central issues of concern.

Note-taking

Counsellors should be skilled in organized note-taking techniques in order to record

important points that were discussed during the session and information the client provided.
This can be used for further analysis later on.

Interpretation
Counsellors should be able to interpret vague information that a client shares and place it
within the context of what they are going through. Phrases like "I'm just so tired," or "I'm on
edge all the time," constitute further information, and it is up to the counsellor to interpret this
information.

Nonverbal communication competency

Similar to information interpretation, counsellors should be able to identify current attitudes

or feelings based upon the body language that a client uses during the session.

Self-awareness

Counsellors need to be aware of how their body language, gestures and tone of voice can
affect their client and their willingness to talk about the situation. Having good self-
awareness can keep a counsellor from accidentally exhibiting signs of boredom, frustration or
judgment.

Trustworthiness

An important skill for a counsellor is to be able to build and maintain trust with their clients.
This can affect a client's willingness to share information.

Empathy

A counsellor needs to be able to see a client's situation from their perspective in order to best
help them overcome their obstacles.

Emotional compartmentalization

Another skill that can be specific to counsellors is the ability to emotionally

compartmentalize themselves from their clients and maintain professional boundaries in order
to continue healthy client relationships.

Information recall

Counsellors should be able to remember information that was shared with them earlier in the
session or from a previous session in order to help guide their questioning toward a particular
client.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality can be seen as a valued skill for a counsellor to have as they must respect
their clients and the information they share with them.

Record keeping

Counsellors should be able to keep detailed records of their clients, relevant paperwork and
session notes to make sure everything stays up-to-date.
How to improve counselling skills

Here are some steps you can follow to maximize your positive impact as a counsellor:

1. Enlist a friend for mock counselling sessions

You can potentially improve your counselling skills by asking a trusted friend to be your
mock client. Hold a mock counselling session and record yourself.

Afterward, ask your friend how they perceived you, what they liked and disliked about your
questions or overall body language and review the footage to conduct your own assessment
of your counselling skills and what areas could be further improved.

2. Practice body language analysis

You can practice body language analysis in your daily life. This type of exercise can help
with your interpretation of clients and their attitudes about a given topic.

For example, observe the cashier in the checkout line or a person you pass on the street based
on their posture, facial expressions and tone of voice.

3. Seek out a mentor within the profession

You can find a mentor who has counselling experience and consult with them about the
methods they find most effective during counselling sessions, how they have handled
difficult cases and what skills they utilize the most.

Counselling skills in the school

You should practice your counselling skills and monitor your effectiveness in order to use
them in a workplace setting. Here are a few ways you can incorporate your counselling skills
into your daily practices:

Be mindful of your body language

You should be mindful of your body language at all times, especially during a counselling
session. Depending on the context, a client might worry about being judged when they
disclose particular information. Take this into consideration and make sure to maintain a
warm expression in order to reassure your client that you are there to listen.

Review client notes before and after sessions

You should make sure to look over notes from previous sessions with a particular client in
order to prepare for an upcoming counselling session. This can help with information recall,
and it can help you better direct your questioning during your next session with them.

Refrain from discussing client information with colleagues

You should refrain from discussing a client's personal matters with others especially your
colleagues in order to uphold client confidentiality. If you want to consult with your any
person about a particular case, consider keeping the information you provide more general
and do not disclose the client's name.

Do not press clients for personal information

In an effort to build trust and increase client comfort, you should be sure to keep from asking
clients too many questions. Use the information they offer to you to build a conversation
around. In time, they may get more comfortable with you and give you more details.

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