Counsellor and Counselling Skills

COUNSELLOR AND COUNSELLING
SKILLS
(FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY)

2021
1
Preface
Counselling provided by trained professionals can make a profound impact on the lives of
individuals, families and communities. This service helps people navigate difficult life situations,
such as the death of a loved one, divorce, natural disasters, school stress and the loss of a job.
Counsellors use counselling skills to help them better understand and listen to clients. Through
active listening, rapport is built, trust forms and the speaker feels heard and understood by the
counsellor.
The study of this course – ‘Counsellor and Counselling Skills’ will help you to inculcate skills
required to be an effective psychological counsellor.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mr. Ketan Kamble is M.Sc. in Biotechnology, M.Sc. in Geography, M.Ed., D.S.M., M. Phil. in
Education, NET-Education, and is presently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. He has taught B.Ed.,
M.Ed., and MA Education students in institutions and departments affiliated with the University
of Mumbai and Savitribai Phule Pune University for many years. He is currently employed as an
Assistant Professor at PES College of Education, which is affiliated with Goa University. He has
published research papers in a number of national and international journals, as well as
presenting them at national and international conferences such as San Diego, USA, and authored
a book on biology lab for the visually impaired that was published in Germany. He has served as
editor-in-chief for many National seminars' special editions. He has worked as the convener and
coordinator for a number of national seminars and conferences. AICTE has invited him to be a
resource person in a short-term training programme, and academic and research institutes have
invited him to lecture on various topics as an expert speaker. Multilingual education, inclusive
education, food and culture, gender issues, and Indian society and culture are some of his
research study interests.
Mrs Shefali Phalak is Counsellor and Psychotherapist in Pune. She is associated with institutes
like Blossoms, Sarthak Welfare Foundation and Dr. Makarand Thombare’s Institute of Holistic
Healing, India (IHHI). She works as a counsellor, Mentor and Life Skills Facilitator in these
institutes. She has an experience of almost 15+ years as a Software Programmer and Lecturer.
Now, for the past 10 years she is working in the field of Psychology. Based on her experiences,
she has made every effort to update the information which will be useful to students who aspire
to become Counsellors.
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The Professional Counsellor
UNIT
1
Structure:
1.1 Skills of a Counsellor

1.2 Counselling as a profession
1.3. Characteristics of an effective counsellor
1.4. Counselling set up
1.5. Personal challenges as a Counsellor
Summary
Keywords
Self Assessment Questions
Answers to Check your Progress
References
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Objectives:
After going through this unit, you will be able to:

 Know the skills, characteristics of counsellor.
 Explain counselling as a profession
 know how the counselling set up should be
 Identify the personal challenges of a counsellor
1.1 SKILLS AND QUALITIES OF A COUNSELLOR

Many people, at some point, use some of the counselling skills in their lives. They
find themselves in the role similar to a counsellor but without having the training or the
understanding of the concept. There is a big difference between such a person and a
professional counsellor. A professional Counsellor is a skilled and highly trained person
who uses different techniques and approaches with their clients. Counselling is a process
where the Counsellor helps the client to explore his difficulties, deal with stresses,
emotions, to see things clearly and possibly from a different perspective. The Counsellor
enables the client and facilitates positive change. Every individual is unique with his own
experiences, feeling, personality, etc. The role of the counsellor is to help the client to
develop his own understanding about his problem. To help the counsellor to do this he is
trained and requires a number of skills. Mastering these skills will help the counsellor to
provide the client with the best opportunities for personal growth. These skills are soft
skills, which are interpersonal skills and hard skills, which are technical attributes which
the counsellor puts to use in the counselling sessions. Some of these skills and qualities
are –
1) Communication skills –
Counsellor needs good communication skills to effectively talk to people.
Counsellors often have to conduct interviews and question clients. This needs
to be done without upsetting or causing stress to the client.
2) Active Listening –
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Must be able to listen and understand what the client is saying, his
perspective and also the non-verbal communication.
3) Interpersonal Skills –
Having good interpersonal skills means being able to build relationships,
understand clients, their motivations, etc.
4) Patience –
A counsellors needs to be patient when working with clients, A lot of time
may pass before you see any results, Patience is key for progress and need
the ability to keep yourself motivated even when results are not obvious.
5) Compassion –
The counsellor should have the desire to help, empathize with the client’s
pain, distress and problems. He should have the ability to put the client at
ease and make him comfortable.
6) Trustworthiness –
The counsellor should be able to build and maintain trust with the client.
Trust cannot be built in a single session. It is a gradual process. The
counsellor’s sincerity and genuineness will help in this process. The trust
building will affect the client’s willingness to share information and his
innermost thoughts and emotions.
7) Confidentiality –
It is important that counsellor respects their clients and the information
they share with them. Trust is broken if the information is indiscriminately
shared with others.
8) Empathy –
Empathy is the ability to feel and understand what the other person is
feeling. It is being able to understand from the other person’s point of
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view. This is very important so as to help them in overcoming their
problems.
9) Emotional Stability –
The counsellor must have the ability to handle and deal with the stress and
the emotional distress of the clients.
10) Open-mindedness –
The counsellor must be open minded and have the tolerance to deal with
different people and situations. He must be able to accept new ideas and
perspectives.
11) Questioning –
Good questioning skill will help the counsellor to probe and make the
client dig deeper in his mind for information. Asking open ended
questions will help in gathering detailed information.
12) Emotional compartmentalization –

The counsellor must be able to emotionally compartmentalize from the
clients and keep professional boundaries. This will help him maintain his
emotional stability.
13) Good Information recall –

The counsellor should be able to recall the information that the client has
shared previously. This will help him to guide the client.
14) Observational skill –

The counsellor must be able to observe the clients facial expressions, body
languages, gestures, interactions for clues to determine his attitudes,
behaviour, etc.
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15) Problem – solving skills and creativity –
The counsellor must have problem solving skills; not to solve the clients’
problems but to come up with alternate strategies so that the client can
move forward.
Some other skills and qualities include genuineness, warmth, friendliness, a sense of
humor which may lighten the mood after a particularly intense session, sincerity, commitment to
human values, keeping records, research, commitment and a genuine interest in others.
Check Your Progress 1
Fill in the blanks

1) A ____________ __________ is a skilled and highly trained person who uses different
techniques and approaches with their clients.
2) Counselling skills are _________ skills and _________ skills or attributes which the
counsellor puts to use in the counselling sessions.
3) ________ is the ability to feel and understand what the other person is feeling and his
point of view.
4) Good ________ skill will help the client dig deeper in his mind for information.
5) The counsellor must be able to emotionally compartmentalize from the clients and keep
professional ____________.
1.2 COUNSELLING AS A PROFESSION
The main aim of psychology is to help us understand, to predict, and also to control
behaviour. To achieve this aim, psychologists apply the theoretical information that has been
received through experiments and tests to our day to day lives and to solve human problems.
Psychologists address diverse types of behaviour ranging from the most basic biological
processes to how people are affected by socio cultural factors. They address some basic issues
like –
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 how people think, sense, and learn about the world around them
 what are the biological basis of behaviour
 what are the factors that change our behaviour
 what are the social factors that influence behaviour
 psychological factors which influence our behaviour and also our health.
Fields of Psychology are broadly divided into two types – theoretical and applied.
Theoretical Psychology focuses mainly on conducting research, experimentation, formulating
theories or laws to explain human mind and behaviour. Applied Psychology is using this
theoretical knowledge in our lives to understand our behaviour.
Some Theoretical Fields include -
1) Biological / Physiological Psychology - mainly structure and functions of different
internal organs of the body, secretion of glands, etc.
2) Experimental Psychology – empirically studying all aspects of basic physiological
processes like sensation, perception, thinking, etc. It also establishes the cause - effect
relationship between a stimulus and the related response.
3) Social Psychology – scientific study of how people think, influence and behave with each
other.
4) Developmental Psychology – studies the physical, cognitive and social development
across the life span.
5) Abnormal Psychology – study of behaviour that deviates from that of a majority of
people, identifying causes and effects of maladjustment and the treatment for the same.
Some Applied Fields include –

1) School and Educational Psychology – learning, behavioural problems, etc of school
children
2) Industrial or Organizational Psychology - related to personnel.
3) Child Psychology – problems related to children
4) Sports Psychology – psychological and emotional aspects of sportsperson, motivation,
improving performance, etc.
5) Positive Psychology – how positive experiences influence general well being.
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Professional counselling is a professional relationship. It empowers individuals, families and
groups in diverse areas such as wellness, mental health, career goals, etc.
Counselling is a collaborative effort. Professional counsellors work with the clients to help
clients to develop strategies to identify goals, find potential solutions to problems which cause
emotional disturbances, help to improve communication skills and learn coping mechanisms;
strengthen self-esteem; boost self confidence, promote behaviour change, etc. A professional
counsellor is highly trained and helps the client by using a variety of different approaches and
techniques.
Check Your Progress 2 –

State True or False –
1) Psychologists apply the theoretical information that has been received through
experiments and tests to our day to day lives and to solve human problems.
2) Applied Psychology uses medical knowledge in our lives to understand our behaviour.
3) Abnormal Psychology is mainly structure and functions of different internal organs of the
body, secretion of glands, etc.
4) Counselling is a collaborative effort.
5) Positive Psychology is a field where positive experiences influence general well being.
1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE COUNSELLOR
A professional counsellor has to work with many mental health problems of clients like
anxiety, depression, addiction, marital problems, etc. To be an effective counsellor he
needs to have many characteristics like –
1) Being organized in your work –
Organization of paperwork, scheduling, and proper storing of confidential information will give
your clients peace of mind and confidence in you and the counselling process. While providing
your client with a greater sense of well-being from your organization, an effective and organized
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counsellor will also experience a greater sense of wellness and balance within themselves, which
will allow space for a more effective counselling process.
2) Be ethical and professional –
Beyond classroom education on ethics, there are many resources for counsellors to understand
the ethics of the profession. Some resources include the American Counselling Association Code
of Ethics, mental health statutes that vary from state to state, etc.
3) Educate yourself –
Proper training and courses need to be done. The counsellor also needs to keep his knowledge
updating.
4) Self Awareness and self confidence –
Be aware of yourself. Knowing your strengths and weakness is important. Counselling is a

process and a journey in which you facilitate the client to see things in a different perspective
and to solve his problems effectively. If you have done this journey yourself, then you will get
the confidence to take your client through the process.
5) Be respectful and non-judgmental –
Counsellors must avoid imposing their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours on the
client. As a counsellor, you must respect each client’s beliefs and struggles, and never assert
your personal values or beliefs. A counsellor must not also judge a client based on his beliefs,
actions, etc.
6) Good Communication skill –
Every client is different, some need time to warm up to you, while some aren’t afraid to divulge
their life story from the start. An effective counsellor must understand that communication needs
to be personalized to each client. Interpersonal skills go beyond the context of therapy itself.
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Consider differences in ethnicity, culture, background, and be self-aware of personal biases that
may hinder or create barriers within the therapeutic relationship. If there is a communication
barrier, then seek out supervision and additional training, an effective counsellor must consider
the option of a more appropriate referral outside of one’s practice.
7) Be Flexible –
The counsellor will have to be accommodating to the unpredictability of the client. An effective
counsellor must possess a flexible attitude and unconditional positive regard to ensure your
clients feel safe and understood, which in turn becomes beneficial for the development of the
therapeutic relationship.
1.4 COUNSELLING SET UP
It is very important that you establish a good counselling environment for your set up.
Whether it is in a health center, in a commercial space or at your home, you need to have
an atmosphere which makes the client feel comfortable, reduce his anxiety and encourage
and establish a good therapeutic relationship. Health centers normally create a sense of
anxiety, also if a commercial space is decorated too lavishly, or too stark, it causes an
unease in the mind of the client who is already feeling anxious. The counselling set up
here must have comfortable furnishings. The colour schemes used must be soothing to
the eye. Too bright or too dull colours must be avoided. If the set up is in the home
environment, it must be comfortable and at the same time care must be taken to have
privacy. A separate room must there and care must be taken as to have no disturbances
during the sessions.
When we talk about the counselling environment, it is not just the physical environment.
It also refers to how the counsellor greets them, his facial expressions (must be pleasant)
and other non verbal such as body language, posture and eye contact. So, how the
counsellor treats the client is also a part of the counselling environment. Preparing a good
counselling environment is the foundation for building trust and also for creating a good
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A good counselling environment must be –
 Welcoming – by greeting the clients warmly, with pleasant facial expressions

and relaxed posture.
 Comfortable – have comfortable seating arrangements, sit facing the client

and preferably at the same level.
 Non-threatening – creates a comfortable, relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
 A place where privacy and confidentiality can be maintained – it must be

away from people.
 A place with few or minimum distractions – with no telephone and no

interruptions from other staff, family members (if at home setting)
Multiple Choice Single Response =
1) A professional counsellor has to work with many problems of clients. One of them is -
a) Cardiac problem
b) Employment
c) Anxiety
d) Logical
2) Counselling is a process and a journey in which you facilitate the client to see things in a
different _________.
a) Perspective
b) Place
c) Field
d) Area
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3) One of these is not a characteristic of an effective counsellor.
a) Talkative
b) Flexibility
c) Rigid
d) Sympathetic
4) A good counselling environment must be –

a) Colourless
b) Colourfull
c) Threatening
d) Welcoming
5) A counsellor must not also judge a client based on his _________

a) Job
b) Language
c) Roles
d) Beliefs
Activity 1
1) Practice active listening skill with a partner.
Games for Observational Skills –

1) Ask somebody to fill a tray with 20-25 things. Observe things in the tray for 20-30
seconds and then note down as many as you can.
2) Visit a shop/place/office. Look around and then make a list of all things in a specific
colour or shape, etc
3) While travelling from point A to B; count the number of signboards having names
starting with a specific letter, or count no of dogs you come across, or count no of
cats.
1.5 PERSONAL CHALLENGES AS A COUNSELLOR
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There is still little recognition for counselling even today. People choose to ignore the
signs and symptoms of mental illness rather than visit go to a professional. There is still a belief
that counselling is for mad or crazy people. Because of this, people come to a counsellor too
late, when the symptoms become severe. This makes mental wellness hard to achieve and takes a
longer period. Like any other professional, counsellors have their own share of problems and
challenges. They face many barriers which they have to overcome. Some of these are –
1) Educational and Professional Setbacks –

There are very few training programs available and at the same time though there
is a need for counsellors, professional growth is slow or limited. The available
opportunities are limited because of low acceptance of the importance of
psychological health. Many counsellors often face financials setbacks. Though,
this picture is rapidly changing.
2) Professional Versus Personal Conduct –
The counsellor is first and foremost a human and then a professional counsellor.
Every person has the basic tendency to develop core beliefs and values over the
years as they experience and grow. As a counsellor, it is very important to leave
aside your own beliefs, values and biases when helping a client. Maintaining this
kind is neutrality is not easy.
3) Knowing your boundaries –

Many a times, the counsellor goes out of the way to help the client. He may
provide them with concrete answers, etc. He is not able to maintain the distance
from the client, especially one who is an abuse victim, a child, etc. The
counsellors code of conduct does not allow them to do so.
3) The struggle with being diplomatic –
Clients always want their counsellors to take their side or agree with their point of
view. They want validation from their counsellors. If the counsellor does not take
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their side, or offer a concrete point of view, then the client gets upset. So being
diplomatic is always difficult
4) Being empathetic and objective even when they have not experienced that or
similar situation
One of the most important skills of the counsellor is empathy. It means to

understand the person and his issues from his point of view. It is very difficult to
be empathic and be objective at the same time. Especially, in cases, where the
client is a victim of domestic violence, abuse, etc. It is difficult to meet the
clients’ emotional needs while remaining objective. Another problem is when in
such cases the client questions the counsellors ability to understand as the
counsellor has not faced something similar.
5) Burnout because of the emotional baggage –
A counsellor has own anxieties, worries and stresses. A counsellor often puts his
professional life before his personal in order to help others. When the counsellor
listens to the problems and the struggles of others, he carries these in his head
with his own. This will lead to burnout and the counsellor will need some time to
regain his emotional well being.
6) Counselling reluctant or involuntary clients –
Sometimes clients do not fully open up. There are many reasons for this –
shyness, guilt, embarrassment, doubt about how the counsellor may help them,
etc. Sometimes, the students, young people are pushed for counselling by the
authorities, parents, teachers and this becomes a challenge to the counsellor.
Rapport building and trust take a much longer time to build.
7) Dealing with a disjoint system –
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Many a times there is no stream lined system which is consistent. Services like
justice, addiction centers, rehab centers, hospitals etc, each offers different kinds
of therapy with different standards.
Everyone sees the counsellors as professionals in emotional and psychological well-being. And
so they are assumed to be able handle their own problems. The general belief is that if the
counsellor is not able to handle his problems then he is not a good counsellor himself.
Counsellors may also need professional help to deal their personal issues. Sharing how you feel
is a big step towards taking care of yourself, which is why it is important that we convey our
concerns in the right manner to the right person at the right time to avoid emotional breakdown
or stress.

Fill in the blanks
1) Few opportunities in counselling because of low ________ of the importance of
psychological health.
2) Clients want ________ from their counsellors.
3) _______ and trust take a much longer time to build for involuntary clients.
4) When the counsellor listens to the problems and the struggles of others, he carries these
in his head with his own leading to _________.
5) ________ how you feel is a big step towards taking care of yourself
Summary
In this unit, you will be able to understand the different skills that are required for a professional
counsellor. The different areas and fields of psychology and counselling. To become an effective
counsellor you must be organized, follow the code of ethics, be professional in your approach,
develop good communication skills, be flexible, non judgmental and respect the client. This unit
also describes the environment which will facilitate the counselling process.
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The personal challenges that the counsellor faces has been described in this unit. It is the belief
of many that since the counsellors are experts in emotional and mental well being, they should be
able to handle their own problems. If they cannot handle their own problems, then they are not
good at their job. The fact is that counsellors are humans and hence they too occasionally need
professional help.
Keywords
 Active Listening – the ability to listen to and understand what the other person is saying,
his perspective and also the non-verbal communication.
 Interpersonal Skills – being able to build relationships, understand people
and, their motivations, etc.
 Empathy – it is the ability to feel and understand what the other person is
feeling. It is being able to understand from the other person’s point of
view.

1. What are the skills and qualities of a counsellor?
2. What is the aim of psychology? What are the basic issues handled by psychologists?
3. Describe the different fields of psychology.
4. How can a counsellor be effective?
5. What are the personal challenges faced by a counsellor?
Answers to Check your progress
Fill in the blanks

1) professional Counsellor
2) interpersonal, technical
3) Empathy
4) Questioning
5) Boundaries
Answers to Check your progress 2-
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1) True
2) False
3) False
4) True
5) True
Answers to Check Your Progress 3 –

1) c) Anxiety
2) a) Perspective
3) b) Flexibility
4) d) Welcoming
5) d) Beliefs
1) Acceptance
2) Validation
3) Rapport building
4) Burnout
5) Sharing
Suggested Reading:
1. Basic counselling skills—A Helper’s manual. By Richard. SAGE ` Publication.

2. The skilled helper—A systematic approach to effective helping—By Gerard Egan.
3. Practical approach to counselling—By Margaret. Pitman Publication.
4. Counselling psychology by Charles Gelso.
5. Guidance and counselling in Indian education—By S. K. Gupta.
6. Practical approach to counselling—By Margaret Hough.
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Basic Counselling Skills
UNIT
2
Structure:
2.1 Attending behaviour and communication skills

2.2 Observational skills
2.3 Skills of active listening
2.4 Reflective skills
2.5 Integrative skills
2.6 Influencing skills
2.7 Capacity forming skills
2.8 Eliciting and reflecting skills
Summary
Keywords
References
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Objective:
After going through this unit, you will be able to

 recognize each counselling skill in detail
2.1 ATTENDING BEHAVIOUR AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The Counsellor enables the client and facilitates positive change. Every individual is unique with
his own experiences, feeling, personality, etc. The counsellor will be able to do this if he is
trained and acquires a number of skills. We will see these skills in detail in this unit.
Attending behaviour is giving your undivided attention to your client. It is the ability to be
physically present with the client by making eye contact, appropriate body language, nodding.
These attending behaviour shows to the client that you care. It shows that you are present and
also interested in the client.
Listening skills and attending behaviour are both inter-related – they complement and affect each
other. Attending to the client will help you to listen to the verbal and the non-verbal
communication. The quality of your attending skills sends a powerful message to the client. So,
if you attend well, then your genuineness, empathy and acceptance are communicated to the
client. Being attentive involves being sensitive to the client’s feelings and experiences. Here are
some pointers to improve your attending skills –
a) Eye contact – maintain direct and continuous eye contact. This does not mean staring.
If the client is uncomfortable with the direct eye contact; then break off the contact
and then return.
b) Facial expressions – it should be consistent what you are saying. You should also
mirror your expression with what the client is saying. For example, if the client is
telling you his achievement, then look pleased.
c) Seating – make sure that you are sitting at an appropriate distance from the client. Not
too near – he may feel uncomfortable with the proximity, and not too far – so that he
has to raise his voice to be heard. Generally the distance may be 3 – 5 feet. The seats
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must be at the same height. Rather than facing the client directly, sit at an angle. This
position is more comfortable for some clients and also less confrontational.
d) Posture – it must be upright, centered and comfortable. You should lean towards the
client. Slouching or leaning back does not communication attention. An open posture
(hands and legs not crossed) signals your interest and willingness to connect with the
client.
Attending behaviour has four very simple dimensions 3 V’s + B –

 Visual/Eye contact - look directly at the client without staring.
 Vocal qualities – the tone, volume, modulation, etc are important.
 Verbal tracking – rephrasing and summarizing the client’s thoughts
 Body language - it must be attentive and genuine.

Being able to communicate is the most important skill of all. It enables the counsellor to
understand what is being said and to convey information to the client. In the most simple form,
communication is the act of transferring information from one to another. This can be done
through different media like voice, written like printed matter, websites, books, etc, visually by
using graphs, symbols, etc and non-verbally by gestures, facial expressions, etc.
Learning or improving communication skill is a long term process. Some ways to improve your
communication skills are –
 Focus on your non verbal communication
 Practice active listening – become good listeners
 Practice public speaking
 Ask for feedback – make sure you are understood.
 Manage your emotions – for clear communication, it is important to manage
emotions and express them appropriately and in context. Strong emotions
especially in a professional set up lead to poor communication and also conflict.
Take time to respond.
 Simplify and stay with the message.
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2.2. OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS
Good observational skill allows the counsellor to identify discrepancies or inconsistencies in the
clients’ communication. This skill is used throughout the counselling interview. The counsellor
observes the tone, facial expression, body language, etc of the client. By accurately observing the
non-verbal behaviour, the counsellor can gauge the affect the words and actions have on the
client. Observation skill helps the counsellor to get a lot of information from the client. The
counsellor may also observe certain words that the client repeats again and again.
To improve observation skills the following tips may be followed –
 Slow down and look outwards
 Know your subject.
 Improve your concentration by removing/reducing distractions
 Challenge yourself to a mental workout
 Play a memory game
 Record and consider your observation
 Be inquisitive!!
2.3. SKILLS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

Active listening is essential for the counsellor to develop a positive and healthy
interaction with the client. It is useful to fully understand the client and also the correct emotion
and its depth. The counsellor may paraphrase to ensure that he has understood accurately. Every
time the counsellor correctly labels the emotion, the client feels understood and this helps in
reducing the intensity. Your reasoning and logical ability can function more effectively when
the emotional distress and intensity are reduced.
The counsellor needs to do the following during the session and also to develop active listening
you have to –
 Show that you are listening
 Pay attention
 Respond appropriately
 Repeat the conversation to them using the clients words and with your
understanding and interpretation of the conversation.
 Be accurate while summarizing from time to time
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 If your understanding or interpretation is not well received, try again. Ask for
more information.
 Provide feedback – regarding the content as well as feelings.
 Defer judgment
 Allow silences / pauses. Be aware of the body language, facial expressions,
gestures during the pause. Notice changes and respond accordingly.
The counsellor must avoid the following –

 Talking about themselves and thinking about their own reactions/comments. Self
disclosure must be used judiciously.
 Changing the topic
 Thinking about what they will say or ask next. This will be distracting and you
may miss something.
 Allowing the client to drift and change topics. Bring him back gently but firmly
on track.
 Finishing their sentences for them.
 Pretending to understand the person.
 Advising, baiting, criticizing the client.
 Ignoring the client’s feelings.

Fill in the blanks –
1) An _____ posture signals your interest and willingness to connect with the client.
2) Communication is the act of transferring information from one to another and is done
through different _______
3) Good observational skill allows the counsellor to identify ___________ in the clients’
communication.
4) __________ _________ is essential for the counsellor to develop a positive and healthy
interaction with the client.
5) Reasoning and logical ability can function more effectively when the emotional _______
and intensity are reduced.
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2.4. REFLECTIVE SKILLS
To ensure that you have understood the client properly, reflecting is important in a
counselling relationship. Summarizing, paraphrasing and reflecting are the skills that are used by
counsellors to demonstrate their empathy to clients. These skills help your clients to know that
you are hearing and understanding what they are saying. These skills help the counselling
session by increasing the client's awareness of their emotions, thinking patterns and behaviour.
All these skills involve repeating in your own words what the client has said during the session.
While repeating information, the Counsellor may also include his own interpretations of the
client's emotions or meaning to increase the client's awareness. These skills prompt the client to
reflect, introspect and talk more about the issues that are being discussed. Summarizing is useful
at the beginning of the session or end of it. At the beginning of the session, the Counsellor
reorients the client about the previous session. Summarizing is nothing but condensing the
content. Paraphrasing is used for pacing the counselling session and for demonstrating empathy.
Paraphrases are condensed reflections. Reflections may be about the content, feeling and
meaning. Counsellors can add to their understanding and reflect by constructing a reflection that
integrates the content, affect and meaning.
Types of Reflections –
 Content – reflecting content is repeating your version of what the client has said.
It shows the client that you have understood him. Reflecting content is not as
powerful and effective as reflecting with emotions and/or meaning.
 Emotions – reflecting the client’s emotions are useful for increasing the client’s
awareness. It also helps them to label their own emotions. The counsellor must
have a wide range of emotional vocabulary, so that they can use the proper label
to the clients’ intensity of the emotion.
 Meaning – by using meaning; it increases the depth of the session. This
encourages the client to introspect and brings about clarity about his thoughts,
emotions and behaviour.
Hence, Reflection may be defined as the process of paraphrasing and restating the feelings and
words of the client, The purpose of reflections are –
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 To allow the client to hear their own thoughts.
 To show the client that you are doing your best to understand their messages.
 To help the client to focus on what they say and feel.
 To show the client that you are trying to see the world as they see it
 To encourage them to continue talking.
The two main techniques of reflecting are mirroring and paraphrasing.

 Mirroring is a simple form of reflecting and involves repeating almost exactly what the
client has said. It is short and simple. Usually just the keywords are repeated. Mirroring
helps the client to know that you are trying to understand their frame of reference and it
also acts as a prompt for them to continue. The Counsellor should be careful not over do
this technique as it can become irritating and distracting.
 Paraphrasing is using other words to reflect what the client has said. It is important that
the counsellor does not introduce his own ideas or question the client about his thoughts,
feelings and actions. The counsellors responses should be non-directive and also non-
judgmental.
2.5. INTEGRATIVE SKILLS

An integrative skill or approach to counselling involves using more than one mode or therapy. It
is a blend of different theories and approaches formed to suit the needs of the client. This offers
an approach that is tailored for the needs of the client. This allows the Counsellor to practice in a
way which will reflect his theoretical viewpoint. The integrative approach looks different in
every therapeutic relationship because the therapist brings his own experiences and perspectives
to the relationship and also, each client is different and so are their needs. Integration involves
using different techniques in a complimentary way.
The main benefits of using this approach are –
 it can create a flexible and dynamic approach to suit the client.
 It allows the therapist or counsellor to create a method for models that work for him.
 It is useful for clients who prefer a mixture of approaches.
The main problems or criticism regarding this approach are –

 Because a mixture of modalities is used, it could be confusing for the client.
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 The therapist or counsellor is using different approaches on modalities he may not
develop sufficient expertise in any of them.
 Selection of the approaches should serve the needs of the client and not the convenience
of the therapist
The integrative approach allows for a deeper emotional therapeutic experience. This is because
the use of different modalities help to explore in a holistic manner – addressing the mind, body,
conscious and unconscious. For eg – Using the psychoanalytical approach, the counsellor may
explore some childhood experience. Later he may use C.B.T. for thinking distortion, some
mindfulness exercises can also be used.
State True of False –
1) Reflections may be about the content of the counselling session and the counsellors
experience,
2) Mirroring is a simple form of reflecting and involves repeating almost exactly what the
client has said.
3) Integrative approach is a blend of different theories and approaches formed to suit the
needs of the counsellor.
4) Integrative approach allows for a deeper emotional therapeutic experience.
5) Psychoanalytical approach, the counsellor may explore some childhood experience.
2.6. INFLUENCING SKILLS

Influencing skills are the ability to convince and bring around a person to your view point or way
of thinking about a issue/topic. This is done without coercion or force and also acknowledging
that persons opinions. This is an active skill rather than passive.
Influencing is a direct approach to bring about client change with specific alternative courses of
action. In this method, the change is quicker and more permanent. In this way, change is
facilitated in the way the client chooses to think or act. Trustworthiness of the counsellor is the
major factor in this skill.
There are five different influencing skills that a counsellor can use –
1) Self disclosure – it is the counsellor sharing of personal information with the clients.
A counsellor may purposefully share with the client using it as a tool. When used
sparingly, professionally and appropriately, counsellor self-disclosure can build trust,
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empathy and strengthen the therapeutic relationship between the counsellor and his
client. However, counsellor self-disclosure also holds the potential to derail progress
and take focus off of the client and shifts it towards the counsellor.
2) Feedback – is telling the client what the counsellor has seen or heard during the
session and also his ideas regarding the same. This is a very important skill for
effective counselling. This is not about measuring or reviewing the clients’
performance but about seeing where the client sees himself. This gives a chance to
the ask the client about what they want from future sessions. The feedback types are –
positive, negative and corrective.
Positive Feedback – helps to look at the positives, discover their strengths, look for
useful resources and assets. It helps the client to reduce emotional distress and feeling
of hopelessness. It also enhances the clients’ best qualities.
Corrective Feedback – focuses on behaviours/thoughts that might be hurting the

client and hindering his growth. The feedback is accompanied by supportive
statements, praise and positive thoughts.
Negative Feedback – This is necessary when the client is not willing to listen to the
corrective feedback. It focuses on the worst. It is hard to handle and if not properly
given it becomes unhelpful. If the negative feedback is appropriate, timed properly
and delivered then it becomes positive.
The following points have to be considered while giving feedback –
 When the feedback is harshly given, it is unhelpful. So, the feedback is to be

given carefully and respectfully. Also, when the feedback is given too often
and without regarding the clients feelings; the client will become defensive.
This may result in the client loosing motivation, his self confidence and
lowering his self esteem.
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 Feedback is not always negative. So do not always focus on the things that are
not right or not working.
 Feedback is also not always positive. Focusing on only the strengths and
positives will not help the client to change,
 There has to be balance between positive and negative feedback.
3) Logical Consequences – is exploring the various alternatives and the logical positive
and negative consequence of each. It is nothing but weighing the pros and cons.
When you use logical thinking to weight the alternatives; you can predict the effects
of the selection. The steps for logical consequence are as follows –
 Listen to understand the client’s view i.e. how he sees the situation.
 Question and probe the client to help him to think about the impact of his
actions.
 Disclose the necessary data and the possible consequences of the client’s
actions.
 Summarize to provide both the positive and negative consequences non-
judgmentally.
 Encourage the client to make decisions.
4) Psycho-education – It is the process of providing information and educating those

seeking mental health services. It is a systematic and structured knowledge transfer. It
can include information shared orally, written material like article, manuals,
handouts, etc. Homework or the activities given during the session can also psycho-
educate. Examples – it can be teaching assertiveness, meditation, relaxation
techniques, teaching life skills, etc.
5) Directives - are used to direct the client to follow specific actions. Clients make
positive progress when they follow the directives and they engage in more positive
ways of thinking, feeling or behaviour.
These points are to be considered while deciding a directive strategy –
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 The client should be involved as a participant in the directive strategy. Eg –
use statements like – “I suggest you try….”
 Check whether the directive has been heard properly and understood by the
client.
 Be clear, precise and concrete in your verbal expression.
 Time the directive to meet the client’s needs.
2.7. CAPACITY FORMING SKILLS
Capacity forming or capacity building is the process of developing and strengthening the
abilities, skills, instincts, resources, etc that the individuals/counsellors/organization
need to survive or grow in their professional field.
Capacity building is important because of its long term impact. Increased capacities
strengthen your confidence, skills, knowledge and resources. Counsellors need to build
their capacities to become better professionals and also to improve the quality of the life
their clients. There are many ways in which the counsellors can boost their skills and
expertise. Some of these are –
1) Work on your micro skills – Micro skills are constantly used in the
counselling process. Hence, you need to work on these skills to improve your
effectiveness as a counsellor.
2) Increase your professional effectiveness – become more organized and

efficient in your daily tasks. You have to also work on your time management
skills, emotional resilience, goal setting and planning skills.
3) Get a supervisor or mentor – a good supervisor or a mentor can guide you

and help you to improve your skills.
4) Learn continuously – keep yourself updated by attending seminars, workshops

etc. You may also learn new techniques which will help you.
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5) Care for yourself – this is a profession where there is a high chance of burnout
and stress. Understanding how stress and burnout affect is the starting point to
develop ways to deal with them. Also, you need to find a good work-life
balance.
6) Be knowledgeable – There are many models that are used in counselling.

Simply knowing about the theory is not enough and you should be able to
apply this knowledge with the various techniques, Knowing the benefits as
well as the disadvantages will help the counsellor to work out and develop
interventions that are suitable for the client.
7) Understand your clients – During the session with the clients, flexibility and
responsiveness in your communication are important. Each client is unique
with different mindsets and emotional states. Many a times, clients are
resistant to change, some of them may be involuntary, etc. The counsellors’
ability to adjust to the client’s needs dictate the outcome of the therapeutic
relationship.
8) Volunteer – Becoming a volunteer in a NGO or community sector is useful

and you may learn more about working as a counsellor in such organizations
as a counsellor. He gets an opportunity to apply various skills, techniques and
his knowledge in practice and also can get an experience working in a
community. This increases the confidence of the counsellor and also gives a
positive feeling about contributing to society.
2.8. ELICITING AND REFLECTING SKILLS

Eliciting and reflecting gives an opening to the client for a situation/thought having a deeper
meaning and also a deeper awareness regarding the different possibilities. Reflecting involves
directing the client to a different interpretation or reframing. The clients’ reflection of meaning
39
and the counsellors’ interpretation or reframing brings about more ideas with a new insight. The
clients are encouraged to explore their own meaning in more depth from their own perspective.
Eliciting focuses on the clients view and what motivates him.
Activity
1 Talk to a person about one of his or her experiences; either good or bad. Explain this
experience, including that persons feelings and perspective, to others using you own words..
2 Interview an individual and practice reflecting skills with him in the interview.

Multiple Choice Single Response –
1) __________ skills are the ability to convince and bring around a person to your view
point.
a) Communication
b) Influencing
c) Verbal
d) Reflecting
2) ________ Feedback focuses on behaviours/thoughts that might be hurting the client and
hindering his growth.
a) Corrective
b) Positive
c) Instant
d) Client
3) One of these is not an influencing skill –
a) Psycho-education
b) Self disclosure
c) Logical consequence
d) Capacity
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4) ________ is the process of developing and strengthening the abilities, skills, instincts,
resources, etc
a) Self awareness
b) Capacity building
c) Integrating
d) Counselling
5) Eliciting focuses on the clients view and what ______ him.

a) Disturbs
b) Helps
c) Motivates
d) influences
Summary
In this unit we have learnt the different micro skills that the counsellors use in detail. We have
also seen the different ways to improve these skills.
Keywords
 Attending behaviour - is giving your undivided attention to your client. Use of
appropriate body language and gestures help the counsellor to show that he is interested.
 Observational skill - allows the counsellor to identify discrepancies or inconsistencies in
the clients’ communication. This skill is used throughout the counselling interview.
 Active listening - is essential for the counsellor to develop a positive and healthy
interaction with the client. It is useful to fully understand the client and also the correct
emotion and its depth.
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 Reflective skills - ensure that you have understood the client properly, It helps the
counselling session by increasing the client's awareness of their emotions, thinking
patterns and behaviour.
 Integrative approach – is using more than one mode or therapy. It is a blend of different
theories and approaches formed to suit the needs of the client.
 Influencing skills - the ability to convince and bring around a person to your view point
or way of thinking. This is done without coercion or force and also acknowledging that
persons opinions.
 Logical Consequences – weighing the pros and cons. It is exploring the various
alternatives and the logical positive and negative consequence of each.
 Psycho-education – It is the process of providing information and educating those
seeking mental health services. It is a systematic and structured knowledge transfer.
 Capacity forming or capacity building - It is the process of developing and
strengthening the abilities, skills, instincts, resources, etc
 Eliciting and reflecting - gives an opening to the client for a situation/thought having a
deeper meaning and also a deeper awareness regarding the different possibilities.
1) Explain different ways to improve attending behaviour.

2) How to improve your communication skill?
3) Explain the do’s and don’t’s of active listening.
4) What are reflecting skills? Explain the different types and techniques.
5) What are different influencing skills? Explain.

1) open
2) media
3) discrepancies
4) Active listening
5) distress
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1) False
2) True
3) False
4) True
5) True

1) b) Influencing
2) a) Corrective
3) d) capacity
4) b) capacity building
5) c) motivates
Suggested Readings
1. Basic Counselling Skills – A Helper’s Manual. By Richard Nelson-Jones, Sage

Publication
2. The Skilled Helper – A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping – By Gerard Egan
3. Practical Approach to Counselling – By Margaret Hough, Pitman Publication
4. Counselling Psychology by Charles Gelso
5. Guidance and Counselling in Indian Education – By S.K. Gupta
6. Practical Approach to Counselling – By Margaret Hough
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Phases of Counselling Process
UNIT
Structure:
3.1. Introduction to Phases of Counselling Process

3
3.1.1. Assess the plan of action
3.1.2. Making an informed assessment
3.1.3. Establish mutually agreed upon goals and objectives
3.1.4. Implementation of the plan
3.1.5. An example of the above phases
3.2. Professional issues in Counselling sessions
3.2.1. Ethical Issues
3.2.2. Legal Issues
3.2.3. Counselling in diverse groups
Summary
Keywords
References
44
Objective:
 apprehend the different phases of counselling.

 explain the ethical and legal issues in counselling
 recognize counselling in diverse groups
3.1 INTRODUCTION TO PHASES OF COUNSELLING PROCESS
The counselling process is step wise and follows a general format. Sometimes, these steps may
not be rigidly followed in the same sequence or some steps may be revisited throughout the
process. But these stages give a guideline to follow so as to make the process more effective.
Broadly the phases of the counselling process are –
 Stage 1 – Initial Disclosure

 Stage 2 – In-depth exploration
 Commitment to action – goal setting
 Counselling Intervention
 Evaluation, Termination
The counselling process is a progressive movement forward towards the ultimate goals which
resolving the problem. It is a cooperative and collaborative process in which the counsellor and
the client work together.
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3.1.1 Assess the plan of action
Action planning is an ongoing activity that is seen through all the phases of counselling.
The four phases of action planning are –
 readiness in establishing the Working Alliance or relationship

 Exploration and assessment
 Evaluation, compromise and integration
 Commitment, action planning and follow through
Phase 1 of action planning is the clients’ entry into the counselling process; whether
initiated voluntarily or involuntarily - being sent to a counsellor. Approaching the counsellor is
seen as the initial Action Plan. The clients come to the counsellor with some idea of how the
counsellor will help them in their situation. In this primary stage, the plan of action is to create
acceptance and to lay the foundation for the relationship. The goals with which the client had
entered the counselling process have to be clarified in this phase and there should be a readiness
towards resolving the problems. Many clients have misconceptions about the counselling process
and these must be discussed here. Acceptance has to be created with an open discussion about
preconceptions and expectations of the client. This is critical for creating a Working Alliance.
Phase 2 of action planning - after the clarification of goals and establishing readiness, the client
proceeds to the phase of exploration and assessment of his personal and external domains. This
means that; here the client has to work on himself, reflect and do some homework assignments.
If there is a discrepancy in goals or lack of mutually agreed upon goals; then problems occur.
Such as - lack of efforts, absenteeism, or failure to complete the homework assignments. In this
case, the Counsellor has to return to Phase 1 of action planning and examine the goals again.
Problem with the clients’ commitment may also be because of the counselling strategies used.
Sometimes the clients goals may change during exploration and assessment stage. In all these
cases, a change of action plan has to be made.
Please 3 of Action Plan - in the phase, all the information that the counsellor has gathered has to
be evaluated, and then they have to move towards decision making. In this phase some hard
decisions have to be made. To facilitate this process some of these tips can be useful –
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 the client should be made aware that decisions have to be made
 the counsellor should summarize and discuss the clients’ readiness before going to the
next step
 the Counsellor has to give the client time to think about the various alternatives
Phase 4 of action planning – this phase requires well defined goals. Also, the clients’ readiness
has to be addressed. The client may need support.
3.1.2. Making an informed assessment
Assessment is a process by which counsellors gather data or information they need to form a
holistic view of the client and the problems / issues they are facing. The counsellor assesses his
clients throughout the counselling process; but especially in the early stages. Assessment can be
used a useful to help you better understand the client and also the scope of the problem. The
more information you have about the client; the better the counsellor is able to help him to
achieve the expected and successful outcome. Assessment is largely an objective activity. There
are many tools available for assessment - standardized test can also be used for assessment.
There are many different tests which can be used currently. Though crucial for assessment, they
are also controversial in nature. The use of test with culturally diverse clients is one of these
issues. Also, use of computers and technology is also a source of controversy. Computers are
used to administer, score and also interpret the results. Though easier for the counsellor; it is
debatable whether using such instruments is useful as compared with traditional methods.
An informed assessment happens when both, the counsellor and the client gather
information, explore and reflect on the information in order to find out what really is the
problem. For example, if a client comes to the Counsellor with the problem that her husband uses
physical violence, then that is not her problem. The real issue here is that she cannot make her
husband stop hitting her or resist him. On the information that has been gathered the counsellor
then can assess what needs to be done next in order to change the situation for the better – to
improve the clients’ coping skills to deal with the problematic situation is one of them.
The first step in making an assessment is to find out –
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 if change is necessary
 what needs to be done for changing
 for change to take place does the change have to be in behaviour or
attitude or situation etc.
A good assessment can help the client to see how their behaviour or attitude may be a
contributor to the situation. Assessment is an ongoing process and the counsellor has to
regular check-in to see how things are going. This helps to ensure that they are on the
right track.
3.1.3. Establish mutually agreed upon goals and objectives
After assessing the situation, the next step is to establish goals and objectives for
the counselling process. As it was mentioned earlier, that client already has some goals
and objective in his mind before coming to the counsellor. After in-depth exploration,
and some reflection and introspection, these goals may change.
It is important that the goals and objectives be mutually agreed upon. If the client agrees
to these goals, then he is more likely to take efforts to reach them. Also, if the client is
actively involved in the goal setting process, he is more likely to take responsibility of
trying to achieve the goals.
Goals are the end result of what is to be achieved and objectives are derived from the
overall goal. Hence, goals are broad statements that identify what is to be accomplished
while objectives should always be concrete and measurable. For example, if the client has
come with the problem of stress management then the goal would be to manage stress.
Objectives would be - that the client is able ou identify and recognize triggers that lead to
stress, relaxation techniques, mindfulness etc.
3.1.4. Implementation of the plan
The implementation plan is a plan that is the client with the counsellor works on. This
plan is designed to address unhealthy behaviour, attitude and practices; and also the
prevention of the occurrences. The implementation plan identifies the activities to be
48
done, how frequently will there be carried out and when. It also includes what skills or
techniques the client needs to develop. The implementation activities are designed to help
the client to rethink risky behaviour, unhealthy practices, work through problematic
situations or issues, learn new skills and build strengths. Implementation of activities can
also include training and education, supportive services, constructive use of time, crisis
intervention, etc.
3.1.5. An example of the above phases
Raj aged 45 years, recently experienced a minor heart attack. His doctor told him to reduce
his stress levels. Raj runs his own business which is prospering. A major portion of his
income goes to support his family, the maintenance of house and a weekend farmhouse, and
some old debts. Raj feels emotionally distanced from his family, though he knows they love
him. In therapy, Raj discusses his drive to achieve and readily accepts that he is something of
a perfectionist and a workaholic. He also uncovers an intense anxiety about letting down his
father who also had a successful business and Raj wanted to please him. For the short term,
the therapist teaches Raj meditation techniques and encourages him to explore other methods
of relaxation, such as a sport or hobby, on his own. Over the next two months, the therapist
helps Raj with the need to please his father. After several sessions, Raj begins to notice a
decrease in the amount of stress he experiences. He feels more relaxed and open around his
family, even after working long days. They begin to set aside more time to enjoy leisure
activities together.
In the above case, the initial goal of Raj was to reduce his stress. So according to this plan of
action, the objective was to learn relaxation techniques. After reducing the stress levels, the plan
to action was to deal with his need for approval from his father.

Multiple Choice Single Response –
1) Counselling stages give a guideline to follow so as to make the process more _________.
a) Complex
49
b) Simple
c) Executable
d) Effective
2) _________ has to be created with an open discussion about preconceptions and

expectations of the client.
a) Acceptance
b) Plan
c) Goal
d) Technique
3) ________ is a process by which counsellors gather data or information they need to form
a holistic view of the client and the problems
a) Testing
b) Planning
c) Assessment
d) Questioning
4) Objectives should always be concrete and __________ .

a) Meaningful
b) Simple
c) Complicated
d) Measurable
5) The ___________ plan identifies the activities to be done

a) Implementation
b) Action
c) Therapeutic
d) Relationship
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3.2. PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN COUNSELLING SESSIONS
3.2.1. Ethical Issues
Ethics are the moral principles that govern an individual’s behaviour. Ethics are
concerned with what is good for the individual and society. The term ethics is derived
from the Greek word ethos which can mean custom, habit, character or disposition.
Professional ethics are principles that govern the behaviour of a person in a professional
environment.. Professional ethics provide rules on how a person should act towards other
people and institutions.
Ethical Issues in counselling are in the following areas –
 Maintaining boundaries
 Maintaining confidentiality
 Respecting client differences
 Getting the authorities involved
 Personal problems
 Maintain their role
 Professional ability
 Maintaining therapy
The code of ethics for counselling and psychotherapy, is uniform for all counsellors, trainers,
psychotherapists, etc. It is a guide for the practice of counselling and psychotherapy. Being
ethical, mindful and willing to be accountable for; are essential requirements of the counsellor.
Ethical diversity and support to the counsellor / practitioner being responsive to the differences
in the abilities, needs and culture of the client is done by the code of ethics. Also taking into
account the various different settings and specializations; the ethical code considers the values,
principles and personal moral qualities.
Professional values are becoming an increasingly significant way of expressing the counsellors’
ethical commitment. The fundamental values of counselling and psychotherapy include a
commitment to –
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 Respect of human rights and dignity
 protecting the safety of the client
 ensuring the integrity of the therapeutic relationship
 decreasing personal distress and suffering
 nurturing and fostering a sense of self that is meaningful
 enhancing the quality of professional knowledge
 increasing personal effectiveness
 appreciating the different human experiences and culture
 be fair
These values represent the principles which express the general ethical commitment. The
commitment becomes more precise and action oriented when it is expressed as a principle.
Principles direct the attention to important ethical responsibilities. But, many a times, it is
impossible to take into account all the principles and hence choosing between them is required.
A decision or course of action does not necessarily become unethical just because others would
have reached a different conclusion. The counsellors’ job is to consider all the relevant
circumstances with care and to be appropriately accountable for decisions made. The ethical
principles are –
1) Being Trustworthy – is fundamental principle.

2) Autonomy - respect the client’s right for self-governing.
3) Beneficence –a commitment to promote clients’ well bring
4) Non-maleficence – a commitment to avoid harm to the client.
5) Justice –fair and impartial treatment to all clients.
The challenge of working ethically is that practitioners; may come across situations where there
are competing obligations. In such situations, it is tempting to retreat from all ethical analysis in
order to escape irresolvable ethical tension. These ethics are intended to be of assistance in such
circumstances by directing attention to the variety of ethical factors that may need to be taken
into consideration and to alternative ways of approaching ethics that may prove more useful. No
statement of ethics can totally alleviate the difficulty of making professional judgments in
circumstances that may be constantly changing and full of uncertainties.
52
A set of ethical guidelines promote respect, dignity and just treatment within the therapeutic
relationship. The code of ethics can assist the counsellor by offering a detailed set of protocols to
help them guide their course of action. These are –
 The counselling relationship – Counsellor must keep the welfare of the client in
mind and must establish boundaries that make the therapeutic relationship clear.
This means that the client has to understand the counselling process and must
have clearly established counselling goals. Record should also be accurate and
maintained timely.
 Confidentiality and privacy – counsellors need to safe guard the rights and
privacy of their clients. Trust is the foundation of the counselling relationship.
The client should be made aware if any information about them has to be shared
with others outside the counselling relationship. Only that behaviour that indicate
the potential for self harm or harm to others are required to be disclosed. Also, if
sessions are to be recorded and observed then the counsellor must first get the
permission of the client
 Professional responsibility – the counsellor has to use techniques and strategies
that are researched and accepted. The Counselling Association encourages
counsellors to do social work as part of the professional activity. Continued
education and maintaining awareness of the changing practices and procedures in
the field are important.
Some tips for Acting Ethically –
 Act with personal and professional honesty

 Act in the best interest of clients
 Act without malice or personal gain
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3.2.2. Legal Issues
It is the duty of the counsellor to protect the client and others from harm. The counsellor
cannot be legally bound to confidentiality about a crime. The counsellor can breach
confidence, in good faith, in order to help the prevention and detection of a crime.
However, there is no general duty to report crime except in specific circumstances.
Legal Issues involved when counselling minors –
 Parental consent
 Limitation of confidentiality
 Allowing access of records to parents
Legal limitations to confidentiality –
 When the client discloses a criminal act.

 When the client discloses an act of terrorism.
 When the judge in court makes a legal order to release the client record.
3.2.3. Counselling in diverse groups
In today’s world of increasing diversity, it is necessary that the counsellor

becomes familiar with the concept of counselling the culturally different. Multicultural
counselling practice offers effective interventions to culturally diverse clients. Race, ethnicity
and culture influence an individual's identity and life circumstances. Other factors such as
gender, sexual orientation, age, socio economic status and abilities may also play a role in the
client's mental health, his relationships or personal issues. The Counsellor has to consider all
aspects of the clients’ world views when selecting treatment approaches and techniques. The
Counsellor must also be aware of his own biases, beliefs and attitudes.
Clients from diverse backgrounds seek counselling, because of increasing globalization and a
decline in in the stigma of visiting the counsellor. Counsellors must have a multicultural
perspective, an understanding in racial identity and a proper training to work with clients who
lead their life differently from their own.
54
A counsellor may consider the following techniques, when he is working with culturally diverse
clients –
1) Therapeutic relationship – counsellors must be knowledgeable attitudes and beliefs
before selecting intervention. Counsellor must also be aware of the social stigma
regarding mental health.
2) Communication – counsellors must be aware of the societal figures of speech and phrases
that trigger ethnic groups. Cultural contexts as well as culture specific verbal and non
verbal communication have to be considered during the interaction with clients.
3) Values – culturally diverse clients have different values and beliefs. Cultural beliefs like
spirituality and family values can be used as therapy to promote good health and healing.
4) Self awareness – counsellors must be aware of their own racial or cultural identity. These
also impact the perception of the client.
5) Flexibility – if the counsellor has limitations in his own cultural expertise, they must seek
culture specific guidance or refer the client to a professional with more competence.
To be a therapist or counsellor skilled at multicultural counselling is an ongoing process. It

takes training, education, and experience to become culturally competent, and multicultural
counsellors are always learning and adapting their methodologies to include new thinking
and therapeutic strategies.
Check your Progress 2

Fill in the Blanks
1) _________ are concerned with what is good for the individual and society.
2) Being ethical, mindful and willing to be _______ for; are essential requirements of the
counsellor.
3) A set of ethical guidelines promote respect, _________ and just treatment within the
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4) The counsellor cannot be legally bound to confidentiality about a_________ .
5) Cultural beliefs like spirituality and family values can be used as _______ to promote
good health and healing.
1) What are the different phases of the counselling process?

2) What do you understand by plan of action?
3) What is assessment? Explain.
4) What are goals and objective? Explain with example.
5) What are the ethical and legal issues? What are the code of ethics for working as a
professional counsellor?
Keywords
 Counselling Phases - a guideline to follow so as to make the process more effective.

 Action planning - is an ongoing activity about what is to be done and is seen through all
the phases of counselling.
 Assessment - a process by which counsellors gather data or information they need to
form a holistic view of the client and the problems / issues they are facing.
 Goals - are the end result of what is to be achieved.
 Objectives - are derived from the overall goal.
 Implementation plan - is designed to address unhealthy behaviour, attitude and
practices; and also the prevention of the occurrences.
 Ethics - are the moral principles that govern an individual’s behaviour.
56
Summary
In this unit, we have seen what are the phases of the counselling process. Though some of the
stages are revisited, they give us a format or guideline to be followed. We have also seen the
ethical and the legal issues that the counsellor faces when working as a professional.
Answers to Check Your Progress

Answers to Check Your Progress 1
1) d) effective
2) a) acceptance
3) c) assessment
4) d) measurable
5) a) implementation
Answers to Check Your Progress 2

1) Ethics
2) Accountable
3) Dignity
4) Crime
5) Therapy
Suggested Readings

Publication
2. The Skilled Helper – A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping – By Gerard
Egan
57
Follow Up Sessions
UNIT
Structure: 4
4.1. Counselee’s Feedback
4.2. Arrangements of Supports
4.3. Validation to Progress
4.4. Next (future) Steps
Summary
Keywords
References
58
Objective:
 Explain the concept of feedback.

 Identify the different ways of supporting a client.
 Describe the meaning of validation and ways of validation
 Organize the stages of counselling
4.1 COUNSELEE’S FEEDBACK
Feedback is nothing but a reaction or a response that occurs because of a task or process
and that response can be used as a basis of improvement. The counsellor’s level of effectiveness
can be checked through the client’s feedback.
In the professional practice, counsellors rely on their clinical judgment and their own
interpretations and assumptions about the therapeutic relationship and the client’s progress. To
help the client’s to achieve positive outcome, clinical knowledge and research are used. Though
clinical judgment is important, the counsellors’ view about the counselling relationship and
client’s progress is often different from the client’s views. The counsellor’s views do not match
with the client’s.
The client’s perceptions of the therapeutic relation are a better predictor of outcome than the
counsellor perceptions. Hence, continuous feedback from the client is needed. Considering and
integrating the client feedback in the counselling process can help the counsellor to check their
interpretations, hence increasing their effectiveness. This method of reviewing the client’s
perception of the therapeutic relationship and the outcome is systematic and is called as
Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT).
Collecting feedback from the client underlines the following counselling tenets –
 Understanding the client’s experiences.
 Cultivating the relationship quality.
 Supporting the client’s abilities
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 Goal Setting and helping them to achieve them.
 Working with the client to achieve a positive outcome.
All the above tenets are evaluated continuously by the counsellor. This is done informally. But,
the clients and counsellor both benefit if there is a formal feedback. Research and findings have
revealed that 90% of the counsellors have improved their outcome with the client after
integrating formal client feedback with their judgment. The aim of feedback is to open a dialogue
and put clients in the driver’s seat to express their experience about the therapeutic relationship
and whether progress is being made. This in turn enables the counsellor and client to work
collaboratively to make adjustments and individualize the sessions and the counselling process.
Feedback can be received in two ways – formal and informal. Informal feedback can be
received orally throughout the counselling session. Formal feedback can be received through use
of tools. Eg – forms.

Fill in the blanks
1) _________ can be used as a basis of improvement.

2) The counsellors level of _______ can be checked through the client’s feedback.
3) The client’s perceptions of the therapeutic relation are a better predictor of
_________.
4) The method of reviewing the client’s perception of the therapeutic relationship and
the outcome is called as _______________
5) Formal feedback can be received through use of ________.
4.2. ARRANGEMENTS OF SUPPORTS
Counselling helps you to deal with and overcome problems and issues that cause you emotional
distress, discomfort, etc. It provides a safe space for you to talk about and explore difficult
situations or emotions. The counsellor helps you to find your own insight and understand your
problems. He does not generally advice you. He is there to support you and respects you.
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Support helps the client to integrate experience and move towards change. Most often
individuals coming for counselling or therapy lack the support needed to face everyday
problems. This support is both needed and desirable for the situation in which they find
themselves in. The lack of essential support; is experienced as anxiety. Support available for
each individual is different. The therapists, especially those who practice person-centered
approach, cultivate the growth of support by the application of self to the situation. This is by
accepting the client at the place they are in; rather than pushing them in the direction that may
seem preferable or desirable. When a client feels supported in the session, then deeper
exploration or introspection can start.
At the start of the counselling process, the support may be available only during the session.
Other aspects of support can be introduced later on by widening the field, integrating new
awareness and changing patterns. It is essential that all support networks remain in place for the
client as well as for the therapist.
Ways in which the counsellors can support the clients –
 Make sure the focus is on the client.
 Don’t be pushy
 Confidentiality
 Ask for clarification when needed
 Structure and plan the session
There are some techniques known as supportive techniques which can be used for support,
comfort and guidance to the client. These techniques are non-specific and are directed towards
reducing the client's distress. They do not specifically address the problems or the psychological
and behavioural causes of the situation. Supportive techniques can be used anytime during the
counselling process, but most commonly, they are used during the early phases of therapy.
During the later phases of therapy; more specific techniques may be required. Some of these
supportive techniques are –
1) Ventilation - means allowing the client to speak about his problem without any
restrictions or inhibition. Ventilation is important in therapy. The importance of allowing
the client to talk are –
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 It provides the counsellor an opportunity to learn about the client and his problems. This
helps in understanding the client better.
 It provides the client with an opportunity to speak. It is very likely that before entering
therapy the client has really never got a chance to talk about him or his problems.
Ventilation enables the client to get it “off his chest” during the initial stages of counselling.
 Client talks about himself and his problems, he has a sense of relief because he feels that his
problems are no longer his alone; but are shared with the counsellor.
 When the client puts his feelings into words and communicate them, he sees his problem
more objectively. He is then more likely to think of solutions for the problem.
2) Catharsis - is letting off steam. Catharsis refers to the mixed or confused expression of
emotions. This may often take the form of tears, or may include expressions of anger or
rage. Catharsis can be useful at any stage during therapy, but is more helpful during the
early phases. Most people feel better after expressing themselves like this, the release of
pent up emotions in itself can be therapeutic.
3) Environmental manipulation - Sometimes there is some aspect of the client environment
which may be contributing to the problem situation. Making a change in the environment
can be helpful. For example, a couple who are constantly fighting, would be advised to
go on a short holiday. Being away from the daily stresses, they could spend quality time
with each other.
4) Externalization of interests - individuals who see counselling, are frequently
overwhelmed by their problems. These problems with their dysfunctional reactions
dominate their lives. It helps the client to take his mind off of these problems for a short
while. Externalization of interest helps to divert the clients’ attention and his mind
through the pursuit of some activity or interest. This is especially useful for clients who
are experiencing genuine but extreme stresses with so solutions. For example, a client
whose family member is sick or bedridden could be encouraged to take up a hobby that
will engage his interest and take his mind off from the illness for a short while.
5) Utilization of social support - many a times, people in distress can benefit from their
social networks. Increased socialization provides them with an outlet for suppressed
feelings and also offers much needed emotional support. Similarly, self help groups can
also be helpful. Eg – alcoholics can join A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous), their partners
and family members can join Al-Anon.
62
6) Physical exercise is well known not only as a promoter of physical health but also mental
health. Exercise stimulates the release of beneficial chemicals in the body.
7) Meditation and other forms of relaxation can benefit individuals who are anxious,
stressed, etc.
The client may need help or support from other professionals and arrangements for the same can
be done for the support that is needed. For example –
 a client has financial difficulties or legal difficulties, help or support from the
professional in that area is required.
 A client who has a mental health issue and needs medication, has to be referred to a
psychiatrist.
 If the client is facing issues which are not within your area of expertise then alternative
source of support is needed. For example if the client has a problem of substance misuse
or addiction, then he would need an expert in that area.

Multiple Choice Single Response
1) Support helps the client to integrate experience and move towards _______ .
a) Counselling
b) Support
c) Conflict
d) Change
2) When a client feels ________ in the session, then deeper exploration or introspection
can start.
a) Supported
b) Questioned
c) Sympathy
d) Aware
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3) One of these is not a supportive technique –
a) Ventilation
b) Catharsis
c) Exercise
d) Challenging
4) Externalization of __________ helps to divert the clients’ attention and his mind
through the pursuit of some activity or interest.
a) Feelings
b) Interest
c) Energy
d) Expectations
5) Exercise stimulates the release of beneficial _________ in the body.
a) Thoughts
b) Wishes
c) Chemicals
d) Molecules
4.3. VALIDATION TO PROGRESS
Validating is nothing but recognizing or affirming that a person or his feelings or opinions are
valid, acceptable or worthwhile. It is also to prove or confirm the accuracy of something. To
validate someone’s feelings or opinions, you need to be open and curious. The next step is to
understand and then to nurture them. To validate does not mean that you have to agree with
them. Validation is about learning and understanding the other person and his feelings, and
accepting that person’s experience. When we validate someone, we allow them to share their
feelings and thoughts. Emotional distress when expressed, acknowledged and validated is
lessened. Painful feelings when ignored will intensify and strengthen.
Validation means that you understand the person, where he comes from, even if you do not agree
with his opinions or feelings. Recognizing that; someone’s thoughts and opinions make sense,
mean that you are listening non-judgmentally. The process of validation strengthens the
64
therapeutic alliance during therapy. The therapist’s understanding and acceptance are vital
aspects of the therapeutic process which encourages growth. Confidence in such a trustworthy
relationship supports the client as they explore and attempt the tasks that lead to therapeutic
change and growth.
Validation supports the counselling process in one or more of the following ways –
 Improving relationships.
 Reducing the intensity of emotions.
 Reducing the intensity of conflicts.
 Communicating that the clients is being heard, understood and not being labeled
or judged.
 Disagreeing with the client when appropriate, but without causing conflict.
Simple things that are done for validation are –

 Acknowledge the other person’s feelings
 Identify the feelings and label them correctly
 Help the other person do the same.
 Actively listen
 Acceptance and being non-judgmental
 Be patient
Invalidation is one of the major reasons for mental health problems. The people who are
invalidated, learn from that their opinions, feelings about things, their interpretation about
situations are either wrong, bad or unacceptable. .
Validation involves both empathetic understanding and communication. Only empathy will not
work because what is heard and interpreted must be communicated. The counsellors support
helps those facing issues and stressors by improving their degree of self-confidence and self-
esteem, reducing psychological distress. Consider the following to check your validation skills –
 Are you actively listening?
 Are you mindful in your verbal and non-verbal reactions?
 Can you sum up what you have heard in a word?
 Do you show tolerance?
 Can you reflect bank without judgment?
 Do you respond in a way that shows that you are taking the person seriously?
65
Clients can also use this process for self validation and self respect. Self validation can be
improved by asking these questions –
 Consider these self validating statement and whether you have said any of these in
the past week/month –
1) I admitted that it is hard if someone invalidated me, even I they are
right.
2) I remind myself that there is a cause for all behaviour and I am doing
my best.
3) I was compassionate to myself
4) I acknowledged that my reactions made sense and they are valid in this
context.
 If you have asked any of these to yourself ; what was the outcome?
 What worked? Or did not? What could you do differently?
Activity
1) Activity for self validation –
 have you said any of the self validating statements in the past
week/month?
 If you have asked any of these to yourself ; what was the outcome?
 What worked? Or did not? What could you do differently?
2) Have your received negative feedback? What was your response to it?
4.4. NEXT (FUTURE) STEPS

Counselling is a process in which the counsellor helps the client understand the causes for his
problems and guides him through the process of learning to make good decisions. The
counselling process is broadly divided into –
 Identify the need of counselling
 preparation for counselling
 conduct counselling and
 follow up
66
The counselling process does not end with the counselling sessions. It includes setting of goals,
implementation of the plan of action and evaluation of the results. Even after counselling, the
counsellor must support the client through the implementation process. Support may include
teaching, coaching or providing time and resources. The Counsellor needs to observe and assess
this process. Appropriate measures after counselling include follow up, making referrals and
taking corrective measures.
Maintenance and aftercare a very important stages in the process. The Counsellor and the client
need to identify the possible trigger points or conflicting issues that exist and which may cause a
relapse or create problem situations again. For example, for an addict, at this stage has to develop
strong commitment to establish positive reinforcement. Sustaining the change that has been
made during the action stage has to be maintained. There are some thoughts, behaviour or
feelings that the client may wish would never return. However, many believe that it is not
possible to completely remove certain behaviour, thoughts or feelings. The ultimate goal in the
after-care or the next stage is to ensure that the client understands that for some type of
behaviour he may require a lifetime of support and maintenance. This understanding will
increase the chances for a more healthy and happy life. The doors are always open for new
learning sessions.
The follow-up session is used to discuss and manage any problems or the side effects related to
the action plan. This session also gives the counsellor an opportunity to encourage the client to
use and follow the action plan unless problems exist. This session also gives the counsellor an
opportunity to find out whether the client has other concerns or questions

State True or False
1) Validation means that you understand the person, where he comes from, and you agree
with his opinions or feelings.
2) The process of validation strengthens the therapeutic alliance during therapy.
3) The people who are validated, learn from that their opinions, feelings about things, their
interpretation about situations are either wrong, bad or unacceptable. .
67
4) The Counsellor and the client need to identify the possible trigger points or conflicting
issues that exist and which may cause a relapse or create problem situations again.
5) The follow-up session is used to discuss and manage any problems or the side effects
related to the action plan.
Summary
In this unit, we have learnt that feedback is a response to a process or task. The feedback is very
useful to the counsellor to check the progress of the counselling process. Feedback can be used
as a basis of improvement. Feedback can be formal or informal. Informal feedback can be
received verbally through out the sessions.
Different experts / resources can be used to support the client. When the client has support then
deeper introspection and exploration can start. Some supportive techniques can also be used.
These are – ventilation, catharsis, externalizing the interest, environmental manipulation, etc.
Validating is recognizing or affirming that a person or his feelings or opinions are valid,
acceptable or worthwhile. It is also to prove or confirm the accuracy of something. To validate
someone’s feelings or opinions, you need to be open and curious. To validate does not mean that
you have to agree with them. Validation is about learning and understanding the other person and
his feelings, and accepting that person’s experience.
Key Words
 Feedback - is a reaction or a response that occurs because of a task or process and that
response can be used as a basis of improvement.
 Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) – a systematic reviewing the client’s perception
of the therapeutic relationship
 Ventilation - means allowing the client to speak about his problem without any
restrictions or inhibition.
 Catharsis - refers to the mixed or confused expression of emotions.
68
 Validating - recognizing or affirming that a person or his feelings or opinions are valid,
acceptable or worthwhile.
1) What is feedback? How does it help?

2) What are the types of feedback?
3) What are the ways in which a counsellor can support the client?
4) Explain the supportive techniques.
5) What is validation? How does it support the counselling process?
Answers to Check Your Progress

1) Feedback
2) Effectiveness
3) Outcome
4) Feedback Informed Treatment
5) Tools

1) d) change
2) a) supported
3) d) Challenging
4) b) Interest
5) c) chemicals

1) False
2) True
3) False
4) True
5) True
69
Suggested Readings

Publication
2. The Skilled Helper – A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping – By Gerard
Egan
70
Parental Counselling
UNIT
5
Structure:
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Meaning and definition of Parental Counselling
5.3 Importance of Parental Counselling
5.4 Need of Parental Counselling
5.5 Challenges in Parental Counselling
5.6 Counselling Parents of Normal Children
5.7 Counselling Parents of Negatively Exceptional Children
5.8 Counselling Parents of Positively Exceptional Children
5.9 Skills required for parental counselling
5.10 Case studies
Summary
Keywords
References
Objective:
71
 explain the meaning of parental counselling.
 state importance of parental counselling.
 identify people who need parental counselling.
5.1 INTRODUCTION
Parental counselling is the most important activity from the point of view of welfare of the
children. Whatever psychological support, cognitive stimulation and other facilities are to be
provided to children for their proper development and growth depend on parental understanding
and capacity. Parents are the ones who decide almost every thing about which habits the child
will develop and what perspective he will have about various experiences in human life as well
as what type of values he will acquire. In a way, parents decide whole future of the child. They
are responsible for everything that happens to the child. They are the ones who are taking care of
the child right from the beginning and have lot of involvement in welfare of the child. If anything
from home environment needs any change or any intervention program is to be introduced, then
the parents need to take the responsibility of the same. Hence, when it comes to children’s future
planning and all sided development, we have to involve the parents and get their cooperation.
Implications of understanding developed in counsellor’s room are to be practiced by parents
without which the whole process of counselling becomes worthless.
Parents generally believe that whatever they do—good, bad, or ugly—is in the best interests of
their children. Of course, they are bound to think this way because parenting is a job that no one
prepared us for. However, it is sometimes in our children's best interests to seek help from
specialists or parenting counselling experts, particularly when the problem or circumstance at
hand is something that cannot be resolved only via parent’s words. Someone must provide
parents with the necessary information to deal with the issue, or intervene to reduce the stress.In
these situations, the persons who will assist parents are licenced specialists with vast experience
in the field of parent and child therapy. When parents approach a counsellor pertaining to
parenting and counsellor counsels them in this regard it is known as parental counselling.
Now we shall learn parental counselling in more detail.
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5.2 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF PARENTAL COUNSELLING
We shall try to understand meaning of parental counselling with the help of following definitions
-
Parental counselling can be defined as an invaluable service that offers parents unbiased
guidance and support; helping parents understand and identify the needs of every individual in
their family and better look after the well-being of their family unit.
A service that aims to provide parents with knowledge, guidance, tools, and emotional support,
all without judgment or bias, parent counselling focuses on how one as the parent affects the
dynamics of your family can also be defined as parental counselling. (Parent counselling - what
is it, who needs it, will it help my family? 2020)
Considering above definitions, broader meaning of parental counselling is -
Parental counselling is a service offered to parents which provides knowledge, unbiased
guidance, emotional support and tools which shall help parents to identify and understand needs
of their family members; realize the effect of parents on family dynamics with an ultimate
objective to look better to their family.
Check your progress 1

Fill in the blanks
1) Parental counselling can be defined as an invaluable service that offers parents
_________ guidance and support.
2) Parent counselling focuses on how one as the parent affects the dynamics of _____.
State whether the statement is true or false

1) Parental counselling is a service offered to parents which provides only knowledge to
parents _______ (False)
2) Parental counselling helps parents to understand and identify the needs of every
individual in their family and better look after the well-being of their family unit.
_______(True)
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5.3 IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL COUNSELLING
Importance of acceptance, affection and balanced discipline in parents’ interaction with the child
cannot be underestimated at any point of any developmental stage. Understanding the child’s
needs, problems and creating conducive environment for development of child’s potentials are
the primary responsibility of the parents. Whether the child is normal, above average or below
average they have to be with him emotionally and should try to every thing to him more
competent and enhance his self-reliance. Following are the important points to be considered.
1) Counsellor advices various methods to deal with child behaviour -
Each and every child is unique in their personalities, there is no one common plan as far as child-
rearing is concerned. This might create confusion in parents and make them feel overwhelmed.
In such a case the best option is to turn to Mental health professionals and child psychologists
who counsel parents and convince them that there is no specific remedy for particular behaviours
and difficult situations, and they need to keep trying different methods to get their child to
behave responsibly.
2) Counsellor helps parents in dealing with their differently abled child -
If the child is mentally or physically challenged, the situation might grow more difficult for one
or both parents, potentially resulting in a breach between them. At this point, parents require
counselling not just on how to properly care for their child, but also on how to cope with their
own life while caring for their challenging child. When parents first realise their child is not
typical and has physical or mental impairments, they experience a wide range of emotional and
psychological challenges. The parents' ongoing counselling is critical at this period as they learn
to manage with their own psychological inadequacies, guilt, and stress.Parents become estranged
from one another and fail to communicate effectively, providing mixed messages to an already
troubled child. As a result, experts stress the importance of a mutually agreeable adjustment plan
as well as consistent parenting, which will make it easier for the child to adapt positively with the
outside world.
74
3) Counsellor help parents to create pleasant environment and neutral attitude for
their children-
Children tend to imitate their parents and the beliefs that are expressed in the home; as a result,
the use of strong language or disparaging remarks about different ethnic groups or religions must
be used with utmost caution, as children will absorb whatever their parents say. Therapists
encourage parents to raise their children in pleasant environments with a neutral attitude toward
all people of all genders so that the next generation will be more accepting.
4) Counsellor help parents to face situation when their children leave home -
Children will grow up and leave home one day. Parents who are overly protective of their
children may need to be counselled to let go and equip them with adequate independence and
fundamental skills throughout their early years so that they are not left out on a limb when it
comes time to leave the nest. (Importance of parental counselling)
5) Counselling helps parents to be closer to their child
Parents are aware that pre-teen and adolescent years are the most chaotic times in anyone's life.
Child will generally keep parents at arm's length and in the dark throughout this stage, especially
if parents aren't really that close. Even if parents are close, their child will take the time to let
parents know what is wrong. Parents would want to be there for their children at all times, both
good and bad, if they are good parents. Parents should pay close attention to what their child is
saying. Assure him or her that no matter what happens, you will always be there for them. For
occasions like this, counsellors will give the appropriate things to say and when to say them.
They are well-versed in what to do in the event of such an occurrence, having gained this
information through years of study and field practise.
6) Counselling will help parents detect serious behavioural issues in children.
When a child skips school, exhibits rebellious behaviour at school, causing difficulties for others
and posing a danger to himself or herself? Then it's critical that parents should seek professional
75
assistance. Parents can tell what's going on at home, and can anticipate the counsellors to create a
profile for their son or daughter based on how he or she acts. By doing so, parents and the
counsellor can devise a strategy for shutting down, or at the very least minimising, the trait he or
she is displaying. Getting a counsellor can also be helpful since they can detect serious
behavioural issues that are anchored on mental health problems. Is there a possibility that a child
has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism? These are disorders that parents themselves
would have a hard time telling, but the counsellor, through sessions and observations, would
know. Early diagnosis is important so we can prevent it soon before it gets worse.
7) Counselling will help parents correct your own behaviour
We are all human beings. As humans, we are prone to making errors. We might also be blind to
our own acts and behaviours as humans. Who knows, maybe parents have been assuming their
child is doing anything wrong when, in fact, they are the one to blame for their child's conduct.
It's critical to have someone parents can talk to who can retain impartiality and neutrality. Before
providing a recommendation, counsellors are taught to consider all sides of the situation. They
are paid to assist parents; to fix their parenting faults, and to assist parents in becoming a better
person in general. They aren't compensated to speak to you in sugar coated sweet words. They
aren't always taught to take their parents ' side. They've been taught to consider all possible
consequences before making a decision.
8) Counselling will help parents when they no longer know what to do
Sure, whether we admit it or not, the time will come when, no matter how hard parents try, they
do not know how to proceed. They ask themselves, Do I talk to my husband about this or do I
confront my son? Will my son respect me if I grounded him? Is it okay to go to my child’s
school and scold whoever is bullying him or her?
Counsellors feel the parents' situation. Parents feel inadequate sometimes. But for fear that their
actions will be interpreted in the wrong way, it is best if they seek recommendations from the
people who have spent their lives helping others who are in the same boat. Admission of
inadequacy is difficult, but to become better parents, parents must recognize that some things are
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just out of our control. In such situations seek parental counselling. (Mitchell, 4 important
benefits parents can get From counselling - 2016)
Check your progress - 2
State whether the statement is true or false

1) Each and every child is unique in their personalities, there is no one common plan
as far as child-rearing is concerned. (True)
2) Even if parents are close, their child will take the time to let parents know what is
wrong.(True)
Multiple choice questions

1) As humans, we are prone to -
a) do things with perfection. b) making errors c) be always right. d) work
systematically.
2) Children tend to imitate their _________ and the beliefs that are expressed in the home.
a) friends b) maid servant c)relatives d) parents
5.4 NEED OF PARENTAL COUNSELLING
Parental counselling is need of any parent who is

1) Going through Marital Problems
Issues like financial crisis, infidelity or any marital problems in the family imparts a huge
impact on children, therefore it is very necessary to resolve such issues as soon as
possible before children form wrong perceptions about love and marriage.
2) Suffering with Health related issues
Sometimes due to health related issues inclusive of both physical and mental health
problems, parents are unable to fully present with their family and at times also prevent
them from fulfilling their parental duties and responsibilities.
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3) Is in process of separating or getting divorced
Newly separated or divorced parents face a new challenge i.e. being single parent taking
responsibility for the child. Separation or divorce affects children in the same proportion
as it affects parents. Parents who are in the process of separation or divorce need to
critically balance and channelize the emotions of their child so as to acclimatize to new
change.
4) Experiencing Abuse Or Violence
Parents experiencing any sort of abuse or violence can result in a fearful, tense and
aggressive environment in the family causing a negative impact on the child.
5) Dealing With Loss
Any type of loss such as loss of job or family member in any form disturbs children as
much as parent, sometimes even more than parent if parents are unable to cope up with
loss and deliver their responsibilities and duties towards family.
6) Abusing Alcohol or Drugs

Substance abuse affects millions of parents globally. It also results in physical and
mental health related problems which further inhibits their parenting ability.
7) Struggling With Children/Teen Problems
At times a child is the reason behind stress and issues in family particularly when it
comes to teenagers who change drastically within a short span of time. Parents are
generally worried about substance abuse, while teens are most concerned about mental
health and bullying. Parental counselling helps to improve communication between child
and parent as such that the child can freely express his/her need of parents to resolve any
type of problem without hesitation. (Parent counselling - what is it, who needs it, will it
help my family? 2020)
8) Whose children are refusing to follow instructions -
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Parents whose children have become stubborn and are refusing to follow parental
instructions can opt for parental counselling so as to calm down their child's stubbornness
by applying various techniques as suggested by the counsellor.
9) Who are struggling to implement routines -
Sometimes due to change in job or its nature, shift duties in job, work from home or
health issues disturb the daily routine of the family. Parents start feeling guilty that they
are unable to cater their child’s needs because they are not able to maintain the daily
routine of their family. Parental counselling can help them in such situations. (Parent
counselling)

Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to the problems which need
parental counselling.
Financial crisis, workplace politics, unsatisfactory sexual relationship between couples,
separation or divorce, struggle to implement daily routine.
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5.5 CHALLENGES IN PARENTAL COUNSELLING
Many counsellors are both terrified and frustrated at the thought of working with parents.
Sometimes counsellors also have some unfavourable attitudes about parents, which hampered
their ability to work effectively with them.
Parents may be made to relive traumatic memories or issues, just as they would in any
counselling session. It's possible that they'll be hesitant to reveal them at first. Some people may
experience panic attacks or sadness.
Others may get dissatisfied or despairing as a result of the counselling programmes' failure to
provide rapid effects. These feelings may lead individuals to abandon the programme, lose faith
in the counsellor, or fail to take the programme or therapy seriously. (DocDoc, Transforming
healthcare, empowering lives.)
Activity -1
Interview a parent counsellor in your vicinity to know challenges faced by them while
counselling parents and prepare a report on it.
5.6 COUNSELLING PARENTS OF NORMAL CHILDREN
We have already seen that most of the problem children are products of problem homes and
problem parents. If parent child relations are not satisfactory, harmonious development of
children gets hampered. It can be obviously proved that many parents are unaware of the fact
that they are doing some harm to their children. Parental counselling is aimed at helping parents
to become sensitive to possible adverse effects of their behaviour on children. By helping the
parents gain better understanding of themselves and their own personalities, much harmony can
be achieved.
Focus of parental counselling is basically parent child relationship. Parents are deeply concerned
about wellbeing of their children and are afraid of the possibility that if they are left to
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themselves they may harm themselves or take some wrong decisions. Hence, they become
overprotective. It is a tug of war between dependence and independence. By and large
overprotection is resented by children. Parents are tempted to all the important decisions on
behalf of their children thinking that they know what is best for their children.
On the other hand, children have their own ideas. This results in clash of ideas and plans
especially regarding educational and vocational decisions. This leads to disturbing human
relations. Parental counselling is one of the best services to solve such problems. There are many
problems that the counsellor faces while parental counselling. First is most common that is
parents want to hide some information about their relationship with offspring. They generally
give socially acceptable answers to questions and create an impression that they are the best
parents and they are doing everything or their child. This is in a way manipulation of impression
that they are creating. Second very frequently seen among parents is they try and justify their
own acts and decisions. They are reluctant to accept their own mistakes and blame either the
child or someone else for that. The counsellor should help them to understand importance of
accepting facts and various perspectives of interpreting them. No one can claim that he has
understood the ultimate truth as our interpretation of anything depends on partial perception of
the environmental cues. We have to accept that someone else may have different perception and
that his understanding also may be correct.
Understanding developmental stages and individual differences essentially seen in that becomes
a must for parents. Otherwise, they will unnecessarily worry about child’s development and may
nag the child for not achieving something, which others of the same age can achieve. Knowledge
of special characteristics of a particular developmental stage makes it clear to their mind as to
what to expect and when to expect that.
Many parents depend on the traditional concept of parenthood and think that control is
essentially the only effective strategy for child rearing. Some are having tendencies like fault
finding and nagging. This itself leads to many emotional problems in children. One more thing is
parents’ perspective is different than that of teachers and parents fail to see that the problems of
their children’s behaviour as teachers can. The counsellor has to help them for this objective
evaluation. Many of them feel embarrassed or even become disturbed, may take defensive
attitude or react in a hostile way. They may become apologetic or try to justify children’s actions.
The counsellor has to use all his skills to establish warm relations and win confidence of the
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parents so that gaining their cooperation becomes easy. Parents’ contribution is obviously
important in understanding child’s personality and emotional problems. Some parents are eager
to discuss problems of behaviour of their children though these problems are not serious and
permanent. For every developmental stage, there are some challenges that are difficult to deal
with for the individual. Temporarily the individual may get disturbed and need some help.
Parents should not take it as a permanent behavioural problem and help the child to overcome the
difficulties. Intentional neglect is the best policy sometimes that works well in day-to-day life
situation.
In a country like India, percentage of children who are negatively exceptional or disabled is
pretty high. In advanced countries like America, it is around 3% but in India, it is approximately
30%. Parents of normal children who expect too much from their children should be asked to
compare their own achievements with that of their children. By and large children are similar to
their parents and their intelligence and abilities are similar to their parents. If a parent having
normal intelligence expects that the offspring should be a very bright child then the counsellor
must be able to convince the parents as what can be expected.
Habit of children is one important issue that needs parental cooperation. Most of the habits of
children, their expression of emotions, their language, mannerism and attitudes also depend on
parents’ habits and social exchange. It is well known that children imitate and learn many things
only by imitation. Counsellor should make them aware of this fact and try to get their
cooperation.
In short, counsellor can serve various functions in his relationship with parents. The counsellor
can
1. Give information about offspring’s behaviour-information about what children do during that
age and why they do it. When should they worry and do something about a situation and
when should they accept it as normal should be discussed with them.
2. Discuss with them purpose, organisation and activities of school and counselling program
3. Inform parents about needs, characteristics, abilities, interests and personality of their own
child. Many parents may not have proper frame of reference within which they can
evaluate or judge behaviour of their own children. A mother who is socially skilful and
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oriented towards human relations may not be able to understand behaviour of her shy and
quite daughter.
4. Aid parents to develop understanding, techniques and attitudes that may improve their relation
with their children. For example, how to motivate children for better performance or how
to improve communication with one’s adolescent offspring are critical issues in this
respect.
th
Mohan is 16 year old and studying in 10 standard. There is absolutely no communication
between Mohan and his father. His father is strict authoritarian and disciplinarian and
wants everything perfect and best. Generally, there are clashes between them if at all they
talk to each other. Nowadays Mohan has completely stopped interacting with his father.
Whatever his father says, Mohan never responds.
5. Provide support to parents as they seek to resolve their own problems and meet their own
needs. Parents’ own problems may have negative impact on parent-child relations. A
working mother may feel guilty and may overcompensate unnecessarily, which may spoil
the child.
6. Aid children and parents together to find solutions to specific problems. Open and free
discussion about every important decision has to take place between parents and children where
each one has to equally respect the other and consider their opinion seriously. Without such
communication, no decision should be taken.
5.7 COUNSELLING PARENTS OF NEGATIVELY EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

When it comes to counselling negatively exceptional children the issues become more
complicated. Parents of negatively exceptional children face many emotional problems, which
should be dealt with very carefully by the counsellor. Some most important aspects area.
a. Coping realistically with the problem: It is essential to help the parents to face the negative
exceptionality and limitations of the child in a healthy and constructive way. Initial shock
and various decisions should be managed in an integrated way. This leads to the increased
possibility of giving appropriate stimulation to the child and help given to the child. Help
does not mean doing everything for the child, but making the child as independent as
possible.
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b. Denial of reality regarding disability: Every parent wants his child to be an ideal and
achieve all bright things in life. No one is in a position to anticipate and accept and
limitations of the child. Parents’ first reaction is it cannot be so. This is their natural
reaction as they are involved emotionally and it is an extension of their ego. Any negative
exceptionality of the child is loss of self-esteem for the parents. Here adaptation and coping
are more realistic goals than just accepting the facts as they are. Anger, resentment, guilt
and distress are the common emotional reactions that are experienced by the parents
indefinitely.
The parents of physically handicapped child identify more with child’s physic. They use all
types of defence mechanisms for denial of reality. They always want to highlight the
capacities of the child and deny the limitations of the child. Many parents partially accept it
that means that they accept the diagnosis and deny the implications. When there is no
medicine, they keep on hoping that some miracle will happen and the child will become
normal.
c. Self pity: ‘Why this has happened to me only? What is my fault?’ are the questions that are
asked by these parents. These parents may challenge the fundamental religious beliefs.
Denial, despair and desire to kill the child are also seen among these parents.
d. Ambivalent feelings: Ambivalent feelings towards the child are also seen in these parents
and are difficult to deal with even in case of normal children. There are more negative
feelings for the negatively exceptional. The range is quite wide from a conscious wish that
the child would die or never been born to symbolic hostility and rejection. This in turn
gives rise to guilt and overprotection, over nurturing and excessive devotion towards the
child. Overcompensation for the feeling of hostility is seen in their behaviour, as they are
ashamed of such feelings. Sometimes it is seen that at a particular moment, they accept it
and at the second, they deny the reality.
e. Protection and overprotection: It is a common defence against anxiety. This anxiety is

regarding personal guilt or other unacceptable feelings. They keep on blaming others for
what has happened. There is a general sense of resentment towards the society at large.
Overprotection leads to doing everything for the child without discriminating whether the
child can do it or not. Even normal children who are overprotected are reluctant to help
themselves. They become lazy and dependent on their parents for everything they want.
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They can never gain the confidence to lead a life that is fully functioning. Mothers should
be convinced about importance of making the child as independent as possible though he is
a handicapped child.
f. Guilt, shame and depression: Shame is the feeling that other people will criticise and say
something unpalatable about us. Guilt is on the other hand feeling of self-reproach or self-
condemnation. Shame is other oriented and guilt is self-oriented. Shame is expectation of
ridicule but guilt is self-blame, personal regret and decreased personal worth. For example
shame is about others may underestimate me and guilt is about I am underestimating
myself. Shame and guilt both include anxiety. Correlation between guilt and anxiety is
positive and significant.
Guilt, self-blame, anxiety and low self-concept result in depression. This leads to
protection of self-concept by directing hostility outwards. Society rejects the handicapped
child and blames the parents for their carelessness and neglect. These parents avoid
participating in social function. On the other hand they devote their life to the handicapped
child and try to prove that they are devoted and dedicated parents. If at all the child is kept
in any institute, the parents feel relived and feel guilty for that. In any way, they feel stress
and depression and guilt, shame and anxiety.
g. Patterns of mutual dependency: The overanxious parent fosters dependency in the child
and in oneself also. As the parents invest a large part of their available resources –
emotional and material- for the child, because of real or exaggerated needs the child
becomes dependent on the parent for every small thing. Parent encourages all this to prove
his or her adequacy as a parent. It is because of parental attitudes that the child develops
extreme dependency due to which parents’ entire life becomes focused to the handicapped
child. Parents also don’t want to reduce their responsibility as they are afraid of the void
that may result in their lives. Child feels secure in parents’ company and parents get
neurotic satisfaction because of all these things. As a consequence, child’s motivation
decreases. Sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, the child uses disability as a weapon
and enhances dependency.
Raju has been a multiple handicapped cerebral palasy child since birth. She was dependent
completely on her mother for every single act and need. As the mother started serious complaints
regarding her health, it was advised to keep Raju in some residential school. However, her
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mother was not ready to accept the idea as she is engaged for 24 hours with Raju’s care. It was
only after her mother’s death that Raju was shifted to that institute.
Goals of counselling in case of parents of the handicapped are different from the regular
counselling. There are three-fold goals of counselling.
1. Intellectual: It includes information regarding causes and effects, diagnosis and extent,
levels of intensities and sufferings of the disability. Facilities available for the care,
treatment and education of the handicapped should be known to the parents. Hence, this
information should be given to them. They should know the future of the child and most
appropriate plan for that.
2. Emotional: Change in perspective of parents accepting the facts as they are is essential for
balancing emotions. Too involved or too aloof parents may deny the impact of their
interaction and difficulties encountered by children because of that. They are not ready to
accept the shortcomings of the child or developmental, social and emotional difficulties
faced by children. Unless they accept these things, they will not be able to contribute to the
welfare of the child.
3. Behavioural: Actual modification of behaviour while interacting with the child is to be

achieved by these parents, without which it will be worthless. For example, if we want the
child to be self-sufficient it is necessary to let the child do his own things and make
mistakes. Exposure, opportunities and learning by doing are essential. However, a mother
of a hearing-impaired child may be reluctant to leave him alone or allow him to interact
with strangers or buy something on his own. Unless such opportunities are provided, the
child will not learn all these things, which are essential for leading a normal life. This is the
actual practical side of attitude change of parents.
While dealing with parents of negatively exceptions we should never-
a. Underestimate their problems
b. Give general advice and show sympathy
c. Criticise them for their past decisions and behaviour
d. Expect them to immediately take some actions according to your directions
e. Label the child in negative terms
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f. Claim that we have understood everything that they are experiencing
However, it is a must to
a. Convert the recommendations in terms of positive remarks
b. Concentrate on what the child can do than what he can not.
c. Remember even small achievements of the child and liking, hobbies etc to be used while
interacting with him
d. Suggest many alternatives or options, as only one may not be suitable or practically viable for
the child and parents.
e. Take into consideration nature of child’s disability, availability in terms of money and
environmental options while planning anything for the child.
f. Complete information about various institutes, facilities and special provisions about
integrated and segregated educational institutes should be given to them so that they can
decide according to their convenience.
g. In integrated education, the counsellor should try to gat cooperation of the teachers as well as
that of other children in the class to create conducive environment and motivate the
disabled child.
5.8 COUNSELLING PARENTS OF POSITIVELY EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Parental counselling in case of positively exceptional children is grossly neglected. The basic
reason is the awareness that the child is exceptional itself is rear. Parents themselves evaluate
worth of their child only on the basis of academic excellence and percentage of marks. There are
other types of intelligences and aptitudes that need environmental stimulation for development is
not considered by teachers and parents. Psychologists have been doing lot of research regarding
different aspects of intelligence, but in most of the communities, these different potentialities are
neglected. Hence, the first important aim of parental counselling is to make parents aware of
different potentialities and conducive environment necessary for their development. In a country
like India, we do not worry about any child who has lot of potentials and gets very good grades.
We take it for granted that providing facilities for regular classroom learning is what we can do
for the child and be happy as he gets awards and rewards. However, there are two things to be
remembered:
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1. There are children who are not motivated to perform well in spite of their high potentials.
2. A gifted child needs some extra cognitive stimulation for satisfying his curiosity, capacity and
wish to learn.
As far as the children who are not motivated are concerned, it obviously means that they are not
utilising their potentials. They might be using their talents in some other activity, which may not
be socially approved, or in any way helpful in their development. In case of a gifted child,
regular classroom activities are too simple to challenge their abilities. Consequently, they may
not be interested in that. Read this, for example:
‘Sarthak is always a discipline problem in the class. He continuously disturbs other

children and asks unexpected questions to any teacher. He wants to tease others who are
sincerely doing their work. He can not get along well with others and by and large a lonely
child. His academic achievement is average but class performance is higher than most of
the children in the class.’
What can be real cause behind his behaviour? One important alternative is he may a gifted child
who can easily complete his classroom assignment within no time and does not know what to do
for the remaining time. May be that he is not motivated to solve the question papers that are very
easy for him. Cases like this are neglected by teachers and parents. It is a loss of human talents if
they are not utilised properly.
Researchers have proved that gifted children face adjustment problems, as they cannot accept
others gladly. Frustration may emerge as friends may not be able to understand his ideas and
teachers cannot provide enough intellectual stimulation. They may develop rebellion attitude
towards authority because of ideas that are different from others. Negative attitude towards
community as a whole, isolation, shyness, inferiority and anxiety are generally experienced by
them. They are generally the youngest in the classmates and weak as well as less mature
physically. This may lead to isolation and rejection by peers. As there is no intellectual
stimulation and challenge, they become lazy and de-motivated to learn. When they grow older,
they may understand the difference between themselves and others and accept others as they are.
However if enough opportunity and training is given they become better adjusted, well behaved
and emotionally controlled.
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Parental counselling is oriented towards saving intellectual wastage by recognising talents on
appropriate time and providing opportunities for optimum development of potentials.
Labelling however should be avoided as far as possible. Even if it is positive labelling it may
turn out into detrimental effects on the child.
Too high expectations, constant nagging and no margin for making mistakes are some common
consequences. Self-concept of the child may also change tremendously and he may consider
himself as different from others and superior to them which may lead to social and emotional
problems.
Vocational counselling is also a very crucial issue in case of negatively and positively
exceptional children. Parental wish, social status and monetary gain should not be the major
criteria for taking any decision in this regards. Child’s potentialities, interest and direction of
possible development are more important.
5.9 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR PARENTAL COUNSELLING
Fig 1: Skills Required for Parental Counselling
Following are the skills required for parental counselling.
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Skill of self-reflection
Counsellors can use self-reflection and group discussion to help you recognise any negative,
stereotyped, or unhelpful attitudes or expectations you may have about your parents. It's also
crucial to understand your personal and professional parenting styles, as parents frequently
inquire about how you care for your children as a professional parental counsellor.
Skill of listening -
Listening intently and responding with sensitivity to deeper meaning or sentiments is frequently
the best approach. Parents may feel scrutinised and vulnerable beneath their defensiveness and
animosity. This is why active and empathic listening are so important.
Skill of reading -
Knowing what's trendy in the parenting world can help you establish trustworthiness. As part of
our professional education, most of us read textbooks on child development, psychopathology,
and brain science, yet parents are more likely to inquire about parenting books than
developmental theory textbooks. Your understanding of popular and classic parenting literature
will also be noticed and valued by parents.
Skill of radical acceptance -
Always keep in mind that empathy and acceptance should come first. This is a significant
difficulty since, as counsellors, we are often eager to share positive parenting advice with our
clients. To deal with this, you should strive to practise Marsha Linehan's philosophy of radical
acceptance as much as possible. “I accept you as you are and am devoted to helping you change
for the better,” a radical acceptance mantra might go. Because it emphasises acceptance as a
precursor to transformation, radical acceptance can be beneficial.
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Skill of being collaborative -
As a counsellor, you must collaborate with parents since they are the ones who will put your
ideas into action. They'll figure out what works and what doesn't in the end.
Skill of getting best explanation -
Ask parents for their best explanation for their child’s misbehaviour. Frequently, they will have a
hidden or unspoken fear or supposition about why their child is having problems. This hidden
worry is frequently accompanied by feelings of shame. Unfortunately, if the counsellor does not
directly question the parent, "What do you believe is causing your child's misbehaviour?" the
parent may never express their or her personal idea of what's actually wrong.
Skill of using affirmative comments -
Use compliments and affirmation to draw attention to the strengths of the parents. Because many
parents are naturally apprehensive about their parenting, the greatest therapy approach is one that
emphasises and affirms strengths. However, as you may know, sorting through a parent's
disappointments and pessimism to uncover parental qualities can be challenging. Positive and
affirming comments from practitioners should boost parent motivation toward self-improvement
from a constructive or solution-focused attitude. As a result, when dealing with parents,
counsellors should avoid criticising them, focus on the positive, and trust that their children will
take them to where they need to be.
Skill of prescribing clear advice -
Give clear, actionable advice, then take a step back... and listen. When dealing with parents, I
make it a point to state at the start of the session that I'll be listening more at first, and then
offering thoughts and advice later. Afterwards remind them that it's their "hour," and that if they
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want you to stop talking and listen more, they should tell you; if they want more advice, they
should also tell me. It's critical for counsellors to actively and systematically listen for the client's
reaction after they've given advice. It's usually ideal if you ask for the parent's reaction directly.
The above-mentioned skills focus primarily on the process of working with parents. Because
most parenting resources available to counsellors focus on the content counsellors should teach
parents, this is the case. However, if you concentrate on following the process to give high-
quality parent education information, you'll be more likely to have pleasant, positive, and
fulfilling interactions with parents, which is a really wonderful consequence. (Flanagan , Seven
tips for working effectively with parents 2017)
Activity 2
Make a list of skills required by a professional who is into parental counselling.
5.9 CASE STUDIES
Case study -1 : Permissive Parent Struggling With Anger
This mother was concerned about her own anger, permissiveness, and caving in to her strong-
willed child (age 3). This parent works full-time and also homeschools her oldest child.
Working with this parent for ten weeks allowed her to take a closer look at her own childhood
and how it influenced her parenting. She was able to recognise how repressing her own feelings
wasn't benefitting her because she would only express rage when she was at her ultimate limit
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after she had done the work around it. We determined that she was not meeting her own needs,
so we searched for strategies to ensure that they were addressed.
During the 10 weeks, this mom was able to be more aware of her interactions with her eldest
child and how her inconsistent boundaries were causing her relationship to fall apart. She was
therefore able to provide her kid options and establish consistent routines for her children,
providing structure, predictability, and safety.
Instead of giving in when her child was frustrated over not getting his way, she was able to
provide a safe place for his feelings. She would show empathy and compassion, and she would
figure out which region of her son's brain he was in when he was emotionally drained. She
shifted her focus away from labelling his actions and toward understanding the underlying
emotions. This aided her in developing solutions, which resulted in increased connection.
Case study -2 : Children Not Listening - Parent Having To Default To Constantly Shouting
As soon as COVID-19 was declared, this parent began parent coaching. This mother was
concerned about her two sons, who refused to listen or follow out her wishes until she yelled or
threatened them. She knew she didn't want to parent in that manner, but she didn't know how to
replace it with a more positive and productive method.
When she first started these parent sessions, her youngest son (10) wasn't very communicative,
rarely communicated his feelings, and when he was furious, he would rip up drawings and
paintings. Her eldest (who had special needs) would receive more attention, and her youngest
son would often remark that she "liked her firstborn son more than him" (this is how he felt).
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This mother was fully devoted to the programme, completing weekly tasks, reading the
suggested material, and attending coaching calls despite the fact that it was tough at times. She
said that her own upbringing had influenced the way she parented and that she struggled to
articulate her own feelings, which was affecting her son's capacity to do so.
This parent began to use "playful parenting" instead of threats and shouting as she progressed
through the procedure. She began to realise that her sons were physically active boys who
needed to let off steam at the end of the day. She added a lot more silliness to her parenting,
which made everyone feel more connected. “It is much better to spend a few minutes playing
and being more connected than to spend five minutes shouting and becoming irritated at my
sons,” she said.
Her youngest kid, who used to be quiet, now expresses himself, and anytime he is angry or sad,
if he isn't ready to express himself orally, he will write pages and pages of how he feels or draw
images and present them to his mother.
Case study -3 : Parent Felt Her Son Was Ruling The Roost
This mother is parenting her son on her own (age 7). She struggled with boundaries, co-sleeping,
and the feeling that his needs were being pushed aside in favour of hers. She had fought with
self-doubt her entire life, feeling stuck and alienated.
This parent purchased the Ultimate Parenting Success course because she felt stuck and alone.
We spent time together looking at her limiting attitudes about self-worth and self-doubt, which
were interfering with her parenting.
This mother was concerned about her inability to be present when she was provoked, as well as
her fear of shaming and blaming her child. We looked at how one parent was very concerned
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with how she appeared to others, and how she was often more concerned with how she was
viewed than with her child's actual connection.
This parent was able to set boundaries with others outside her family and focus on strengthening
a meaningful bond with her child over the course of ten weeks.
This parent was fully devoted to doing the work, reading the books, and making weekly phone
calls, and she was willing to admit that some of the unpleasant things from her past were still
there today.
This parent progressed from being worried, agitated, and uneasy to being present and content
over time. She now speaks with her kid more effectively and has let go of many limiting
thoughts that had previously held her back. In her own words, her nightly routine with her kid is
now "blooming." (Parent case studies - conscious parenting 2021)
Activity - 3
Discuss case studies related to parental counselling dealt by school counsellor and prepare a
report on it.
Summary
● Parental counselling is a service offered to parents which provides knowledge, unbiased
guidance, emotional support and tools which shall help parents to identify and understand
needs of their family members; realize the effect of parents on family dynamics with an
ultimate objective to look better to their family.
● Parental Counselling is important as -Counsellor advices various methods to deal with
child behaviour, helps parents in dealing with their differently abled child, help parents
to create pleasant environment and neutral attitude for their children, help parents to face
situation when their children leave home, counselling helps parents to be closer to their
child, help parents detect serious behavioural issues in children, help parents correct your
own behaviour, help parents when they no longer know what to do.
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● Parental counselling is need of any parent who is - going through marital problems,
suffering with health related issues, is in process of separating or getting divorced,
experiencing abuse or violence, dealing with loss, abusing alcohol or drugs, struggling
with children/teen problems, whose children are refusing to follow instructions, who are
struggling to implement routines.
● Challenges in parental counselling are counsellors feel both terrified and frustrated
working with parents, have some unfavourable attitudes about parents, which hampered
their ability to work, parents may be made to relive traumatic memories or issues, parents
may get dissatisfied or despairing as a result of the counselling programmes' failure to
provide rapid effects.
● Skills required for parental counselling are skill of self-reflection, skill of listening, skill
of reading, skill of radical acceptance, skill of being collaborative, skill of getting the best
explanation, skill of using affirmative comments, skill of prescribing clear advice.
Keywords
 Parental counselling can be defined as an invaluable service that offers parents unbiased
guidance and support; helping parents understand and identify the needs of every
Self-Assessment Questions-
1. Explain the meaning of parental counselling in your own words.
2. State the importance of parental counselling.
3. Identify the people who need parental counselling, support your response with appropriate
explanation.
4. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into parental counselling.
5. Predict what can be possible challenges if you are counselling a parent.
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Answers to Check your Progress-
Fill in the blanks -

1) Parental counselling can be defined as an invaluable service that offers parents
unbiased guidance and support.
2) Parent counselling focuses on how one as the parent affects the dynamics of
family.
State whether the statement is true or false -

1) Parental counselling is a service offered to parents which provides only
knowledge to parents False.
2) Parental counselling helps parents to understand and identify the needs of every
True.

1) Each and every child is unique in their personalities, there is no one common plan as far as
child-rearing is concerned. True
2) Even if parents are close, their child will take the time to let parents know what is wrong.
True
Multiple choice questions -

1) As humans, we are prone to -
b) making errors
2) Children tend to imitate their _________ and the beliefs that are expressed in the home.
d) parents
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1) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to the problems which need parental
counselling.
workplace politics, unsatisfactory sexual relationship between couples
Suggested Readings
1. Strategies for Counselling with Children and Their Parents by Geraldine Leitl Orton
2. Parent Therapy: A Relational Alternative to Working with Children by Linda Jacobs
3. Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel J. Siegel
4. Play Therapy Techniques Paperback by Charles E. Schaefer
References
1. DocDoc. (n.d.). Transforming healthcare, empowering lives. DocDoc.

https://www.docdoc.com/medical-information/procedures/parenting-counselling.
2. Flanagan , J. S.-. (2017, November 17). Seven tips for working effectively with parents.
Counselling Today. https://ct.counselling.org/2012/05/seven-tips-for-working-
effectively-with-parents/.
3. Importance of parental counselling. www.kimshealth.org. (n.d.).
https://www.kimshealth.org/trivandrum/blog/importance-parental-counselling/#.
4. Mitchell, B. (2016, May 31). 4 important benefits parents can get From counselling.
Northeast Ohio Parent. https://www.northeastohioparent.com/uncategorized/4-important-
benefits-parents-can-get-from-counselling/.
5. Parent case studies - conscious parenting. Conscious Parenting -. (2021, July 25).
https://happymeparenting.com/parent-case-studies/.
98
6. Parent counselling. Aurora Psychology. (n.d.).
https://www.aurorapsychology.com.au/parents.
7. Parent counselling - what is it, who needs it, will it help my family? Fifth Street
Counselling Center IV. (2020, February 26). https://www.fifthstreetcounselling.org/what-
is-parent-counselling-how-could-it-help-my-family/.
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School Counselling: Adolescence Counselling
UNIT
6
Structure:
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Meaning and definition of adolescence counselling
6.3 Importance of adolescence counselling
6.4 Need of adolescence counselling
6.5. Different types of psychotherapies used in Adolescent Counselling
6.6 Challenges in adolescence counselling
6.7 Skills required for adolescence counselling
6.8 Case studies
Summary
Keywords
References
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Objective:

 explain the meaning of adolescence counselling.
 state importance of adolescence counselling.
 identify people who need adolescence counselling.
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is a critical time in one's physical, emotional, mental, and social development.
Adolescence is the time when a kid transitions from being a child to being an adult, and it
usually occurs between the ages of ten and nineteen. During this time, the young adult begins to
go through a lot of mental and physical changes. Adolescents begin to notice physical changes in
their bodies, a process known as puberty, and it is a confusing period for them as hormone shifts
begin to alter their moods and ideas.
The brain undergoes enormous developmental changes as children grow and reach adolescence,
or ‘teenage,' creating behavioural patterns and neurological pathways that will endure until later
in life. However, because their brains are still developing, adolescents are more susceptible to the
positive influences of youth development strategies, behaviour modelling, emotional and social
learning; they are also more susceptible to depression, and due to hormonal changes, they are
more likely to make risky decisions that may have long-term consequences. Adolescents, often
known as teens, become more self-reliant and begin to establish new identities by experimenting
with various roles and behaviours. Emotional highs and lows may endure, and these new
behaviours may extend beyond boundary-pushing to produce tension in parent-teen interactions,
as well as worry or despair. These mental and physical changes highlight the significance of
serving the emotional, physical, and mental health requirements of adolescents, who are often
befuddled.
Adolescents often become particularly sensitive when these changes begin to take hold, and they
begin to experience mood swings and confidence fluctuations. Adolescents who are not
appropriately guided or counselled may go out on their own and make their own, often
erroneous, decisions. As a result, individuals may wind up on the wrong track and fall prey to
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negative influences that might ruin their lives, such as drugs, peer pressure, and so on. As a
result, adolescents should seek counselling to address their feelings and thoughts, allowing them
to mature into healthy, well-informed adults. Counselling can help these growing children cope
with the mental and physical changes they face, as well as provide a secure place for them to
process their thoughts and emotions, where they are treated with understanding, decency, and
respect. (DS psychology Group Resources, Adolescent therapy: Butani, Benefits of
adolescence counselling 2021)
After understanding adolescence now we shall learn adolescent counselling in detail.
6.2 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF ADOLESCENCE COUNSELLING
Definition of Adolescence counselling

Adolescent counselling is aimed at helping young people make sense of their feelings, thoughts
and behaviours. This can entail traditional talking therapy, or can use other techniques which
draw on the expressive nature of young people- such as art therapy. These proactive and creative
strategies can help an adolescent to thrive in a counselling environment. (Jacobson & Nabaasa,
What is adolescent counselling? Harley therapy blog 2021)
Adolescent counselling is a specific area of therapy and psychoanalysis that is offered to

teenagers or Adolescents by experienced professional counsellors. (Adolescent therapy: Uk
therapy guide: Therapy and counselling)
Meaning of Adolescence counselling

According to the above definitions, broader meaning of adolescent counselling is, it is a type of
therapy and psychoanalysis provided to teenagers or adolescents by trained professional
counsellors in order to help them make sense of their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. This
can include standard talking therapy or alternative strategies that tap into young people's
expressive nature, such as art therapy.
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Fill in the blanks -
1) Adolescent counselling is aimed at helping young people make _______ of their

feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
2) Adolescent counselling is a specific area of _____ and _____ that is offered to teenagers
or Adolescents by experienced professional counsellors.
6.3 IMPORTANCE OF ADOLESCENCE COUNSELLING
The importance of adolescent counselling is as follows.
1. Adolescence Counselling ensures smooth transition of child from childhood to

adulthood -
When adolescent difficulties are addressed early on, it aids in the effective enhancement of a
teenager's mental well-being. Not only that, but they must also develop self-esteem and a support
system. Effective coping methods are taught in adolescent counselling sessions, providing the
teenager with a strong skill set that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Counselling ensures that a child's transition from childhood to adulthood is seamless and safe.
2. Adolescence Counselling assists teenagers in adjusting to new role and situations -

Adolescent counselling assists teenagers in adjusting to new social roles, behaviours, and
situations. And there is no denying that there are some critical parts of life that must be addressed
from the start. (Adolescent counselling in India: Warning signs that your child NEEDS
THERAPY)
103
3. Adolescence Counsellors address various teenage issues and help them to handle
them -
Any child's adolescent stage can be exceedingly stressful and perplexing. With mood swings,
teenagers can be pleased one minute and angry the next. During this era, most children feel
pressed by their parents and simply want some space. As a result, as children enter puberty, they
tend to retreat and have little contact with their parents. They also become more aware of their
body and sexuality throughout this time. As a result, kids are more likely to make new
acquaintances and do new things. It's a challenging time, so parents should keep an eye on their
children and supervise them to ensure they don't make poor life choices.Adolescent counsellors
are experts who have been trained to listen to young adults and address the various issues that
they may be facing. At the same time, they give adolescents advice on how to handle themselves
in the middle of all the changes they are experiencing. (DS psychology Group Resources,
Adolescent therapy)
4. Adolescence Counselling help growing children to cope with the mental and physical
changes -
Counselling can help these growing children cope with the mental and physical changes they
face, as well as provide a secure place for them to process their thoughts and emotions, where
they are treated with understanding, decency, and respect.( Butani, Benefits of adolescence
counselling 2021)
5. Adolescence Counselling help adolescents to sort their feelings and emotions -

Adolescent therapy can aid a child's overall mood, self-worth, and confidence, as well as their
self-esteem, while also teaching them how to use a variety of outside resources to cope with the
difficulties they face. The therapist is better equipped to help the adolescent sort through these
feelings and emotions by using expressions.(Wolf, The benefits of Adolescent Counselling
2017)
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6. Adolescence Counselling can help adolescents in achieving academic success -
Adolescents have issues that they are unable to solve without the help of their parents,
instructors, or experts such as school counsellors. Academic achievement could be one of the
predictors of teenage mental health, and as a result, it could be linked to adolescents' need for
guidance and counselling. When the ultimate goal is for kids to attain academic success, the
position of a school counsellor becomes even more delicate.
7. Adolescence Counselling can help strengthen conflict resolution skills, positive

attitudes and behaviour and reduce school dropouts.
In today's society, teenagers play a vital role. Because today's young people are tomorrow's hope,
future citizens, and leaders, it is critical that they develop aptitude, behaviour, and action in
accordance with democratic values. Adolescence has a stronghold on the Indian populace. They
will one day be in charge of and rule the entire world. Clearly, we must have a deeper
understanding of these issues and develop suitable remedies. The goal of guidance and
counselling in schools is to help students improve their academic performance, strengthen their
conflict resolution skills, encourage positive study attitudes and behaviour, and reduce school
dropouts.
8. Adolescence Counselling provides appropriate support services -
Adolescents are stressed about academic achievement, field of expertise, and career choices even
at institutions. Academic achievement is the sole criterion used by teachers and parents to
evaluate pupils' performance. However, it can be a difficult time that requires a great deal of
patience, understanding, and support. Modernization has many beneficial consequences because
it provides so many options, but it has also resulted in various stressors in the lives of
adolescents. This stress causes serious mental health issues. As a result, it's critical to understand
kids' guidance and counselling requirements so that appropriate support services can be made
available to them.(The importance of guidance and counselling in adolescents' life 2020)
105
1) Adolescence Counselling helps growing children to cope with the mental and
physical changes.
2) Adolescence Counselling disturbs the smooth transition of a child from childhood
to adulthood.
6.4 NEED OF ADOLESCENT COUNSELLING
Adolescent Counselling is needed because of following reasons:

1. Sadness among teens
If a young person's sadness is interfering with his or her schoolwork, connections with friends or
family, or feeling like they're not being themselves, he or she should speak with someone and
seek counselling.
2. Depression
Mood disorders commonly begin in adolescence. Depression can linger into adulthood if it is not
treated. Each year, roughly 4 out of 10 teenagers get clinically depressed. That is a frightening
amount in and of itself, but given developmental changes and the multiple demands on young
people, the number of those impacted and in need of counselling can be substantially higher,
necessitating the need for adolescent counselling. Consult counsellor if teen appears irritated,
unhappy, or withdrawn. Effective treatment requires an accurate diagnosis and early
intervention. (Jacobson & Nabaasa, What is adolescent counselling? Harley therapy blog
2021)
3. Anxiety Disorders
While it's common for teenagers to worry from time to time, some suffer from severe anxiety.
Anxiety disorder can disrupt many elements of a teen's life, including friendships and
schoolwork.
4. Manage their symptoms
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When a teenager has trouble speaking in front of a group or is continually worried that
something negative may happen, counselling may be able to help them learn to manage their
symptoms.
5. Behavioural issues
Suspensions from school, repeated curfew breaches, and violent conduct could all be signs of
deeper issues. A counsellor can assist you in identifying any mental health difficulties, skill
deficiencies, or social challenges that may be influencing your teen's behaviour.
6. Addiction Problems
Teenagers, unfortunately, sometimes develop major drug and alcohol problems. Teen's substance
usage can be assessed by a substance abuse counsellor, who can then assist one to choose the
best treatment option. Depending on the severity of a teen's difficulties, individual therapy, group
therapy, detox, or residential treatment may be offered.
7. Stress
Teenagers are prone to anxiety. Stress can be crippling, whether it's the pressure to do well on an
examination or worries about what to do after high school. Counselling can assist a teen in
developing effective stress management skills, which will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
8. School and Social-Related Issues
Bullies, failing grades, social circles, and troubles with teachers are just a few of the social
concerns that many teenagers face. Teens frequently don't know where to go for help. Teens can
benefit from counselling since it can offer them support and teach them skills that will help them
succeed in high school.
9. Legal Issues
Theft, underage drinking, and fighting are just a few of the ways that teenagers fall into legal
problems. They may be required to attend counselling by probation or their parents. Counselling
can assist a teen in learning how to make healthier choices in order to avoid further legal
difficulties.
10. Self-Esteem Issues
While most teenagers battle with self-confidence at some point in their lives, some have severe
self-esteem issues. Teens are more likely to develop problems like substance misuse and
academic failure if these difficulties are not addressed. A teen's self-esteem can be boosted
through counselling.
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11. Trauma
Traumatic occurrences can have a lifelong influence on a teen, whether it's a near-death
experience or a sexual assault. Therapy can help a teen build resilience and lessen the impact of
a traumatic experience on his or her life. Early assistance can be crucial in supporting a teen in
recovering from traumatic events.
12. Grief
Grief affects teens differently than it does adults, and the loss of a loved one can be particularly
painful during adolescence. Individual, family, or group counselling can assist teenagers in
processing their emotions and making sense of their loss.
13. To avoid escalating minor concerns of teens into major issues.
Do not hesitate to book an appointment with a mental health professional if you believe that
teenager may benefit from speaking with one. Consult your child's paediatrician or make an
appointment with a therapist on your own. Even a few therapy sessions can sometimes make a
significant difference in teen's overall happiness. Therapy, on the other hand, does not have to be
limited to life-changing experiences or major mental health issues. Meeting with a therapist can
help you avoid escalating minor concerns into major issues.
14. Other reasons for Counselling
Other reasons why teenagers may wish to consider psychotherapy include: a desire to become
more self-aware, a desire to chat to people who aren't friends or relatives regarding challenging
topics, desire to talk about sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity, autism, having to deal
with a disability, having trouble adjusting to life's adjustments, restrictive or binge eating which
are examples of eating disorder symptoms, feelings of isolation, relationships between lovers,
having difficulty living with a chronic illness or discrimination based on race or culture is a
source of problems. (Morin, Why you should bring your teen to therapy)
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Multiple choice questions -
1) Which of the following therapy is not related to overcome addiction problems in

teenagers -
a) individual therapy b) group therapy c) residential treatment d)colour therapy
2) Meeting with a therapist can help you avoid escalating ____ concerns of an adolescent
into ____ issues.
a) Spiritual, mental b) old, new c) major, minor d) minor, major
6.5 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PSYCHOTHERAPIES USED IN ADOLESCENT

COUNSELLING
Psychotherapy is a type of psychiatric treatment that involves a therapist and a child or family
having therapeutic dialogues and interactions. It can assist children and families in understanding
and resolving difficulties, changing behaviour, and making positive life changes. Different
approaches, strategies, and interventions are used in different types of psychotherapy. A
combination of different therapeutic approaches may be beneficial at times. A combination of
medication and psychotherapy may be more successful in some circumstances.
Different types of psychotherapy:
1. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aids in the understanding and acceptance of a
child's inner feelings. ACT therapists assist children and teens commit to going forward in a
positive way by helping them gain a better awareness of their emotional challenges.
2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) -

By evaluating confusing or distorted thought processes, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
aids in the improvement of a child's moods, anxieties, and behaviour. Children are taught by
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CBT therapists that their thoughts produce feelings and moods, which can influence their
behaviour. A youngster learns to recognise detrimental thought patterns with CBT. The therapist
next assists the youngster in replacing these thoughts with more acceptable sentiments and
behaviours. CBT has been shown to be useful in treating a range of illnesses, including
depression and anxiety, according to research. Children who have experienced traumatic events
can benefit from specialised versions of CBT.
3. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) -

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) can be used to treat older teenagers who have suicidal
feelings or thoughts on a regular basis, engage in self-harming acts on purpose, or have
Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT encourages people to take responsibility for their
problems and to explore how they deal with conflict and significant negative emotions. This
usually entails a mix of group and individual training.
4. Family therapy -
Family therapy focuses on evaluating communication patterns and giving support and education
to help the family function in a more positive and productive manner. The kid or teenager, as
well as parents, siblings, and grandparents, may participate in family therapy sessions. Couples
Therapy is a sort of family therapy that focuses on the communication and interactions between a
couple (e.g. parents having marital problems).
5. Group therapy -
Group therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists work with a group of
patients. It harnesses the power of group dynamics and peer interactions to improve social skills
and/or raise knowledge of mental illness. Group therapy comes in a variety of forms (e.g.
psychodynamic, social skills, substance abuse, multi-family, parent support, etc.).
6. Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) -

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a brief treatment specifically developed and tested for depression,
but also used to treat a variety of other clinical conditions. IPT therapists are interested in how
interpersonal situations influence a person's emotional state. Individual problems are framed in
terms of interpersonal connections, and subsequently problematic relationships are addressed.
110
7. Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) -
Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) is used to help children and teenagers who are unsure of
who they are. MBT is dedicated to assisting youngsters in becoming healthy adults.
8. Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) -

Through real-time coaching sessions, Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) assists parents
and children who are struggling with behaviour problems or connection. While therapists guide
families toward positive interactions, parents interact with their children.
9. Play therapy -
Toys, blocks, dolls, puppets, paintings, and games are used in play therapy to help children
notice, identify, and communicate their feelings. To comprehend the child's problems, the
psychotherapist analyses how the youngster uses play materials and looks for themes or patterns.
The child can better understand and regulate their disputes, feelings, and behaviour by using a
combination of discourse and play.
10. Psychodynamic Psychotherapy -

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy emphasises understanding the issues that motivate and influence
a child's behaviour, thoughts, and feelings. It can assist in the identification of a child's usual
behaviour patterns, defences, and responses to internal tensions and struggles. Psychoanalysis is
a specialist, more intensive kind of psychodynamic psychotherapy that typically entails multiple
weekly sessions. Psychodynamic psychotherapies work on the notion that once a child's
underlying difficulties are revealed, his or her behaviour and feelings will improve.
11. Supportive therapy -

Supportive therapy helps children and teens cope with stress, identify helpful and unhelpful
behaviours, and boost their self-esteem.
Psychotherapy isn't a quick fix or a simple solution. It's a complicated and rich process that can
help a kid or adolescent minimise symptoms, gain insight, and enhance their functioning and
quality of life over time. A combination of different therapeutic approaches may be beneficial at
111
times. A mix of medication and psychotherapy may be most effective in some circumstances.
Child and adolescent psychiatrists are trained in several forms of psychotherapy and, if
necessary, can combine these forms of treatment with drugs to assist ease the emotional and/or
behavioural difficulties of the child or adolescent. (AACAP, Psychotherapy for children and
adolescents: Different types)
Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to different types of adolescent
counselling.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (ACT) Hot bath Therapy (HBT), Psychodynamic
Psychotherapy Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
6.6 CHALLENGES IN ADOLESCENCE COUNSELLING
Adolescence counsellor faces the following challenges while counselling -
1. Teenagers hate wasting time with adults-
Teenagers appear to hate wasting time with adults because they anticipate criticism at the end of
the conversation. As a result, be brief; choose your words carefully, and focus on quality rather
than quantity in your conversations.
2. Teenagers can sense dishonesty. -

Teenagers have a keen sense of dishonesty. They can detect insincerity and falsehood from a
mile away. Instead of using their generation's language, use your own grownup words. As a
result, say what you mean and call it what it is (e.g., rage, not hurt).
3. Teenagers dislike being lectured.-

Teenagers, like the rest of the population, dislike being lectured. Unsolicited advice will make
them enraged and rebellious. As a result, speak in a normal tone and conversational style and
refrain from telling people what to do.
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4. Teenagers are offended by disregard or sarcasm-
Teenagers, like everyone else, are offended by disregard or sarcasm. As a result, use age and
experience appropriate, nonjudgmental language that you know youngsters will understand.
Avoid correcting them unnecessarily or catching them in lies or misstatements on purpose.
Respect someone by accepting and honouring their point of view rather than criticising it.
5. Teenagers have a limited attention span-
Teenagers have a limited attention span in general. As a result, speak slowly and only for half
the time you believe you should. Youth usually do it right the first time and become bored,
annoyed, and turn you off as a result of the repetition.
6. Teens hate being asked to identify “feelings”-

When teens are asked to identify “feelings,” such as “How does that make you feel?” they often
feel deceived or have their sensibilities invaded. As a result, avoid direct questioning
concerning "feelings." In their talks with you, teenagers will share their emotions. Pay close
attention.
7. Teenagers dislike attending "therapy" -

Teenagers dislike attending "therapy" and are frequently forced to submit to counselling with
an adult when they would be more inclined to speak freely with a peer. Unmet promises from
adults in social services, school administration, and other areas have frequently disappointed
or entirely disillusioned youth. As a result, keep your word and don't make promises you can't
keep. Recognize their scepticism of you and empathise with their hatred for promises.
8. Teenagers are suspicious of individuals who try to endear themselves- with them-
Teenagers are suspicious of individuals who try to endear themselves or “bond” with them
without having earned that honour via honest and sincere engagement. As a result, be yourself
and take your time to form a therapeutic partnership based on mutual positive esteem.
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9. Teenagers frequently put grownups to the test
Teenagers frequently put grownups to the test by making shocking claims. As a result, while
demonstrating compassion and understanding, be sure your boundaries and ethics are not
violated in order to maintain rapport.(Jensen, CHALLENGES WORKING WITH
TEENAGERS)
Fig 6.1 Challenges in adolescence counselling
Activity -1
Interview a high school counsellor to know challenges faced by them while counselling
teenagers and prepare a report on it.
6.7 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR ADOLESCENCE COUNSELLING
From the high school teacher who has formed a relationship with a specific group of pupils to the
professional therapist who sees children and adolescents for individual and/or group
psychotherapy, everyone who deals with youth can benefit from the basic abilities outlined here.
114
They're simple enough for a novice to grasp and put into practise, yet they're significant enough
that even professional counsellors can profit from them.
1) Skill of deep listening

Of course, when an adolescent has a problem and needs to speak with an adult, the adult's
capacity to listen is critical to whether the teenager feels heard. The issue is that many people
lack basic listening skills, leaving youth feeling overlooked and misunderstood, if not completely
disregarded. Deep listening is a sort of mindfulness practices that involves bringing one's focus
to the present moment with a nonjudgmental attitude. The target of emphasis in deep listening,
on the other hand, is the conversation you're having and the experience of the person speaking to
you. The benefit of this talent is that the teen confiding in you will feel heard, listened to, and
understood, resulting in a closer bond. When practising deep listening, it's helpful to be
conscious of our own bodies and to project attentive, curious body language (proper eye contact,
possibly leaning in, and a general orientation toward the teen speaking rather than a
contemptuous attitude).Deep listening is a fundamental but important counselling ability.
2) Skill-full Questions
Asking questions can be an engaging method to get teens talking and help them develop self-
awareness. Questions convey that you're curious about the lives of the young people you're
speaking with. There are many different types of questions, each with its own time and place.
The following are the various types of questions:
a. Open-Ended Questions
In contrast to closed-ended questions, which are frequently replied with a yes/no or one-word
response, open-ended inquiries often elicit a more detailed response from the youngster. Here are
some simple open-ended question examples:
“What are your current feelings?”

“What could possibly prevent you from finishing high school?”
“What impact do you think your actions will have on your family?”
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Open-ended inquiries are effective because they encourage teenagers to speak more freely. And
those of us who work with teenagers know that sometimes the goal is just to get them to open up;
the more they talk, the more likely they will feel at ease, and the more likely they will confide in
us when it matters most (i.e., a stressful situation, etc.).
b. Close-Ended Questions
Of course, there is a time and a place for closed-ended questions. It's just better to start with
open-ended questions because they allow the youngster to respond with a longer response and
therefore lead the conversation.” Closed-ended questions are frequently replied with a single
word, such as "yes" or "no" (yes/no questions are a type of closed-ended question). Close-ended
questions have the advantage of allowing adolescents who are uncomfortable talking to you to at
least participate in the conversation. Here are some examples of fundamental closed-ended
questions:
“Are you in a bad mood right now?”

“Do you think it's wonderful that he's nice?”
Again, if a teen isn't opening up, you don't want to press too hard too soon in the relationship.
Closed-ended questions can be an excellent technique to get a hesitant adolescent to participate
in a conversation with you.
c. Meaning-Based/Socratic Questions
Teenagers are encouraged to consider the deeper meaning, mechanism, or assumptions of a

situation through meaning creating and Socratic questioning. The word "Socratic Questioning" is
commonly employed in Cognitive Therapy, but it has also been applied in Existential Therapy
and other types of counselling. It is derived from the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who
was known for questioning reality's make-up. Some examples of such inquiries include:
“What evidence do you have to back this up?”
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“Can you think of an other scenario?”
In actuality, a healthy conversation with teenagers will almost certainly include all of the
aforementioned types of questions (open-ended, close-ended, and meaning-based). It's best to
employ open-ended inquiries with meaning-based questions the most, with close-ended
questions for follow-ups for the occasionally uncomfortable adolescent who doesn't want to
reveal too much but still wants to talk to you.
3) Skill of helping teen in goal setting

Setting goals is an excellent technique to encourage teenagers to consider their future plans. It's
fantastic to encourage young people to consider both long- and short-term aspirations.
Frequently involve the teen in long term vision-related activities. “What are your biggest dreams
of achievement for yourself 10 years from now?” you might ask. This is an excellent question
that can lead to some specific long-term objectives. While planning out 5-10 years may seem
daunting to a young person, it is certainly beneficial to assist them in developing an overall long-
term vision, defining a specific goal, and then developing short-term goals that contribute to their
long-term goal. (Himelstein, 3 basic counselling skills for working with teens 2016)
4) Skill to identify flaws without making teens judged.

When you're looking down on them and judging them, a teenager can tell right away. If they
begin to believe you are judging them, they will most likely close down and be afraid to share it
with others for fear of being judged. To keep them from feeling judged, remind yourself that just
because you weren't involved in their faults doesn't mean you're immune to your own
weaknesses.
5) Skill to differentiate between danger and drama

It's crucial to know the difference between true danger and drama when working with teenagers,
especially the younger ones. If you don’t know the difference, then you should always suspect
real plausible danger. Only when you've known the adolescent for a while and realised that
they're too dramatic can you begin to pay less attention to the problem.
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6) Skill to incorporate teen's family in counselling with counsellee's permission -
This is one that a lot of people overlook. In the vast majority of cases, the family system wishes
to assist. This does not imply that youngsters should go to their parents every time they have a
problem. Making the parents aware of the problem can assist you come up with a solution you
hadn't considered previously. To make the counselling more effective, try to obtain consent from
the teen; nevertheless, in some circumstances, such as drugs, alcohol, or danger to one's self, you
must circumvent the child's desire for their parents to remain in the dark. Never promise the teen
confidentiality during counselling. Tell them you'll do your best to keep the discussion
confidential, but in order to keep you safe, I'll tell anyone and everyone.
7) Time management skill

When working with teenagers, avoid using lengthy sessions. Adults can go for a long time
although they can simply loosen their grip. Instead of one long session that will not benefit
much, have several short sessions. Teen egotistical boundaries do not allow them to conduct
extensive interactions that can benefit them.
8) Skill to establish rapport

Identifying simple topics to discuss with adolescents is important. It will be helpful to know their
likes, timetables, and what is going on in their life. It will help to reduce resistance and make
them feel involved, which will help to create rapport over time. (Important tips on counselling
for teenagers 2018)
Activity 6
Make a list of skills required by a professional who is into adolescence counselling.
6.8 CASE STUDIES
Case Study 1: Daniel age 14 with ADHD
Daniel has spent the majority of his life in foster care. He is now fourteen years old and has spent
the last six years with the same foster family. Jean and Bill, his foster parents, find him
exceedingly demanding and difficult to manage. They believe Daniel suffers from a
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psychological or neurological condition and are trying to figure out what it is. They, on the other
hand, feel betrayed by Social Services, who refuse to assist them in their quest. Jean and Bill
have watched a variety of television programmes about Ausberger's syndrome, autism, Tourette's
syndrome, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. However, none of the doctors they spoke with thought
Daniel fit into any of these diagnostic categories. They eventually found a paediatrician who
would diagnose Daniel with ADHD and provide him a prescription for Ritalin. When the Ritalin
failed to work, they got enraged at the medical community for failing to identify Daniel's
pathology.
They eventually gave in to Social Services' push to attend counselling, although reluctantly. Jean
stated that she would not be staying; she had only come to the conclusion that the therapist
understood the problem. She expressed their belief in Daniel's pathology, as well as their
frustration with Social Services' lack of assistance and the medical profession's unwillingness to
agree with them. Daniel was uncomfortable and withdrawn in this situation.
When Daniel's anger resurfaced again, the therapist asked if he would be willing to talk on the
phone with him. He concurred. Bill called later that day. Daniel was not permitted to watch his
favourite TV show until he completed his schoolwork. He became enraged and abusive, flung
several ornaments around, and then went outside to hack down the garden with a large stick.
When Bill requested Daniel, he came to the phone, much to everyone's astonishment. He was
merely huffing and puffing at first. Daniel was calmly conversed with by the counsellor, who
asked him gentle questions. Daniel eventually began responding with a simple "yes" or "no" and
stated that talking on the phone was helping him relax. He also stated that this was his intention.
He was able to regain self-control and begin making apologies for his damage and abuse in the
span of an hour. Daniel began to compile a list of persons he knew as a result of this call, with
Bill's help. He drafted a letter to several of them, inviting them to join a telephone support group
that he could call on if he was worried about having an outburst. Daniel gradually began to
receive help in regaining control of his outbursts in this way. (Case study: Daniel age 14 2012)
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Case Study 2 – The Story of a 16-year-old Girl's Multiple Drug Use
Shelley, who is sixteen years old, comes from a white working-class household. Her mother
works in a commercial kitchen, and her father is jobless after being released from jail for forging
checks. When Shelley was 12, her older brother exposed her to marijuana and alcohol. Two of
her brother's buddies sexually abused her when she was 13 years old. Shelley kept this incident
hidden from the world, but the truth haunted her, causing worry and melancholy. Shelley's usage
of more and more powerful narcotics, such as cocaine and crystal meth, turned into abuse as she
tried to cope with her feelings with stronger and more powerful chemicals.
Shelley's activities and temperament perplexed both her parents and her teachers. Shelley was
living on the streets by the age of 15, frequently exchanging sex for drugs with older men.
Shelley's mother and father were instrumental in assisting her in resisting heroin's hold on her
life. Their bond with Shelley had always been strong. They were able to maintain contact with
her even when she was on the streets, and eventually persuaded her to seek counselling.
Thankfully, her alcohol and drug counsellor did not pass judgement on her or make judgments
about her substance-abusing habits. In fact, it was to this lady that Shelley eventually revealed
her sexual abuse secret.
Shelley began to view herself as a young woman with promise and possibility when her parents
brought up memories of her before the sexual assault and substance misuse. She came to believe
that she could do whatever she wanted with her life without using drugs. Shelley's clear thinking
allowed her to understand that narcotics like heroin and cocaine were both spiritually and
physically killing her with each day of drug-free existence.
Shelley just wrote a letter to her counsellor informing her that her family has relocated to a new
place where they believe they would have a better chance of starting again. Both parents have
jobs, and Shelley is working two part-time jobs after graduating from high school. In the fall,
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Shelley plans to enrol in community college social work courses. She is still drug-free. (Case
study 2 - a 16-year-old girl's story of multiple drug use 2014)
Activity - 2
Discuss case study of adolescents related to academic achievement issues dealt by high school
counsellor and prepare a report on it.
Summary
Adolescence counselling is a type of therapy and psychoanalysis provided to teenagers or

adolescents by trained professional counsellors in order to help them make sense of their
feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. This can include standard talking therapy or alternative
strategies that tap into young people's expressive nature, such as art therapy.
Adolescent counselling is important because it ensures smooth transition of child from childhood
to adulthood , assists teenagers in adjusting to new role and situations , addresses various teenage
issues and help them to handle them; helps growing children to cope with the mental and
physical changes , adolescents to sort their feelings and emotions ,adolescents in achieving
academic success ,strengthen conflict resolution skills, positive attitudes and behaviour and
reduce school dropouts and provides appropriate support services .
Adolescent counselling is needed because of sadness, depression, anxiety, disorders, manage

their symptoms, behavioural issues, addiction problems, stress, school and social-related issues,
legal issues, self-esteem issues, trauma, grief, to avoid escalating minor concerns of teens into
major issues or any other reason among teens.
Different types of psychotherapy used in adolescent counselling acceptance and commitment

therapy (ACT),cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), family
therapy, group therapy ,interpersonal therapy (IPT), mentalization based therapy (MBT), parent
child interaction therapy (PCIT), play therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and supportive
therapy.
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Adolescence counsellor face challenges while counselling like teenagers hate wasting time with
adults, they can sense dishonesty, dislike being lectured, offended by disregard or sarcasm, have
a limited attention span, teens hate being asked to identify “feelings”, dislike attending "therapy",
suspicious of individuals who try to endear themselves with them or frequently put grownups to
the test.
Skills required for adolescence counselling are skill of deep listening, skill asking questions
(open-ended questions, close-ended questions and meaning-based/Socratic questions), skill of
helping teen in goal setting, skill to identify flaws without making teens judged, skill to
differentiate between danger and drama, skill to incorporate teen's family in counselling with
counsellee's permission, time management skill and skill to establish rapport.
Keywords
● Adolescence = following puberty, a young person's development from a child to an adult

is called adolescence.
● Art therapy = as a remedial or diagnostic activity, a type of psychotherapy that
encourages unrestricted self-expression through painting, drawing, or modelling.
● Psychoanalysis = a system of psychological theory and therapy aimed at treating mental
problems by looking into the interaction of conscious and unconscious parts in the mind
and using techniques like dream interpretation and free association to bring repressed
fears and conflicts into the aware consciousness.
● Socratic questions = questions that rely on thoughtful, disciplined discourse, as well as
questions aimed at assisting individuals in determining the validity of their thoughts
● Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder = a disorder in which a person's ability to pay
attention and regulate impulsive activities is hampered.
Self-Assessment Questions
1. Explain the meaning of adolescence counselling in your own words.

2. State the importance of adolescence counselling.
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3. Identify the teenagers who need adolescence counselling, support your response with
appropriate explanation.
4. Explain different types of adolescent counselling.
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into adolescence counselling.
Q.1) Fill in the blanks
1. Adolescent counselling is aimed at helping young people make sense of their

feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
2. Adolescent counselling is a specific area of therapy and psychoanalysis that is

offered to teenagers or Adolescents by experienced professional counsellors.
Q.2) State whether the statement is true or false -
1. Adolescence Counselling helps growing children to cope with the mental and physical
changes. - True
2. Adolescence Counselling disturbs the smooth transition of a child from childhood to
adulthood. - False
Q.3) Multiple choice questions -
1) Which of the following therapy is not related to overcome addiction problems in teenagers -
d) colour therapy
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2) Meeting with a therapist can help you avoid escalating ____ concerns of an adolescent into
____ issues .
d) minor, major
Q.4) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to different types of adolescent
counselling.
Hot bath Therapy (HBT)
1. Explain the meaning of adolescence counselling in your own words.

Refer 6.1 Meaning and definition of adolescence counselling
2. State the importance of adolescence counselling.
Refer 6.2 Importance of adolescence counselling
3. Identify the teenagers who need adolescence counselling, support your response with
appropriate explanation.
Refer 6.3 Need of adolescence counselling
4. Explain different types of adolescent counselling. Refer 6.4. Different types of adolescent
counselling
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into adolescence counselling.
Refer 6.6 Skills required for adolescence counselling
6. Predict what can be possible challenges if you are counselling an adolescent.
SUGGESTED READINGS
1. Geldard, K., & Geldard, D. (2009). Relationship counselling for children, young people
and families (1st ed). Sage Publications.
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2. Geldard, K., & Geldard, D. (2010). Counselling adolescents: The proactive approach for
young people (3rd ed). Sage Publications.
3. Prever, M. (2010). Counselling and supporting children and young people: A person-
centred approach (1st ed). Sage Publications.
References -
1. Aacap (ND). Psychotherapy for children and adolescents: Different types.

Retrieved September 10,
2021. https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-
Guide/Psychotherapies-For-Children-And-Adolescents-086.aspx
2. Adolescent counselling in India: Warning signs that your child NEEDS THERAPY.
OnlineCounselling4U. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10,
2021. https://www.onlinecounselling4u.com/adolescent-counselling.php
3. Adolescent therapy: Uk therapy guide: Therapy and counselling. (n.d.).

uktherapyguide.com. Retrieved September 10,
2021. https://www.uktherapyguide.com/session-type/adolescent-counselling-
therapy/ctc1004
4. Butani, P. (2021, May 18). Benefits of adolescence counselling. Retrieved September 10,
2021. http://www.drpromillabutani.com/blog/benefits-adolescence-counselling/
5. Case study 2 - a 16-year-old girl's story of multiple drug use. Planet therapy. (2014,
January 10). Retrieved September 10, 2021. http://www.planet-therapy.com/alcohol-
case2/
6. Case study: Daniel age 14. (2012, March 27). Retrieved September 10,
2021. http://www.planet-therapy.com/case_study_daniel/. Planet Therapy.
7. DS psychology Group Resources. (n.d.). DS psychology Melbourne.

Retrieved September 10, 2021. https://dspsychology.com.au/about-adolescent-
counselling/
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8. Himelstein, S. (2016, April 5). 3 basic counselling skills for working with teens.
Retrieved September 10, 2021. https://centerforadolescentstudies.com/3-basic-
counselling-skills-working-teens/. Center for Adolescent Studies.
9. Jacobson, & Nabaasa. (2021, July 16). What is adolescent counselling? Harley therapy
blog. Harley Therapy™ Blog. Retrieved September 10,
2021. https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/adolescent-counselling-facts-
explained.htm.
10. Jensen, (R. (n.d.). Challenges working with teenagers.

http://www.thewashingtoncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/T107-Handout-7.pdf.
Retrieved September 11, 2021
11. Morin, A. (ND). Why you should bring your teen to therapy. Verywell mind.
Retrieved September 10, 2021. https://www.verywellmind.com/top-reasons-teens-go-to-
therapy-2609138
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Career Counselling
UNIT
7
Structure:
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Meaning and definition of Career Counselling
7.3 Importance of Career Counselling
7.4 Need of Career Counselling
7.5 Types of Career Counselling
7.6 Challenges in Career Counselling
7.7 Skills required for Career counselling
7.8 Case studies
Summary
Keywords
References
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Objective:
 explain the meaning of Career Counselling.

 state the importance of Career Counselling.
 identify people who need Career Counselling.
7.1 INTRODUCTION
The complexities of 21st-century society necessitate new approaches to understanding the world
of work and career. Not only must the current generation refine their talents and capabilities by
acquiring knowledge, developing analytical skills, and adapting to the dynamics of human
contact, but they must also mentally prepare for technological advancements.
Technology will have a significant impact on future decisions in every profession, so the current
generation's employment choices must be futuristic. The future is always a challenge that
encourages people to stay on top form, continuously re-evaluating their skills and keeping an eye
on the latest trends, problems, and opportunities that affect society.
Students are often confused as to which career option to pursue. They are not only having
difficulties with their careers and streams, but they are also experiencing an emotional and
physical turmoil. Young people are frequently confronted with such situations, and while some
seek assistance, the majority of them live unhappy and unproductive lives. The lack of competent
career counselling and guidance at the appropriate moment, i.e. during the transitional years of
education, is the cause of this circumstance.
This is where counselling from a career counsellor helps a lot. Now let us look into career
counselling in more detail.
7.2 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF CAREER COUNSELLING
A process that will help you to know and understand yourself and the world of work in order to
make career, educational, and life decisions.” –Boise State University ("What is Career
Counselling?", 2019)
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“Counselling that provides career information resources, discusses career development, and
administers and interprets aptitude and ability assessments.” – (Elizabeth, "Career Counselling -
Definitions, Theories, and Assessments", 2018)
Career counselling, also known as career guidance, is counselling designed to help with
choosing, changing, or leaving a career and is available at any stage in life. ("Career
Counselling", 2021)
Career counselling, also known as career guidance, is a process that helps a person in
understanding himself, his personality, background, abilities and interests and subsequently
making choices in career development about choosing a new career, switching for a career
change or leaving a specific career path. (Bhasin, "Career Counselling - Definition, Meaning,
Importance and Types", 2021)
Career counselling is consultation, advice, or guidance specifically focused on a person’s career

opportunities, most often provided in educational, work, and some community settings. It also
may have the specific goal of enabling a person to change the direction of his or her career. The
counselling will take account of an individual’s preferences, intelligence, skill sets, work values,
and experience. Such counselling is offered to groups as well as individuals. Also called career
guidance. ("APA Dictionary of Psychology")
We can conclude from the above definitions that career counselling, also known as career
guidance, is a process of consultation, advice, or guidance that will assist you in better
understanding yourself, your personality, background, abilities and interests, and the world of
work in order to make career, educational, and life decisions by providing career information
resources, discussing career development, and providing career information resources. Career
counselling is accessible at any stage of life and is offered to groups as well as individuals to
assist in choosing, changing, or leaving a career.
Q.1) Fill in the blanks -
1) Career counselling is also known as career ________.
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2) Career counselling is accessible at _____ stage of life
7.3 IMPORTANCE OF CAREER COUNSELLING
The importance of career counselling in general is as follows:
Educate yourself
Career counsellors are experts in this domain who have a thorough understanding of it. They
provide students and job seekers with knowledge, information, and counselling to help them
figure out what level of education they'll need to achieve their professional goals.
Achieving expected objectives
People who seek career counselling benefit from it since it helps them achieve their objectives.
Counsellors engage with students in educational institutions such as high school and college
from an early age so that they can be guided later on. Even professionals seek their services so
that their counsel and guidance might assist them in fast climbing the success ladder.
Economic gains
Career counselling is crucial since it aids in better managing the time spent unemployed. It
provides opportunities to broaden your professional horizons, earn more money by choosing
better career decisions, and become more productive.
Enhance your social connections
Career counselling is important since it improves a client's networking skills and helps him
expand his social network. (Bhasin, "Career Counselling - Definition, Meaning, Importance and
Types", 2021)
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Career counselling is important particularly for college students in the following manner,
● Career counselling enables them to comprehend their career possibilities and how to
pursue them.
● Counselling enables them to recognise their own strengths and shortcomings in relation
to their current course or profession, as well as determine which career path is best for
them.
● Career counselling allows them to express their opinions on what they want to do with
their future as well as discuss any barriers they may be concerned about.
● Transitioning from one field to another is much less distressing with career counselling.
● With the guidance of a professional mentor, Career Counselling can help them gain the
confidence they need to change their domain. ("Career Counselling - Higher Education
for Students Online", 2015)
1) Career Counselling cannot help students to gain confidence.

2) People who seek career counselling benefit from it since it helps them achieve
their objectives.
7.4 NEED OF CAREER COUNSELLING
At some time in our lives, we all need career guidance. It allows us to gain new perspectives on
ourselves, our careers, and what we can do to enhance them. Here are a few ways of how career
counselling might aid us:
Assists in Choosing the Right Career
Career counsellors are professionals in evaluating your skills, personality, interests, and other
characteristics. They utilise the results of this assessment to recommend the best career
possibilities out of all the accessible and relevant options.
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Helps in the provision of expert resources
Career counselling gives you access to the resources and expertise that a career expert has. This
understanding of careers, their scope, and the paths to pursue them is especially crucial from the
perspective of a parent and child, because most parents and guardians lack such expertise.
Helps Gain Confidence and Insight
Career counselling assists a counselee in recognising the hurdles in his or her career path. This
understanding assists in the development of the confidence needed to overcome these obstacles.
It is the responsibility of a professional counsellor to offer the counselee with such understanding
and confidence.
Changes inappropriate behaviour patterns
Procrastination, not keeping up with the latest advances in their chosen career pathways,
disregarding emotional and mental health, failing to self-motivate, and other behaviours are
difficult to break for students and professionals. A Career Counsellor can assist you in breaking
unproductive behavioural habits at home and in school/college/work.
Helps to Relieve career related Frustration
For both parents and children, deciding on a job can be a challenging task. A lack of outlets for
expressing emotions and thoughts may aggravate existing frustration. Job counselling provides a
platform for reducing such frustrations and refocusing attention on the best career possibilities.
Guides As A Role Model
Career counselling connects students with specialists with a plethora of life experience to share.
They are role models who have accomplished much in their lives and aided others. This is why,
for those that need it, Career Counselling may be an inspiration.
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Assists to Bring Stability In Thought
Counsellors can assist you in remaining calm when making a career decision. Counselling aids in
the development of focus and the maintenance of that focus throughout our daily activities. They
attempt to manage your life through good scheduling and planning. ("Career Counselling -
Higher Education for Students Online", 2015)
1) Career counselling gives you access to the ________ that a career expert has
a) resources and expertise b) job c) money d) technology
2) Counselling aids in the development of focus and the maintenance of that focus
throughout our ______ activities.
a) Health related b) educational c) professional d) daily
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7.5 TYPES OF CAREER COUNSELLING
There are many different types of career counselling, and it's vital to understand them all so you
can select the one that best fits your needs. These are the following:
1. Self-Directed Job Search
The majority of people are on their own in their job search and do not have access to a career
counsellor.
The reasons for this situation are that the job seekers were,
● Able to gain lawful employment and find a new job without the assistance of a
counsellor, and they are confident that if necessary, they can do it again on their own.
● They are in a financial bind, and hiring a career counsellor seems like a waste of money.
● They are experiencing emotional turmoil, and their mental health is suffering.
● They have not considered seeking the assistance of a career counsellor in order to obtain
a new job in the employment market. These people's job search options are limited to
some extent, but with determination and hard effort, they can often turn things around.
It is critical for job searchers who choose the Self-Directed Job Search to understand that
enlisting the assistance of a career counsellor will improve their chances of soon landing the
desired position.
2. Career Marketing Firms
Career marketing services are a form of career counselling agency that hires people to recruit job
seekers who are looking for work. These agencies provide a variety of services, including
● Clients can benefit from one-on-one coaching.

● Assist clients with resume writing by offering access to high-paying databases
● Assist customers by providing customized marketing materials.
These businesses have a questionable reputation in the marketplace, and their level of success
fluctuates. They are frequently accused of preying on unsuspecting job seekers. If someone is
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considering this form of career advice, they should choose one that has a high recommendation
value.
3. Limited Outplacement Assistance
Some employees hold high positions in their previous company and are entitled for external
consulting assistance when they depart. It is only available for a limited time and may contain
● Report on the advertisement

● Coaching session with a company counsellor on a one-on-one basis
● Limited career counselling with a professional counsellor
● Workshops led by well-known career advisers
● Coaching for networking groups
● For resume writing, you'll have access to experienced career advisers.
● Access to the company's internet database
To get the most out of the transition time, some job seekers join government-sponsored help
groups or job search networking clubs. The best aspect about using restricted outplacement
support for career development is that it has largely proven to be beneficial for job seekers.
4. Career Transition Counsellors who are self-employed
Independent Career Transition Counsellors are a sort of career counsellor who assists clients
with career development and counselling. Their pricing varies, so examine their credentials,
learn about the overall costs, visit their website, and ask others about their success rate before
hiring them. Ascertain that the career counsellor can assist you by providing a curriculum
tailored to your specific requirements.(Bhasin, "Career Counselling - Definition, Meaning,
Importance and Types", 2021)
Q.4) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to terms related to types of career
counselling
Self-Directed Job Search, drugs and steroid therapy, Career Marketing Firms, Limited
Outplacement Assistance, Career Transition Counsellors who are self-employed.
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7.6 CHALLENGES IN CAREER COUNSELLING
The issues listed below have bothered counsellors for years, as well as ones that are new to their
field of specialization.
Government Policy And Career Guidance
A government policy governing the implementation of career counselling has not been issued in
the majority of developing countries. It will be difficult to obtain adoption and acceptance of the
procedure as an essential academic process unless specific necessary restrictions are not enforced
in schools and educational institutes.
Insufficient funds
According to several studies, educational institutions are hesitant to spend money on student
career counselling.
An Improper Educational System
While our country appears to be progressing in many areas on paper, the reality falls well short
of these boasts. Although we live in the twenty-first century, our educational methods are
somewhat outdated. Institutions are gradually recognising the need of career counsellors, albeit
with caution. India is seen as having a counselling shortage, with an estimated 93 percent of
schools lacking a trained counsellor on campus. It's tough to advocate for the necessity of career
coaching in a system that is accountable for catering to a child's every demand.
Demand/Supply Inequality
The 2018 Annual International Career and College Counselling Conference estimated that 1.4
million career counsellors will be needed to maintain the global acceptable ratio, which was just
over two years ago. With the burden of service weighing heavily on career guidance counsellors,
it becomes increasingly difficult for them to provide the level of attention that each individual
needs. This could lead to inefficiencies, causing individuals to lose faith in the profession as a
whole.
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Access to a Large Number of Resources and a Wide Range of Influence
As previously mentioned, it is difficult for career counsellors to build trust with clients when the
institutions themselves do not value, let alone demand, counselling. This also means that fewer
people are trying to fill the huge gap left by the absence of investment in this field. As a result,
we have fewer trainers, who can only reach a small audience with limited resources.
Dispelling Stereotypes and Prejudices
It might be difficult to get clients to unlearn old habits or to see things from a different
perspective. It's never easy to shake basic assumptions, let alone weaken them. Individuals' sense
of self-concept or professional identity is frequently shaped by their circumstances, rather than
by their particular preferences. Challenging these assumptions and encouraging clients to make
their own judgments can take much longer than expected, and can even result in bitter
discussions.
Trying to defeat the “Quick-Fix” Mentality
We live in a world where humans are losing their ability to be patient at a quicker rate than
nature and its resources are being depleted. To begin with, explaining to individuals how it is a
process – and not something that can be determined in two sessions – could be difficult.
Psychometric tests are never totally correct, despite their reliability. There's always the
possibility of inconsistencies owing to a person's shifting ideas, how they're feeling while taking
the test, replying dishonestly to meet particular expectations, or even test anxiousness.These tests
do not thoroughly examine the client in order to provide reliable findings. Instead, they serve as a
guide to the coach's actual job, which takes time. A career coach's job isn't to help a child choose
the correct career path. It's to provide them the tools they'll need to make such decisions for
themselves, not just after 12th grade, but throughout their lives. ("Career Counselling - Higher
Education for Students Online", 2015)
Parents have a limited understanding
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Because of the rapid adoption of technology in the 1990s, there is a significant generation gap
between parents and young students in emerging countries. Parents are unaware of all of the new
professional opportunities that are emerging, and they continue to believe in traditional career
paths.
Malpractices In The Field
Education advisors are prevalent in developing countries, advising students to specific schools,
colleges, and universities. They sell the seats to the pupils rather than guiding them without
bias.Given the availability of such practises, many students are cautious to seek career advice
from private sources. ("Challenges for Career Counselling in developing nations", 2021)
Predict what are possible challenges for a career counsellor.
Activity -1
Interview a career counsellor to know the challenges faced by them particularly in the 21st
century and prepare a report on it.
7.7 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR CAREER COUNSELLING
A good career counsellor must possess the following counselling skills to comprehend the client,
Communication Skills
Excellent communication skills are a requirement for any career counsellor. You must be able to
clearly communicate your opinions, ideas, and convictions to your client. Excellent
communication skills enable you to convey your thoughts and ideas more effectively than others.
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Communication is crucial; if you are unable to clearly communicate your ideas and views to
your client, there may be a misunderstanding.
Problem-Solving Skills
Clients come to you with their difficulties in the hope that you will be able to fix them. As a
result, this problem-solving ability is the most fundamental quality that any successful counsellor
should possess. A counsellor must be able to identify their clients' issues and provide the most
appropriate and accurate answer. Clients will trust you more if you have exceptional problem-
solving skills.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the ability to look within yourself and see your own psychological needs and
desires. You must be able to grasp the skill of self-awareness in order to be a good career
counsellor. This allows you to keep your personal problems from interfering with your work.
Self-awareness can have a big impact on a counsellor's effectiveness. A counselling student is
trained to act, think, and feel appropriately so that he may readily relate to and empathise with
clients.
Rapport Building Skills
You'll need excellent interpersonal skills to immediately establish a rapport with a client and
maintain solid relationships with them. By offering the client your complete attention, you must
be able to gain the client's trust. When attending a session, you must be able to dedicate your full
attention to the client and avoid getting distracted in order to create rapport quickly.
Acceptance
If you want to be an effective career counsellor, you must be nonjudgmental. Acceptance is

essential for gaining the client's trust and establishing interpersonal relationships. If the client
thinks you're evaluating him at any time throughout the session, he'll lose faith in you. Clients
would appreciate you if you are honest, nonjudgmental, and accepting of all situations.
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Listener who pays attention
To be an effective career counsellor, you must be an excellent listener. You must first listen
patiently to the client and then calmly consider the issues before speaking. Allow the client to
complete the task first. Counselling abilities are built on the foundation of being an active
listener. You must actively listen to the client's difficulties; telling them to repeat what they say
will give the appearance that you are not paying attention. The counsellor's primary
responsibility is to listen to their client and fully comprehend the problem.
Confidentiality
Every client does not have to feel comfortable revealing their difficulties with everyone; they can
just open up to the counsellor. As a counsellor, it is your responsibility to safeguard and respect
each client's privacy. It's fine to discuss fascinating situations with your coworkers, but you must
be careful not to reveal the client's personal information. You must maintain secrecy in order to
demonstrate to them that they can trust you and that you respect them. You must keep your
clientele in a happy and refreshing environment. You can only be at ease when your clients are at
ease, and only then can you think about and provide better answers to their problems.("7 Basic
Counselling Skills of Good Career Counsellor", 2020)
Proficiency in Comprehensive Visualization
As a counsellor, you will encounter a variety of people. Their backgrounds, experiences, and
levels of participation will all be unique. You must keep flexibility in your perspectives and
understanding in order to go from one perspective to another. You must think extensively as a
career counsellor. Extend your knowledge and comprehension horizons. Don't follow the crowd;
think for yourself. Listen to the issues and consider other approaches to solving them.
Become Technoid – Use Latest Tools
Career counselling has progressed beyond simply sitting beside a client and listening to their
concerns. You now have a variety of tools and approaches to help you understand your clients'
concerns and deliver the best answer. There are a variety of psychometric tests available to
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assess people's interest in various hobbies, abilities, personalities, and methods for analysing
results, among other things. With the help of several counselling tools and approaches, you may
do a comprehensive career assessment. Apart from psychometric exams, there are a variety of
other counselling tools available. Tools for subject selection, profile creation, curriculum review,
and so on are some of the newer items that most counsellors are employing these days. Use
counselling tools, learn to control the industry.
Art of Public Speaking
Speaking in public is a skill. It increases your self-confidence, develops your critical thinking
skills, improves your communication skills, and, most significantly, offers you the attention and
importance you deserve from your audience. One of the most valuable talents for personal
development is public speaking. You can hold webinars, workshops, group visits, and other
events to reach out to a large number of individuals at once. It encourages you to share and
pushes you out of your comfort zone.
Ability of Discretion
Ability of Discretion: As a career mentor, people look up to you. You can't simply listen to them
and offer a solution right away. Collect all essential information from the client, conduct
additional research, comprehend the situation, consider all factors, and then offer a solution. This
is how you can make sure your decisions are correct. The ability to be discreet does not come
naturally; it develops with time. You'll be able to perfect this talent after a few sessions with
some clients.
Networking Skills
Every counsellor should make an effort to build a network. It aids in the development and
enhancement of your skill set. You'll learn about the most recent market trends, meet potential
mentors, partners, and clients, and gain access to the required tools. As a result, one of the most
important talents that every career counsellor should possess is networking. As previously stated,
public speaking can help you reach a wider audience. This, however, is not the case. You can
also join an organisation to gain a platform, attend networking events in your field, host a free
session for your community, invite some colleagues to a panel debate on a hot topic, and so on. It
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can aid in the advancement of your career.(Rehal & Sharma, "2021 Edition: 5 Essential Skills for
Career Counsellors", 2021)
Make a list of skills required by a professional counsellor who is into career counselling.
7.8 CASE STUDIES
Case study 1 - Therapy to cope with stress from returning to school while working full-time
Mandy, 30, is dissatisfied with her paralegal job but has no idea how to change it. She'd like a
less stressful career where she could be of more assistance to others, but most of the professions
she thinks she'd enjoy demand more schooling, and she can't afford to quit her employment.
Working 45 hours a week while attending school sounds stressful and terrifying to her, so she
sets an appointment with a therapist, who helps Mandy normalise her feelings and explore her
concerns about attending school while working full-time.
Mandy realises that she won't be able to stay in her current position for much longer after a
session of exploring her aspirations and current stress level. She recognises that she must finish
her studies despite the challenges in order to change professions.
Mandy's therapist assists her in identifying options, such as financial aid and stress management
techniques, so that she can successfully continue working while attending school at night.
Mandy's own abilities, as seen by her profession as a paralegal, are also highlighted by the
therapist: the capacity to multitask, work long hours, conduct significant research, and complete
projects and tough tasks on her own. This information provides Mandy optimism and assurance
that she will be able to complete her education while working. ("Career Counselling", 2021)
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Case study 2 - Career Confusion
Tom was in his late forties and looking for a new adventure. He had been employed in the
computer field for nearly 20 years and had lately been laid off from one of the huge companies.
He came into the computer sector because it was fascinating and there were always fresh
advances. However, with time, he became dissatisfied with huge firms' lack of dedication to their
employees.
He was ready to leave computers for the third time after becoming a "victim" of a downsizing.
But he was at a loss for what to do.
The first thing Tom asked in career counselling was, "What else am I excellent at?" He
underwent a series of tests and discovered that he has an innate aptitude in science and
technology. The more he looked into it, the more he grew interested in repairing scientific
gadgets. He enrolled in a course aimed at assisting technicians in the repair of medical devices.
He met another entrepreneur during this session, and the two of them collaborated on a company
idea. Tom had discovered a new task and was eager to get started. ( Chen, "Therapy Case
Examples: Counselling Case Examples", 2021)
Activity - 2
Discuss with the counsellor, case study of a person who suffered in his/her career during the
pandemic and prepare a report on it.
Summary
● Career counselling, also known as career guidance, is a process of consultation, advice,

or guidance that will assist you in better understanding yourself, your personality,
background, abilities and interests, and the world of work in order to make career,
educational, and life decisions by providing career information resources, discussing
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career development, and providing career information resources. Career counselling is
accessible at any stage of life and is offered to groups as well as individuals to assist in
choosing, changing, or leaving a career.
● The importance of career counselling is educating yourself, achieving expected
objectives, economic gains and enhancing your social connections.
● Career counselling is important particularly for college students as it enables them to
comprehend their career possibilities and how to pursue them, to recognise their own
strengths and shortcomings in relation to their current course or profession, as well as
determine which career path is best for them, allows them to express their opinions on
what they want to do with their future as well as discuss any barriers they may be
concerned about, transitioning from one field to another is much less distressing with
career counselling and help them gain the confidence they need to change their domain.
● Career counselling is needed as it assists in choosing the right career, helps in the
provision of expert resources, helps gain confidence and insight, and changes
inappropriate behaviour patterns. helps to relieve career related frustration and assists to
bring stability in thought
● There are different types of career counselling such as self-directed job search, career
marketing firms, limited outplacement assistance and career transition counsellors who
are self-employed.
● Challenges in career counselling are government policy and career guidance, insufficient
funds, an improper educational system, demand/supply inequality, access to a large
number of resources and a wide range of influence, dispelling stereotypes and prejudices,
trying to defeat the “quick-fix” mentality, parents have a limited understanding and
malpractices in the field.
● A good career counsellor must possess skills like good communication, problem-solving,
self-awareness, rapport building, acceptance, listener who pays attention, maintain
confidentiality, proficiency in comprehensive visualization, use latest tools, art of public
speaking, ability of discretion and networking skills.
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Keywords
● Career - an occupation that a person engages in for a significant period of time and
offers prospects for advancement.
● Objectives - a thing that is intended at or sought after; an aim.
● Confidentiality - keeping or being kept secret or private is the state of keeping or being
kept hidden or private.
● Technoid - a person who is interested in and/or knowledgeable about technology
1. Explain the meaning of career counselling in your own words.
2. State the importance of career counselling.
3. Identify the reasons where there is a need for career counselling.
4. Explain different types of career counselling.
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into career counselling.
Check your progress 1 -
1) Career counselling is also known as career guidance.
2) Career counselling is accessible at any stage of life
1) Career Counselling cannot help students to gain confidence. - False

2) People who seek career counselling benefit from it since it helps them achieve their
objectives. - True
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1) Career counselling gives you access to the ________ that a career expert has
a) resources and expertise b) job c) money d) technology
2) Counselling aids in the development of focus and the maintenance of that focus
throughout our ______ activities.
a) Health related b)educational c) professional d) daily
Q.4) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to terms related to types of career
counselling
Self-Directed Job Search, drugs and steroid therapy, Career Marketing Firms, Limited
Outplacement Assistance, Career Transition Counsellors who are self-employed.
Q.5) Predict what possible challenges of a career counsellor .
Refer subunit 7.5 Challenges in career counselling
Q.6) Make a list of skills required by a professional counsellor who is into career
counselling.
Refer subunit -7.6 Skills required for career counselling
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1. Explain the meaning of career counselling in your own words.
2. State the importance of career counselling.
3. Identify the reasons where there is a need for career counselling.
4. Explain different types of career counselling.
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into career counselling.
Suggested Readings
1. Nathan, R., & Hill, L. (2007). Career counselling. Los Angeles: SAGE Publ.
2. Maree, J. G. (2019). Handbook of innovative career counselling. Cham: Springer.
3. McMahon, M. (2017). Career counselling constructivist approaches. London:

Routledge.
4. Reid, H. L. (2016). Introduction to career counselling & coaching. Los Angeles:

SAGE.
5. Sheward, S., & Branch, R. (2012). Motivational career counselling & coaching:
Cognitive and behavioural approaches. London: SAGE.
References
1. Chen, S. J. (ND). Therapy case examples: Counselling case examples.

Retrieved September 23, 2021. https://www.stevenjchen.com/case-examples/
2. Basic counselling skills of good career counsellor. (2020, December 29).

Retrieved September 23, 2021. https://www.careerguide.com/career/career-
counsellor-certification-course/7-basic-counselling-skills-of-good-career-
counsellor
3. APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2021, from

https://dictionary.apa.org/career-counseling
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4. Bhasin, H. (2021, April 04). Career Counseling - Definition, Meaning,
Importance and Types. Retrieved from https://www.marketing91.com/career-
counseling/
5. Career Counseling. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2021, from

https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/career-counseling
6. Career Counselling - Higher Education for Students Online. (2015, January 01).
Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.mindler.com/career-
counselling-meaning-benefits-importance
7. Challenges for Career Counselling in developing nations. (2021, March 17).

Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.careerguide.com/career/career-
counselling/challenges-for-career-counselling-in-developing-nations
8. Elizabeth. (2018, December 04). Career Counseling - Definitions, Theories, and

Assessments. Retrieved from https://onemindtherapy.com/therapy/career-
counseling/
9. Rehal, D., & Sharma, P. (2021, February 24). 2021 Edition: 5 Essential Skills for
Career Counsellors |. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from
https://www.globalcareercounsellor.com/blog/5-essential-skills-for-career-
counsellors/
10. What is Career Counseling? (2019, November 26). Retrieved September 23,
2021, from https://www.boisestate.edu/career/what-is-career-counseling/
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Old Age Counselling
UNIT
Structure:
8
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Meaning and definition of old age Counselling
8.3 Importance of old age Counselling
8.4 Need of old age Counselling
8.5 Types of old age counselling
8.6 Challenges in old age Counselling
8.7 Skills required for old age counselling
8.8 Case studies
Summary
Keywords
References
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Objective:

 explain the meaning of old age counselling.
 state importance of old age counselling.
 identify people who need old age counselling.
8.1 INTRODUCTION
The most troubling stage of any human's life cycle is old age. There is almost nothing left to help
sustain the sparks of wish to live by the time all the hair is greyish white and the teeth are weak
and falling out. It has been scientifically proven that an average human faces the greatest number
of problems as he or she ages.
When a person is old and wise, they are susceptible to a variety of psychological issues such as
depression, loneliness, and worry. All of these things are glossed over since they are elderly
people approaching death, but what their children and younger relatives fail to recognise is that
all they need is a little advice and counselling to feel better and stay happy and content until their
final breath.
Counseling for the elderly, often known as geriatric counselling, is rarely given any
consideration. However, they are at a point in their lives where they require a lot of help. After a
life full of friends, family, and well-wishers with whom they would spend time until a few years
ago, this period of life brings them to a standstill and brings with it some undesired presents such
as health concerns and loneliness. To deal with such unavoidable challenges and move on with
the rest of one's life while accepting what is, one requires a word of encouragement. Providing
psychological assistance is more important than any other type of assistance. For mental illnesses
such as stress, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, and so on, either the children or their caregivers
should extend a psychological supportive shoulder.
Missing children, a chronic condition, the death of a spouse or a close family member, suffering
a protracted illness or having a mental disorder that comes with age, and so on can cause a lot of
stress and disrupt their mental serenity. Empty nest syndrome can be a difficult situation to deal
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with for the elderly. Leading a wretched existence, giving up all peace as if life itself is a heavy
burden, is a serious issue that must be addressed. Old age counselling assists the elderly in living
a calm existence by emphasising on the good parts of life and encouraging them to view life as a
blessing. (Kosuri, 2019)
Now we shall see old age or elderly or geriatric counseling more in detail.
8.2 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF OLD AGE COUNSELLING
Old age or elderly or geriatric counseling provides physical and psychological assessment
services for older adults, along with counseling, direct care, treatment for mental health issues,
and assistance with problems interfering with a senior's quality of life. Geriatric counsellors
often specialize in the identification and resolution of issues common to seniors residing in long
term care and assisted living facilities, and work closely with staff responsible for providing
skilled nursing care. (How To Become A Geriatric Counselor | CareersinPsychology.org, 2021)
Geriatric counselling can be one of the many measures to help our elders age healthily. It’s a
type of counselling that is meant to offer assistance to older adults during this difficult transition
in their lives. (How To Become A Geriatric Counselor | CareersinPsychology.org, 2021)
Geriatric mental health therapy is focused on the psychological and emotional needs of
individuals over the age of 60. (Geriatric Therapy: How to Help Older Adults With Depression,
2021)
As defined by the aforementioned definitions, old age, elderly, or geriatric counselling is focused
on the psychological and emotional needs of adults over the age of 60 as one of several strategies
to help our seniors age healthily, It's a sort of counselling aimed at assisting elderly generations
as they go through this challenging time in their life. It provides older persons with physical and
psychological assessments, as well as counselling, direct care, mental health therapy, and aid
with difficulties that are interfering with a senior's quality of life.
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Q.1) Fill in the blanks
1) Geriatric mental health therapy is focused on the psychological and emotional needs of
individuals over the age of _______ 60
2) Old age or elderly or geriatric counseling provides _________physical and

___________psychological assessment services for older adults.
8.3 IMPORTANCE OF OLD AGE COUNSELLING-
Old age Counselling is important because,
1. It provides a safe space and validation
It should come as no surprise that many elderly people in today's society feel undervalued. When
their viewpoints are no longer sought, how can they communicate and interact? Counseling
provides a secure environment for people to talk about their difficulties and worries, as well as a
time for them to open up and feel valued.
2. It helps to discuss the stigma and impact of injury, illness, and medications
For elders, things are shifting in unexpected new ways. A multitude of physical conditions might
make a serious impact in their way of life. This tends to impede conversation. They may be
ashamed of the changes they're going through, and our culture only adds to that sense. They can
express themselves freely in counselling sessions without fear of being judged or stigmatised.
3. It promotes mindfulness
Counsellor can help to convince an aging person that staying in the present is usually a smart
option, especially when the future seems bleak. As an elder near senior citizen status, the past
can cast a long shadow. Everything adds up to appreciating what they have: the present moment.
An older adult can find tranquilly and their voice in that current moment!
4. It develops new interests and connections
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One’s ageing loved one will be gently reminded by a geriatric counsellor that they are capable
of more. Age creates problems, but it doesn't have to mean that elderly can't pursue their
passions and socialise. New viewpoints and ideas are empowered through old age counselling. It
takes communication to develop new interests and relationships, and it also inspires
communication.
5. Introduces senior citizens to modern methods of interacting
Communication nowadays entails knowing and relying on technology. It's helpful to have a
mentor or counsellor —someone who can patiently explain why mastering these new abilities is
so important. It's usual for elders to spend less time outside and, in some cases, to become
housebound. Mastering today's technology, on the other hand, opens up a window of opportunity
for free communication.(Geriatric Therapy: How to Help Older Adults With Depression,
2021)
6. Assists elderly navigate the changes in their lives
When older persons experience new obstacles, mental health problems can emerge for the first
time. Your elderly loved one may already be suffering from a mental health problem that has
manifested new symptoms. Seniors can benefit from professional counsellors to assist them
navigate the changes in their lives, and providing one for your loved one can help him or her live
a better life.
7. Encourages Them To Make Positive Changes
Apathy is a prevalent problem among seniors, and your loved one may believe that poor health
concerns are unavoidable. Counseling gives elders the ability to do what they can to improve
their overall health. Rather than merely declaring that life must be difficult, your loved one may
begin to take steps to maintain independence.
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8. Helps to Accept A New Medical Diagnosis
There are times when elders must come to terms with the fact that some things cannot be
changed. A counsellor can teach elderly person how to accept a health diagnosis, such as
Alzheimer's, if he or she is in denial. Elderly who learn how to regulate their emotional reactions
to health issues are in a better position to care for themselves. Counseling can also help elders
cope with the stress that comes with a new health diagnosis, and counsellors can teach stress-
relieving strategies that are beneficial to adults who suffer from chronic pain.
9. It Works All Through the Grief & Loss Process
Elderly people frequently suffer many losses in a short period of time. They may also face
catastrophes such as the death of adult children or long-term relationships. Elders can benefit
from professional counselling since it provides them with tools to help them cope with their
losses. While one can't bring your elderly relatives and friends back, you can give them a path to
go ahead.
10. Resolves Previously Unresolved Issues
In an ideal world, all past problems would be addressed by the time a person reaches his or her
senior years. Many elders, on the other hand, are still dealing with events that occurred many
years ago. Long-standing family disagreements may be eroding your loved one's support system.
Seniors may withdraw themselves from others as a result of painful occurrences in their lives.
Although your loved one may not be ready to discuss some of these difficulties with close family
members, he or she is more likely to open up to a counsellor, who can assist him or her in taking
the first steps toward recovery.
11. Helps to accept is a Good Habit to Develop
Elders may feel compelled to accept assistance from others at times. The elderly who have
worked hard to be self-sufficient are the most averse to having carers. Speaking with a counsellor
can assist elders in realising that accepting assistance is a positive thing. Your loved one's
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counsellor can assist him or her find ways to accept support from others. The counsellor can also
assist your loved one in developing communication skills that will improve the benefits of
receiving care at home. (Grim, 2021)
1) Elderly people rarely suffer many losses in a short period of time.

2) It should come as no surprise that many elderly people in today's society feel
undervalued.
8.4 NEED OF OLD AGE COUNSELLING
Elderly people need counselling so as
1. To overcome depressive lows:
As a person grows older, he or she is forced to let go of many things that they never wanted to
live without. Some of these include being forced to retire from their profession, being separated
from their families, and becoming completely outdated with no reason to live. All of these
circumstances can make the elderly feel as if there is nothing left for them. It makes people
unhappy and depressed, while also perhaps making them lonely. They are aware that they are
physically unfit for the work, but they nonetheless have a deep-seated sense of futility.
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2. To increase social interaction:
Going to a counsellor allows elderly people to express themselves, feel connected to someone,
and seek help for issues that no one else understands. Counselors might propose things for them
to participate in, such as social engagement and other activities, to fill their free time and keep
them occupied. They can suggest simple but effective and useful exercises to keep their minds
diverted and engaged, such as reading books or watching movies. A counsellor can work
wonders while also providing good services.
3. To seek assistance in the event of a traumatic event:
Counseling is also necessary for people who have experienced substantial trauma in their later
years. This can involve the death of a family member in an accident or being completely ignored
by one's own family. Even in India, many families regard their parents and grandparents as a
burden and abandon them to old age homes without considering their feelings. Counseling
becomes necessary in these situations to ensure that our seniors have a stable mind and are
content with their lives. (Mehta, 2021)
4. To assist in improving life quality -
It's no secret that many older folks require assistance with daily activities. Family members,
however, may find it difficult to be present when their senior relatives require assistance, no
matter how much they wish they could. Geriatric counsellors, on the other hand, can offer the
help that older people require. The assistance that these experts give frequently makes life easier,
more convenient, and more comfortable for older persons and their families. Counsellors assist
elderly persons in their "golden years" in improving their quality of life. (How To Become A
Geriatric Counselor, 2021)
Q.3) Multiple choice questions
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1) Counseling becomes necessary in these situations to ensure that our seniors have a
_______mind.
a) Stable b) unstable c) confused d) restless
2) Counsellors assist elderly persons in their "golden years" in improving their quality of
_________.
a) Work b) food c) life d) health
8.5 TYPES OF OLD AGE COUNSELLING
Counselling has been demonstrated to be useful for distressed older persons, and it is definitely
superior to medication due to the greater danger of pharmacological adverse effects in the
elderly. A combination of medicine and counselling can be a successful strategy for
psychological symptoms when used as directed.
For older persons needing mental health therapy, both individual and group counselling are
available.
Individual counselling gives elderly clients the time and privacy they need to talk about their
thoughts and feelings.
Group therapy has also been found to be effective with the elderly, and it has the added benefit
of reducing isolation by allowing participants to connect.
Reminiscence (integrating past memories into present-day functioning), interpersonal (exploring

personal interactions and relationships), current events (encouraging attention to current events),
and adjustment are some of the most common types of groups (focusing on transitions).
A thorough assessment of the client's needs is essential regardless of the type of counselling
intervention. A clinical interview is frequently sufficient, but when extra assessment is required,
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age-sensitive tools (e.g., the Geriatric Depression Inventory) might be utilised. Counselors
should also know when to refer (for example, to a primary care physician to rule out medical
concerns, to a specialist such as a neuropsychologist for cognitive testing, or to a nutritionist for
further food study) and be aware of suitable community resources. (Counseling the Elderly,
2021)
Q.4) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to terms related to types of old age
counselling.
Individual counselling, Group counselling, Play therapy, Reminiscence, cognitive testing,

Geriatric Depression Inventory.
8.6 CHALLENGES IN OLD AGE COUNSELLING
Possible challenges in counselling elderly clients are as follows -
1. Mistreatment of the elderly
Elder mistreatment is a problem that counsellors who work in adult care must deal with.
Guardians who do harm to elders, fail to provide their fundamental needs, or fail to safeguard an
elder from harm fall into this category. Elderly patients are frequently unwilling or unable to
disclose the abuse. As a result, it is frequently up to other experts, such as counsellors, to
recognise the indicators of elder abuse and know how to intervene.
2. Mobility Concerns
Another unique problem for counsellors working in senior care is their clients' lack of mobility.
Because of health or physical mobility challenges, this group is frequently unable to go to a
counselor's office at a time when it is most needed. As a result, many counsellors will be
required to travel to their clients in order to meet with them.
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3. Coping with Difficult Grief
Counselors working with older persons will face unique situations as our population ages.
Jennifer, who is 75 years old and has lost friends, her spouse, and her son to cancer, is one such
case. Counselors must not only assist her in coping with the pain of losing so many loved ones,
but they must also assist her in accepting the fact that she is terminally ill with cancer. Jenny
worked with counsellors for three months on coping with her grief and making memories to pass
down to her grandchildren.
4. Learning financial elements -
Counselors interested in adult care may require additional training to assist with challenges
specific to the age group. Many adults, for example, experience worry as they approach
retirement. Many people worry that after they retire, they will lose touch with their work, which
has become their identity. For older persons, the financial limits of retirement can generate worry
and anxiety. As a result, many counsellors are advised to either learn more about finances or get
assistance from a financial specialist.
5. Continue to learn new strategies -
Counselors face distinct problems in their work as the population continues to age. These
counsellors are learning new strategies to help their patients with everything from mobility issues
to stressors that are unique to the elderly. (Challenges of Adult Care Wake Forest University,
2021)
6. Multidisciplinary collaboration -
Counselors working with the elderly are advised to use a multidisciplinary approach,
collaborating closely with other care professionals such as the primary care physician, a case
manager, or a concerned family member, to eliminate any hurdles. Developing a trusting
relationship with a client may be easier if the person has faith in the network of people who are
providing care.
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(Jangam et al., Certificate of Geriatric Care (CGC) CGC-02 Geriatric Care Nursing 2017)
Predict what possible challenges you can face if you are counselling an elderly person.
Activity -1
Interview an experienced counselor to know challenges faced by them while counselling an old
age person and prepare a report on it.
8.7 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR OLD AGE COUNSELLING
Following skills are required for counselling elderly person -
1. Understanding healthy ageing
A fundamental awareness of theories of healthy ageing is required, as well as familiarity with

studies on cognitive, social, psychological, biological, and sociocultural aspects of ageing at a
level comparable to that found in an introductory graduate textbook on normal ageing.
2. Familiarity with coping methods
The counsellor should be conversant with the coping mechanisms used by older people to cope
with age-related changes (e.g., normal grief vs. pathological mourning, mnemonics, memory
aides, participating in challenging and meaningful activities).
3. Conducting diagnostic interviews and basic psychological tests
To accurately diagnose adjustment, mood, personality, and thought issues in older persons, the
counsellor should undertake diagnostic interviews and basic psychological tests. She or he
administers, assesses, and interprets routine depression tests for senior citizens (e.g., the Geriatric
Depression Scale; Yesavage et al., 1983).
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4. Identifying symptoms
Symptoms connected with problems that may be caused by concurrent medical illnesses and
medications should be identified by the counsellor.
5. Gathering information from supplemental sources
Additional sources of information, such as other team members, family members, medical
records, and so on, should be gathered by the counsellor.
6. Communicating assessment findings
The counsellor should be able to communicate geriatric assessment findings to a broader

audience, as well as write prompt, clear reports that answer the referral question, provide
relevant feedback, and relate test findings to practical recommendations relevant to the unique
aspects of daily care of older adults.
7. Providing appropriate interventions for elderly person
In community - based settings, the counsellor should give appropriate interventions for older
persons with less complicated mental health concerns (e.g., simple bereavement, adjustment to
retirement). Depression, anxiety, grief and loss, adjustment reactions, and caregiver burden are
all frequent mental health problems that older persons face in medical and psychiatric settings,
and the psychologist counsellor should provide appropriate therapy for them.
8. Formulating strategies to help the care providers
The counsellor should devise techniques to assist caregivers or family members in enhancing the
collaboration of older persons with personality disorders and behaviour difficulties.
9. Implementing rehabilitation strategies
When clinical and/or computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation procedures are appropriate, the
counsellor should use them, as well as treat any comorbid psychiatric issues that are interfering
with the rehabilitation process.
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10. Conducting interventions for caregivers
In order to reduce emotional distress, improve understanding of the patient's strengths and
limitations, and communicate effectively with other care providers, the counsellor should have
skill to conduct interventions (e.g., psychoeducation, support groups, individual psychotherapy)
for family caregivers with relationship problems caused by aging-related cognitive problems.
(Molinari, Karel, & Zeiss, 2003)
Make a list of skills required by a professional counsellor who is into old age counselling.
8.8 CASE STUDIES
Case study 1 - 72 years old Rosa suffering from dementia
As a result of caring for my ageing mother, I've been under a lot of stress: Maria, Rosa's
daughter, brings her to treatment at the age of 72. Since Maria's father (Rosa's husband) died,
leaving Rosa alone, Maria has been visiting her mother every day for the past five years. Maria
keeps Rosa company while she shops, cooks, and cleans. Rosa, on the other hand, has been
requiring increasing amounts of assistance, and Maria is concerned that she will no longer be
able to meet her mother's needs. This irritates Rosa, who tells her daughter angrily, "You don't
even care about me."
Rosa may be suffering from dementia, according to the therapist, who conducts a thorough
personal history of the family. Rosa is referred to a physician, who confirms the diagnosis.
Rosa's insurance supports an adult day centre and an in-home nurse, so the therapist works with
Maria to identify appropriate, reasonable, professional services for Rosa. The therapist also
assists Maria and Rosa in comprehending the symptoms of Rosa's disease, assisting Maria in
dealing with emotions of guilt as well as communication challenges, and facilitating combined
sessions to allow the two to discuss Rosa's condition.
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Case study 2 - Tobias a 64 year elderly distressed by his family -
With the help of a loving family, I was able to express my independence. Tobias, 64, seeks help
from a counsellor after being disappointed and worried by his family. He tells his counsellor that
he lives alone in a little house, but that his family has been urging him to sell it and move into a
senior apartment complex so that he may be around "other people his age" and not "feel lonely."
Tobias informs the counsellor that he is content with his life as it is, that he has many friends,
and that he has no desire or motive to change anything. Tobias says that he recently had a few
incidents due to vision issues, but that he has had no more problems since he started wearing
glasses, and the counsellor asks if his family has any cause to be concerned about him.
The counsellor acknowledges Tobias' freedom to make his own decisions, and the two of them
work together to figure out how Tobias might establish himself in his family. Tobias continues to
see the counsellor for several sessions, and the therapist assists him in overcoming his
dissatisfaction with his deteriorating vision and his anxiety of other aging-related changes.
(Therapy for Geriatric and Aging Issues, Therapist for Geriatric and Aging Issues, 2021)
Activity - 2
Discuss case study of elderly people related to chronic health/ retirement/ bereavement issues
dealt by counselors and prepare a report on it.
Summary
● Old age, elderly, or geriatric counselling is focused on the psychological and emotional
needs of adults over the age of 60 as one of several strategies to help our seniors age
healthily, It's a sort of counselling aimed at assisting elderly generations as they go
through this challenging time in their life. It provides older persons with physical and
psychological assessments, as well as counselling, direct care, mental health therapy, and
aid with difficulties that are interfering with a senior's quality of life.
● Old age counselling is important because it provides a safe space and validation, helps to
discuss the stigma and impact of injury, illness, and medications, promotes mindfulness,
develops new interests and connections, introduces senior citizens to modern methods of
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interacting, assists elderly navigate the changes in their lives, encourages them to make
positive changes, helps to accept a new medical diagnosis, works all through the grief &
loss process, resolves previously unresolved issues and helps to accept is a good habit to
develop.
● Elderly people need counselling so as to overcome depressive lows, increase social
interaction, seek assistance in the event of a traumatic event and to get assistance in
improving life quality.
● Old aged people are generally given two Types of counselling viz., individual and group
counselling.
● Possible challenges in counselling elderly clients are mistreatment of the elderly by
caregivers, mobility concerns, coping with difficult grief, learning financial elements,
continuing to learn new strategies and multidisciplinary collaboration.
● Skills required for counselling elderly people are -understanding healthy ageing,
familiarity with coping methods ,conducting diagnostic interviews and basic
psychological tests, identifying symptoms, gathering information from supplemental
sources, communicating assessment findings, providing appropriate interventions for
elderly people, formulating strategies to help the care providers, implementing
rehabilitation strategies and conducting interventions for caregivers.
Keywords
● Old age- The final stage of a person's natural life span in humans.
● Geriatric - related to the elderly
● Caregiver - a family member or paid caregiver who takes after a kid or a sick, older, or
disabled person on a regular basis.
● Intervention -action made to alleviate a medical condition
● Rehabilitation - the act of restoring something to its original state after it has been
harmed.
1. Explain the meaning of old age counselling in your own words.

2. State the importance of old age counselling.
164
3. Identify the elderly person who needs old age counselling, support your response
with appropriate explanation.
4. Explain different types of old age counselling.
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into old age counselling.
1) Geriatric mental health therapy is focused on the psychological and emotional needs of
individuals over the age of 60
2) Old age or elderly or geriatric counseling provides physical and psychological

assessment services for older adults.
1) Elderly people rarely suffer many losses in a short period of time. - False
2) It should come as no surprise that many elderly people in today's society feel
undervalued. - True
1) Counseling becomes necessary in these situations to ensure that our seniors have a
_______mind.
a) Stable b) unstable c) confused d) restless
2) Counsellors assist elderly persons in their "golden years" in improving their quality of
_________ .
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a) Work b) food c) life d) health
Q.4) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to terms related to types of old age
counselling.
Individual counselling, Group counselling, Play therapy, Reminiscence, cognitive testing,

Geriatric Depression Inventory.
Q.5) Predict what possible challenges you can face if you are counselling an elderly person.
Refer unit 8.5 Challenges in old age Counselling
Q.6) Make a list of skills required by a professional counsellor who is into old age
counselling. Refer unit 8.6 Skills required for old age counselling
1. Explain the meaning of old age counselling in your own words. Refer 8.1 Meaning
and definition of old age counselling
2. State the importance of old age counselling. Refer 8.2 Importance of old age
counselling
3. Identify the teenagers who need old age counselling, support your response with
appropriate explanation. Refer 8.3 Need of old age counselling
4. Explain different types of old age counselling. Refer 8.4. Different types of old age
counselling
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into old age counselling. Refer
8.6 Skills required for old age counselling
166
Suggested readings
1. Duffy, M. (1992). Challenges in geriatric psychotherapy. Individual Psychology
2. Hill, R. D. (2005). Positive aging: A guide for mental health professionals and
consumers. New York: Norton.
3. Knight, B. G. (2004). Psychotherapy with older adults. London: Sage.
References
1. WFU Online Counseling. 2021. Challenges of Adult Care | Wake Forest

University. [online] Available at: <https://counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/5-
challenges-of-adult-care/> [Accessed 15 September 2021].
2. Psychology. 2021. Counseling the Elderly. [online] Available at:

<http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/counseling-
process/counseling-the-elderly/> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
3. PositivePsychology.com. 2021. Geriatric Therapy: How to Help Older Adults With

Depression. [online] Available at: <https://positivepsychology.com/geriatric-
therapy-older-adults-depression/> [Accessed 15 September 2021].
4. Grim, B., 2021. 5 Benefits of Counseling for the Elderly. [online] Home Care
Assistance Of Richmond. Available at:
<https://homecareassistancerichmond.com/how-can-a-counselor-help-my-aging-
parent/> [Accessed 14 September 2021].
5. Swerdlow-Freed Psychology. 2021. How Geriatric Counseling Helps Your Aging

Loved One to Communicate Effectively. [online] Available at:
<https://www.drswerdlow-freed.com/how-geriatric-counseling-helps-communicate-
effectively/> [Accessed 15 September 2021].
167
6. CareersinPsychology.org. 2021. How To Become A Geriatric Counselor. [online]
Available at: <https://careersinpsychology.org/start-your-geriatric-counseling-
career/> [Accessed 15 September 2021].
7. Kallianpur, A., 2021. WHY GERIATRIC COUNSELING?. [online] Portea™ Blog.

Available at: <https://blog.portea.com/health-well-being/why-geriatric-counseling>
[Accessed 14 September 2021].
8. Kosuri, M., 2019. Online Psychologist: Online Counselling for Elderly People -
Geriatric Psychotherapy. [online] https://www.mywellnesshub.in/blog/online-
counselling-for-elderly-people-geriatric-psychotherapy/. Available at:
<https://www.mywellnesshub.in/blog/online-counselling-for-elderly-people-
geriatric-psychotherapy/> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
9. Molinari, V., Karel, M. J., & Zeiss, A. M. (2003). Recommendations about the
knowledge and skills required of psychologists working with older adults.
Professional Psychology Research and Practice 34(4):435-443, 34(4), 435-443.
Retrieved September 14, 2021.
10. Mehta, D., 2021. Counselling For Old Age Problems - Why Is It Required?.
[online] Lybrate. Available at: <https://www.lybrate.com/topic/counselling-for-old-
age-problems-why-is-it-required/f2fcf06a9ee040c733ab76e236d94d53> [Accessed
14 September 2021].
11. Goodtherapy.org. 2021. Therapy for Geriatric and Aging Issues, Therapist for
Geriatric and Aging Issues. [online] Available at:
<https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/aging> [Accessed 15
September 2021].
12. Jangam, J. (2017). Certificate of Geriatric Care (Cgc) Cgc-02 Geriatric Care
Nursing. (B. Vajrala & J. Debora , Eds.). Odisha State Open University, Sambalpur.
Retrieved September 13, 2021.
168
Multicultural Counselling
UNIT
Structure:
9
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Meaning and definition of Multicultural Counselling
9.3 Importance of Multicultural Counselling
9.4 Need of Multicultural Counselling
9.5 Techniques used in Multicultural Counselling
9.6 Challenges in Multicultural Counselling
9.7 Skills required for Multicultural counselling
9.8 Case studies
Summary
Keywords
References
169
Objective:

 explain the meaning of Multicultural counselling.
 state importance of Multicultural counselling.
 identify people who need Multicultural counselling.
9.1 INTRODUCTION
As we live in a diverse society that is only expected to become more so in the future decades,
multicultural counselling is essential. As a growing number of people from various backgrounds
seek therapeutic treatment, mental health counsellors and psychologists must be able to
recognise, acknowledge, and meet their needs holistically.
Being trained in multicultural counselling, in particular, is crucial for a variety of practical

reasons. People from various cultural backgrounds may live in very distinct worlds. These
distinctions have an impact on not just the types of mental health difficulties that a person faces,
but also on how they perceive counselling and how they relate to it.
Counseling and mental health are frequently approached through the prism of one's cultural
background by people of various ethnicities, ethnic groupings, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
When mental health counselling is associated with a poor connotation in a culture, it might lead
to a reluctance to seek help, which can obstruct successful treatment.(Why Multicultural
Counseling is Essential to the Success of Today’s Therapist 2021)
Multicultural counselling is a type of therapy that considers racial and ethnic diversity, as well as
spirituality, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and disabilities. Multicultural theory was
created to investigate the various circumstances surrounding the counselling journey as well as
potential practitioner bias. Its goal is to approach therapy in a way that is attentive to society's
marginalised or minority people, as well as politics and race. Although there is no one-size-fits-
all multicultural counselling model, there are some features of multicultural treatment that are
universal.
Now we shall see multicultural counselling in more detail.
170
9.2 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING
The multicultural counseling style often has various approaches, but it essentially is a method of
therapeutic counseling that considers the different factors that affect racial, ethnic, and other
types of minorities, including historical oppression and its effects on society. (Multicultural
Counseling: Types, Strategies, and Techniques)
Multicultural counseling characterizes the counseling practice that offers effective interventions
to culturally diverse clients. Race, ethnicity, and culture influence a client’s identity and life
circumstances. Other factors, such as gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age,
socioeconomic status, religion, and ability may also play into the context of a given client’s
mental health, and relational or personal issues.(Why Multicultural Counseling is Essential to the
Success of Today’s Therapist 2021)
Multicultural counseling is a term used to describe a specific type of counseling practice that
acknowledges how various aspects of a patient’s cultural identity might influence their mental
health. Relevant factors can include issues of race, ethnicity, immigration status, religion,
socioeconomic background, and gender identity.
“Multicultural counseling is, at its heart, about appreciating that individuals are not all the same
and that their personal background—their ethnicity, their race, and their cultural context—is an
important component of who they are,” says Susan Bradley, Assistant Program Coordinator for
the Applied Psychology Department in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern
University. “These factors need to be an essential element of the assessment process and their
treatment.” (Stobierski, What is Multicultural COUNSELING & Why is it important? 2021)
According to the above definitions, multicultural counselling is a type of therapeutic counselling

that takes into account the various factors that affect racial, ethnic,gender and gender identity,
sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, ability and other types of minorities, such
as historical oppression and its effects on society, it provides effective interventions to culturally
diverse clients and recognises how various aspects of a patient's cultural identity interact. At its
core, multicultural counselling is about recognising that people are not all the same and that their
personal lives differ.
171
1) Multicultural counseling characterizes the counseling practice that offers effective

interventions to _______ diverse clients.
2) multicultural counselling is about recognising that people are not all the _____ and that
their personal lives _______.
9.3 IMPORTANCE OF MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING
Multicultural Counselling is important because:
Increasing Globalization
Multicultural therapy is more vital than ever as the world becomes increasingly globalised.
People who seek therapy now are far more diverse than in past decades. As a result, the
multicultural counselor is important to respond to a wide spectrum of people seeking mental
health treatment, as well as the political and cultural elements that may influence their
circumstances and way of life.(Multicultural Counseling: Types, Strategies, and Techniques)
Ableism
Another issue that frequently arises in multicultural counselling is ableism. Discrimination

against persons with a disability is known as ableism. Whether a person's impairment is caused
by a hereditary disorder or a physical damage, society has come a long way in its care of people
with disabilities. Disabled people suffer prejudice in social settings, the workplace, and the
public sphere.
Religious Differences
From Hinduism to Zoroastrianism, India has many and different organised religions, sub
religions and castes. They all follow distinct dogmas, have different theological scriptures, and
172
hold diverse beliefs. Many people who were reared in a particular religion believe theirs is
"right," despite the fact that it is often more nuanced than that. Different religious beliefs and
value systems are respected by multicultural counsellors as long as they do not impinge on the
rights and liberties of others. (Multicultural Counseling: Types, Strategies, and Techniques)
1) People who seek therapy now are far less diverse than in past decades.
2) Discrimination against persons with a disability is known as ableism.
9.4 NEED OF MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING
There is need of multicultural counseling because of factors like,
Religious/Spiritual Identity
Religious beliefs may have a significant impact on how you interpret your life events. It has the
ability to influence your values and choices. Multicultural counsellors take into account their
own religious backgrounds as well as the religious backgrounds of their clients. This ensures that
their approach is suitable for the individual seeking counselling.
Economic Class Background
The socioeconomic status might have an impact on the ideas and attitudes on a variety of
experiences. It may have an impact on the resources clients currently have or don't have access
to, so multicultural counsellors are aware of this and proceed with counselling accordingly.
Sexual Identity
This includes gender identification and sexual orientation. It may have a long-term influence on
personal growth once anyone has been shamed, mistreated, or criticised because of their sexual
173
identity. A multicultural counsellor will not make assumptions about the situation, but they will
take into account how the identity affects one's life.
Psychological Maturity
Psychological growth is the progressive movement from simpler to more complex ways of
thinking through time. Because everyone has distinct capabilities and requirements, multicultural
therapists analyse their clients' psychological maturity to identify the best course of action.
Ethnic/Racial Identity
Race and ethnicity, particularly if clients are a member of a minority group, can have a
significant impact on their life. However, multicultural therapists realise that people belonging to
the same racial or ethnic group might have a wide range of differences.
Chronological/Developmental Challenges
At different times in our lives, we face different milestones and obstacles. The counsellor knows
where the client is developmentally and what obstacles they may be facing based on their present
stage of life when providing multicultural counselling.
Trauma and Other Threats to One’s Well-being
Trauma may not be a traditional part of your cultural history, but it may surely have an impact on
your thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Because high-stress events can have a negative impact on
your mental health, a multicultural counsellor may want to talk to the client about how trauma
has affected the client.
Family Background and History
One's sense of belonging and purpose might be influenced by their family relationships.
Although we may have an image of the "conventional" family unit, many people grew up in or
174
presently live in other forms of families. Clients and their counselor could try to figure out what
position one plays in their family and how that influences their identity.
Unique Physical Characteristics
Outer beauty standards exist in all cultures, and having characteristics that do not meet those
standards can cause severe stress. Multicultural counsellors can help in dealing with such stress.
Location of Residence and Language Differences
One's interests, morals, job, and personality traits can all be influenced by where they live.
Although not everyone from a given region is the same, a multicultural therapist may utilise a
client's geographic location as a point of reference when getting to know him or her.
Multicultural counsellors should also be aware of any implicit biases they may have about
various languages, dialects, or accents.(Bhtg & Admin, The importance of culture in counseling
2021)
1) ______ includes gender identification and sexual orientation.

a) Religious identity b) economic background c) sexual identity d) language difference
2) Race and ethnicity, particularly if clients are a member of a minority group, can have a
significant impact on their life. .
a) minority b)majority c) large d) dominant
9.5 TECHNIQUES USED IN MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING
A mental health practitioner or a professional counsellor, when working with multiethnic clients,
should consider adopting the following multicultural therapy techniques:
Therapeutic approach
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In order to identify suitable interventions, counsellors must be aware of their clients' attitudes
and beliefs regarding the counselling process. When explaining problems and offering
treatments, counsellors should keep in mind the cultural stigma associated with mental illness.
Counselors must be aware of the limits of evidence-based therapies in meeting the requirements
of clients from various cultural backgrounds.
Communication
Counselors must be aware of sociocultural figures of speech and phrases that may cause ethnic
minorities to react negatively. During client interactions, cultural settings as well as culture-
specific verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication (i.e. gestures, body language, personal
space, etc.) should be considered.
Values
Counselors must include the values and beliefs of culturally diverse clients into the therapy
process. Spirituality and family-centric issues, for example, are cultural belief systems that may
act as therapeutic vehicles to assist healing.
Self-awareness
When working with various communities, counsellors must be aware of their own underlying
racial or cultural identity and privilege, ethnocentrism, bias, and stereotypes. The counsellor is
always conscious of how their own views, ethnic identity, and beliefs influence their perspective
of the client, the client's presenting problem, and the counselling rapport relationship.
Flexibility
When working with culturally diverse clients, counsellors must be willing to admit their own
cultural competency and expertise limitations. When working with a client, they may be
recommended to seek culturally specific guidance or send the client to a mental health
professional who is more culturally competent.(Why Multicultural Counseling is Essential to the
Success of Today’s Therapist 2021)
176
Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to terms related to techniques used in
multicultural Counselling
Therapeutic approach, Communication, Values, Self-awareness, Flexibility, Geriatric Depression

Inventory.
9.6 CHALLENGES IN MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING
Since we live in such a diverse world, multicultural counselling is a rapidly expanding discipline.
Challenges you will face if you venture into multicultural counselling are,
1. Understanding the Meaning of "Culture"
It's a prevalent misperception that "culture" just refers to race (which refers to what you can
observe about people on the outside). Ethnicity (genetic origin), nationality (the country or
nations a person feels patriotic toward), religion, language, gender identity, sexual identity,
sexual orientation, and the socioeconomic position associated with these diverse identities are all
part of culture. Food, clothes, morals, rituals, holidays, and music are just a few examples of how
people exhibit their cultural identity. The more you know about someone, the better you'll be
able to assist them in meeting their goals.
2. Understanding regional dialects
Many of the people you deal with will be learning English for the first time. Working as a team
with them to ensure you understand each other will be a part of your job. One useful tip is to start
studying another language yourself, especially if it is a predominant language spoken in your
area. Going through the process will give you a greater understanding of what it is like, which
will help you communicate more effectively while dealing with language limitations.
3. Investing time and effort in self-education
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The more you understand about various cultures, the easier it will be for you to relate to the
many types of individuals you may encounter. Seek multicultural awareness and sensitivity
training. Concentrate on the cultures that you find the most difficult to comprehend. Learn as
much as you can about a variety of people so that you can dispute some of the preconceptions
you've heard.
4. Individual Differences Must Be Recognized
Working with people from various cultures is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your knowledge
of the globe. It also necessitates a genuine interest in each person's cultural background. Inquire
about their respective cultures. This will allow you to avoid placing them in situations that are
culturally inconvenient for them, as well as offer them the most appropriate services and
demonstrate your genuine concern for them.
5. Get Rid of Your Preconceived notions
You will occasionally work with individuals who hold beliefs that are diametrically opposed to
your own. We sometimes respond to this in non-professional circumstances by defending our
positions or isolating ourselves from others. We must leave our personal beliefs at the door when
counselling and let the persons we work with to be themselves. This does not mean you have to
change your own opinions; it simply means they aren't being discussed. Your job is to assist
individuals in meeting their needs, which you can do even if you don't agree with them.(5
common issues in Multicultural counseling 2021)
6. Understanding Language Barriers
The effectiveness of treatment can also be influenced by a language barrier between the client
and the counsellor. According to an article published by the American Counseling Association
titled "Cross-Cultural Counseling: How to Be More Effective," issues with spoken language are
sometimes the biggest challenge for multicultural counselling and can result in extreme
misunderstandings between client and the counselor. Depending on your culture, body language
can also have distinct meanings. The client may become uncomfortable or upset if the therapist
178
does not comprehend a break in eye contact or automatically connects other body language to
cultural assumptions.
7. Ideologies and Belief Systems
Counseling is a practise that is predominantly associated with western cultures. According to

psychiatrist Heesoon Jun's book "Social Justice, Multicultural Counseling, and Practice," it is
mostly centred on principles such as individualism, reasoning, and competition, which are in
contradiction to the ideas associated with other cultures. If a client comes from a culture that
values family contributions to identity and therapy, for example, the counsellor may be surprised
if the client requests that family members attend a session.
8. Bias due to culture
In multicultural therapy, bias can also be a serious concern. Counselors must understand bias in
general and be able to avoid stereotyping and prejudice in their work in order to be effective,
according to Heesoon. It's critical to treat each client as an individual, because even if two
customers share the same cultural background, they'll have different elements that influence the
session. It can be harmful and disrespectful not to acknowledge cultural variables at all, and to
minimise the influence of differences, which can lead to an incorrect diagnosis or inefficient
therapy.(Moore, Main barriers of multicultural counseling 2019)
Predict what possible challenges you can face if you are counselling a client in a
multicultural environment.
Activity -1
Interview cosmopolitan city based counselor to know challenges faced by him/her while
counselling in the multicultural context of the city and prepare a report on it.
9.7 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING
Skills required by counsellor for Multicultural counselling are as follows:
1. Skill to connect with another person
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The ability to connect with another person on a human level is a crucial skill for all counsellors.
Conversational skills, such as listening, replying, and asking insightful questions, are the most
crucial aspect of interpersonal skills. Counselors and therapists must be curious and attentive to
their clients, enquiring respectfully and conscientiously about their backgrounds, opinions,
experiences, and emotions. They must be able to read body language and choose whether or not
to continue with a line of questions or return to it later.
2. Skill to have Cultural Awareness
Understanding that culture is much more than skin colour or physical appearance is cultural
awareness. Culture is a way of life that is impacted by one's upbringing, environment, social
circles, interests, and experiences. Not only do counsellors and therapists need to be aware of
other people's cultures, but they also need to be introspective and reflect on their own, evaluating
how their own personal experiences have affected their worldview.
3. Skill to deal sensitive issues with sensitivity
When dealing with potentially upsetting themes, therapists and counsellors must exercise
caution. Therapists and counsellors must respect their clients' choices and move in a new path if
they are unwilling to discuss certain topics, especially at initially. It is critical to respect others'
feelings in order to assist them in opening up and being more receptive to therapeutic procedures.
Tactics and sensitivity are important skills for therapists and counsellors, who approach all
potentially sensitive situations with caution.
4. Skill of Understanding
An awareness of why these abilities are necessary is implicit in all of them. It takes more than
just practising these skills and being kind to be a multicultural counsellor. It's also about getting
to know clients on a deeper level –– not only being empathetic, but also knowing why that
sensitivity is required both inside and beyond the workplace.
5. Skill to understand clients points of view
Counselors that are culturally competent can put themselves in their clients' position and
understand their perspectives. Empathy entails not simply feeling sad for others or being
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sensitive to their needs, but also sharing those feelings. Empathy is a high-level skill that requires
years of healthy, professional development. Empathy, on the other hand, is frequently required
by multicultural counselors and can result in a strong bond between therapist and client, resulting
in more favourable outcomes.(Bhtg & Admin, The importance of culture in counseling 2021)
Make a list of skills required by a professional counsellor who is into multicultural counselling.
9.8 CASE STUDIES
Case study 1 - Clarifying beliefs in therapy
Liam, 24, goes to therapy to better understand his spirituality. He informs the therapist that he is
a devout Catholic, but that he disagrees with several of the Church's teachings. He goes to
church, but not on a regular basis. He believes in God, but he is unsure about much else.
The therapist inquires as to why he selected therapy over talking to a priest, reading the Bible,
taking a religious studies programme, praying, mediating, or talking to friends and family. Liam
pauses before admitting that he didn't know where to go. He conveys his concern and discomfort
with his own questioning thoughts, as well as his doubt that God is listening to him.
Liam cites particular beliefs, rituals, and the sense of community that he enjoys as a member of
the Church when the therapist asks him what he values about his faith. He also talks about how
confession gives him a sense of comfort and peace.
Liam realises that, despite certain aspects of the Catholic faith that disturb him, he does feel a
sense of belonging to the Catholic faith after having the opportunity to voice his issues in
therapy. The therapist explains that it's natural to have doubts about any religion or value system,
and they continue to work together in therapy to address Liam's concerns about specific aspects
of Catholic teaching and to find ways to accommodate both his beliefs and his confusion.
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Case study 2 - Addressing religious trauma syndrome in therapy
Violet, 22, is on the verge of a breakdown when she attends treatment. She informs the therapist
that she has no plans to commit suicide, but that she has a strong desire to self-harm, struggles to
eat and drink regularly, and can't stop thinking about "the end of the world."Violet spent her
youth in a devout Christian church and is still affected by the dogma, according to the therapist's
questioning. Violet informs the therapist that she hasn't believed in Church theology for years,
but she still fears God will punish her, despite the fact that she isn't sure she believes in God.She
informs the therapist that she feels terrible whenever she drinks alcohol, questions God's
existence, or has sexual thoughts, particularly when they involve other women. She claims that
every time she does anything "bad," she feels compelled to pray, even though she doesn't believe
she is praying to anyone.When she isn't doing something else, all of her thoughts are consumed
with what she regards as ""Will it be now?" she wonders as she waits for Christ's return. Is it
going to be now?" She admits to the therapist that she can't stop thinking about her concerns,
especially late at night when she's trying to sleep. Violet admits that it's tough for her to reconcile
what she was taught as a child with her present lack of faith in anything higher than herself.
Violet's mother, who is still a member of the Church, begs her to return, saying she "fears for her
soul."Violet addresses her worry, anxiety, and begins to reconcile her personal ideas and sense of
values with those she was taught over the course of several weeks of treatment.
Violet's therapist assists her in normalising her desire to engage in sexual activities while also
reassuring her that her sexual orientation is an unchangeable aspect of her identity. Despite the
Church's teachings, Violet believes that "since there are so many religions, no one religion can be
right," and that her work with the therapist has helped her become more able to focus on her
particular ideas and values when she is afraid. She is able to eat more regularly and has less of an
inclination to self-harm as her worry and panic subside.Her physical and emotional health
improves after a few months, and she continues to see the therapist, finding it beneficial to just
vent her internal turmoil.(Religious issues)
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Activity - 2
Discuss with counselor the case study of a person having cultural/ language/ food/ socialization
issues due to immigration from one country to another country / one Indian state to another state/
village to city/ city to village and prepare a report on it.
Summary
● Multicultural counselling is a type of therapeutic counselling that takes into account the
various factors that affect racial, ethnic,gender and gender identity, sexual orientation,
age, socioeconomic status, religion, ability and other types of minorities, such as
historical oppression and its effects on society, it provides effective interventions to
culturally diverse clients and recognises how various aspects of a patient's cultural
identity interact. At its core, multicultural counselling is about recognising that people are
not all the same and that their personal lives differ.
● Multicultural counseling is important because of increasing globalization, ableism and
religious differences.
● There is need of multicultural counseling because of factors like, religious/spiritual
identity, economic class background, sexual identity, psychological maturity,
ethnic/racial identity, chronological/developmental challenges, trauma and other threats
to one’s well-being, family background and history, unique physical characteristics and
location of residence and language differences
● When working with multiethnic clients, counsellors should adopt multicultural therapy
techniques like therapeutic approach, communication appropriate to culture, culturally
diverse values, self-awareness about cultural beliefs and flexibility in counselling.
● Challenges in multicultural counselling are understanding the meaning of "culture",
regional dialects, language barriers, investing time and effort in self-education, individual
differences must be recognized, get rid of your preconceived notions, ideologies and
belief systems and bias due to culture.
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● Skills required by counsellor for multicultural counselling are skill to connect with
another person, have cultural awareness, deal with sensitive issues with sensitivity, skill
of understanding and skill to understand clients points of view.
Keywords
Multicultural - within a society, relating to or including different cultural or ethnic

groupings.Ethnicity refers to a demographic subset with a common national or cultural tradition
(within a larger or dominant national or cultural group).
Dialect - a dialect of a language that is unique to a particular place or social group.
Race - each of the primary groups into which humankind is categorised on the basis of physical
traits or shared ancestry (according to existing theories or settings).
Minority group- a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that lives among but is
subordinate to a more dominating group.
1. Explain the meaning of multicultural counselling in your own words.
2. State the importance of multicultural counselling.
3. Identify factors where there is a need for multicultural counselling.
4. Explain different techniques used in multicultural counselling.
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into multicultural counselling.
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1) Multicultural counseling characterizes the counseling practice that offers effective

interventions to culturally diverse clients.
2) Multicultural counselling is about recognising that people are not all the same and that
their personal lives differ.
1) People who seek therapy now are far less diverse than in past decades. - False
2) Discrimination against persons with a disability is known as ableism. - True
1) ______ includes gender identification and sexual orientation.

a) Religious identity b) economic background c) sexual identity d) language difference
2) Race and ethnicity, particularly if clients are a member of a minority group, can have a
significant impact on their life.
a) minority b)majority c) large d) dominant
Q.4) Find an odd man out of the following pertaining to terms related to techniques used in
multicultural Counselling
Therapeutic approach, Communication, Values, Self-awareness, Flexibility, Geriatric

Depression Inventory.
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Q.5) Predict what possible challenges you can face if you are counselling a client in a
multicultural environment .
Refer subunit 9.5 Challenges in Multicultural Counselling
Q.6) Make a list of skills required by a professional counsellor who is into multicultural
counselling.
Refer -9.6 Skills required for Multicultural counselling
1. Explain the meaning of multicultural counselling in your own words. Refer subunit
9.1 Meaning and definition of Multicultural Counselling
2. State the importance of multicultural counselling. Refer subunit 9.2 Importance of
Multicultural Counselling
3. Identify factors where there is a need for multicultural counselling. Refer subunit 9.3
Need of Multicultural Counselling
4. Explain different techniques used in multicultural counselling. Refer subunit 9.4
Techniques used in Multicultural Counselling
5. Explain any 3 skills required by a professional who is into multicultural counselling.
Refer subunit 9.6 Skills required for Multicultural counselling
Suggested readings-
Casas, J. M. (2017). Handbook of multicultural counseling. SAGE.
Draguns, J. G., Fish, J. M., & Gielen, U. P. (2008). Principles of multicultural counseling
and therapy. Brunner-Routledge.
Manning, M. L. (2016). Multicultural counseling and psychotherapy - a lifespan approach.

Taylor & Francis Ltd.
186
Sue, D. W. (1998). Multicultural counseling competencies: Individual and organizational
development. Sage.
Trusty, J., Looby, E. J., & Sandhu, D. S. (2002). Multicultural counseling: Context, theory
and practice, and competence. Nova Science Publishers.
References -
5 common issues in Multicultural counseling. Best Counseling Degrees. (2021, April 28).
Retrieved September 22, 2021, from
https://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/resources/issues-in-multicultural-counseling/.
Alliant International University. (n.d.). Why multicultural counseling is essential to the

success of Today's Therapist. Why Multicultural Counseling is Essential to a Therapist.
Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.alliant.edu/blog/why-multicultural-
counseling-essential-success-todays-therapist.
Bhtg, & Admin. (2021, August 13). The importance of culture in counseling. Beverly Hills
Therapy Group. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from
https://www.therapyinbeverlyhills.com/the-importance-of-culture-in-counseling/.
GoodTherapy. (n.d.). Religious issues. GoodTherapy. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/religious-issues.
Moore, A. (2019, January 10). Main barriers of multicultural counseling. Our Everyday
Life. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://oureverydaylife.com/main-barriers-
multicultural-counseling-8119124.html.
Multicultural Counseling: Types, Strategies, and Techniques. (n.d.). Retrieved September

22, 2021, from https://online.maryville.edu/blog/multicultural-counseling/.
Smith, E.-M. (n.d.). Why is multicultural counseling so important? HealthyPlace.

Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/mental-
illness-overview/why-is-multicultural-counseling-so-important.
187
Stobierski, T. (2021, July 20). What is Multicultural COUNSELING & Why is it
important? Northeastern University Graduate Programs. Retrieved September 22, 2021,
from https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/what-is-multicultural-counseling/.
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Counselling Skills Required for
Special Groups
UNIT
Structure:
10
10.1 Skills required for relationship counselling
10.2 Skills required for marriage and family counselling
10.3 Skills required for mental health counselling.
10.4 Skills required for addiction and rehabilitation counselling
10.5 Skills required for counselling people with sexual identity problems
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Objectives:
 Identify the various skills required for
o relationship counselling
o marriage and family counselling
o mental health counselling
o addiction and rehabilitation counselling
o counselling people with sexual identity problems
10.1 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING
The most important relationship counselling skills include the following:
Listening: Listening abilities encompass not only aural attention but also observation of the
client's look and conduct. These are some of the most important qualities a counsellor can
possess, and they can be divided into the following categories:
● Verbal listening is an audible demonstration that you're paying attention to the client and
encourages them to keep exploring. Simple words like "go on" or repeating essential
points the client has just said are examples of verbal cues.
● Active listening entails paying attention with all of your senses, paying complete
attention, and listening for meaning beyond what is stated, which may include the
counsellor speaking to ensure that they have fully understood their client.
● Attending entails the counselor's physical presence with the client, as well as giving the
client complete attention, as evidenced by nonverbal reactions like eye contact, nodding,
and body language.
Asking Questions: Counselors can learn more about their clients and set the tone for the
counselling process by asking questions. A counselor's inquiries in a session can be divided into
the following categories:
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● Open-ended inquiries that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." They should
start with "how" or "what," and they can elicit elaborate responses that lead to more
investigation and thinking.
● Closed questions are those that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Closed
inquiries are often avoided by counsellors because they can deter clients from delving
deeper into difficulties.
Reflecting: The process of responding to the client's sentiments rather than the content of their
statement is known as reflection. It's employed in therapeutic settings to help clients gain a better
understanding of themselves. The following are the several types of reflection techniques.
● Affirmation: Encouraging clients in any way, whether it's for bettering their behaviour,
choices, or knowledge, can assist strengthen the counselor-client relationship.
● Restating: Repeating a client's statements can help the counsellor better comprehend the
message that the client is trying to communicate, whether expressly or implicitly.
● Reflecting feelings: Allowing clients to hear their feelings might help them better
comprehend their emotional responses to diverse stimuli.
● Restating: Connecting numerous client remarks in your own words can help them have a
better grasp of their personal concerns.
Self-Disclosing: Under certain circumstances, counsellors may share personal information about
themselves to a client, although this is a tough talent to perfect. It should only be utilised if it aids
the therapeutic process and appears to be necessary for counsellors to better relate to clients.
Being Genuine: The process of achieving congruence between what you think and what you do,
including verbal and nonverbal cues, is known as being genuine. To establish a solid foundation
of trust between yourself and your clients, genuineness is required in all forms of therapy.
Empathising: Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another's shoes. This is not to be confused
with sympathy, which is the expression of sadness for another person's circumstances. True
empathy necessitates the counsellor demonstrating a thorough comprehension of the client's
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circumstances as well as an appreciation for the complicated sentiments and behaviours that
result.
Providing Unconditional Positive Regard: Unconditional positive regard is a way of showing

that you accept your clients for who they are. You may boost a client's self-esteem and set them
on the path to personal growth by exhibiting warmth and respect for them, regardless of their
words or behaviours. ("Counseling Skills in a Therapeutic Relationship", 2021)
Q1) State whether the statement is true or false -
1) counsellors may share personal information about themselves to a client -
2) Listening abilities encompass only aural attention -
10.2 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COUNSELLING
To be productive and effective, marriage and family counsellors need to have a number of key
skills.
Communication
Strong communication abilities are required of family counsellors. They must be able to listen to
family members' varied points of view on topics without looking judgmental, and to ask
appropriate questions in the process of getting additional information as necessary. Family
counsellors must also help family members communicate more effectively, especially if they are
hesitant to discuss serious issues or even accept that difficulties exist.
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Perceptiveness and Empathy
Because each family member has a part in the family structure, the family counsellor must be
sensitive enough to understand different points of view and have the empathy to put himself in
each person's shoes mentally. When problems emerge, for example, one family member may be
dominant while another tries to mediate. By having a better grasp of each function, the
counsellor will be able to devise techniques to assist family members in coexisting.
Conflict Resolution
Once the concerns or disputes have been discovered, family counsellors must assist the parties in
reaching a satisfying resolution for all parties concerned. Counselors must be capable of assisting
the parties in identifying a range of feasible options and weighing the benefits and drawbacks of
each. When the parties have reached an agreement on a course of action, the counsellor assists
them in developing a plan of action and follows up to make any required revisions.
Instructing and Leadership
Families seeking counselling are frequently perplexed as to which path to take in order to
overcome concerns. Counselors must have great leadership abilities in order to gain the trust of
family members and urge them to follow the advised course of action. They must also possess
the requisite teaching abilities to assist family members in comprehending the causes of conflict
as well as the various processes in the conflict-resolution process. Counselors may be required to
teach family members how to change bad behaviour patterns in some circumstances. (Joseph,
2016)
Problem Solving and Reasoning
● Assess the costs and benefits of a potential plan of action.

● Recognize when something isn't right or is about to go bad.
● Recognize the problem's nature.
● Draw conclusions after combining various bits of information.
● To find solutions to issues, use reasoning.
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● Analyze concepts and use reasoning to figure out their advantages and disadvantages.
● Create rules that group items in different ways.
● By studying and dealing with new information or materials, you can gain a better
understanding of them.
● Consider new, unconventional, or creative solutions to issues.
● Consider new perspectives on a subject.
● To organise objects or actions in a specific order, follow the guidelines.
● Determine what has to be altered in order to achieve your objectives.
● Recognize when significant changes in a system occur or are expected to occur.
● While performing a task, maintain focus and avoid distractions.
● Make sense of data that appears to be devoid of meaning or arrangement.
Manage oneself, others, time, and possessions.
● Examine how well someone is learning or performing.

● Manage your own and other people's time.
● Motivate, develop, and lead others while they work.
Collaboration with Others
● Be conscious of how people react and what might be causing it.

● Look for methods to assist others.
● Bring people together to talk about their differences in order to solve difficulties.
● Persuade others to take an alternative strategy.
● Demonstrate how to do something to others.
● Change your behaviour in response to the behaviours of others.
● To learn or teach anything new, use a variety of ways.
Visualize and Perceive
● Find an underlying pattern (a figure, an object, a word, or a sound) in distracting material.
("Marriage and Family Therapists - Skills and Abilities")
194
Q2) Match the following -
Group 1 Group 2
1. communication a. Find an underlying pattern
b. listen
2. Leadership
3. Perceive c. gain the trust
10.3 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING.
The following are the skills needed for mental health counselling:
Crisis Intervention - In an inpatient facility, adults with various mental diseases received
behaviour modification, counselling, and crisis intervention services. Clients are offered with
bio/psycho/social assessments, diagnostic evaluation and triage services, crisis intervention and
stabilisation services, and advocacy. Trauma-sensitive short and long-term treatment, crisis
intervention, case management, and referral services are provided to at-risk young adults and
adults.
Developing Treatment Plans
A treatment plan is a detailed document written by a physician or medical specialist that includes all
pertinent information about a patient. It would include the patient's whole medical history, as well as
information about the patient's ailment, therapy, and how it should be carried out. The treatment plan
includes details on the treatment and any potential side effects. It could also include information on
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the treatment's cost and any precautions that should be followed afterward. Clinical assessments and
treatment plans should be developed in collaboration with service providers, assisted living facility
employees, and clients. Treatment plans are developed and revised to ensure proper problem
identification and defined, realistic goals for individuals. Provide one-on-one assistance to highly
emotionally disturbed people on unique treatment regimens as needed.
Treating through Group Therapy
The method of treating a group of clients in one sitting across several sessions is known as group
psychotherapy or group therapy. This method allows patients to gain encouragement and support
from their peers in group therapy. Facilitate group treatment for clients with persistent mental
diseases who require constant supervision in a controlled setting.
Communication
The ability to express one's ideas and thoughts to another through expressions, words, or deeds is
known as communication. Receiving or sending any type of information is referred to as
communication. To run a successful business, people must be able to communicate and deliver their
message to clients. Assertiveness training, communication skills, socialising, rehabilitation therapy,
and community integration are among the restorative treatments provided to clients. Demonstrate
good communication and active listening skills, as well as appropriate modelling and leadership, to
create a therapeutic group environment. Stay connected with parents, medical departments,
authorised mental health authorities, correctional staff, and probation officers on a frequent basis.
Maintaining Community Resources
Community resources are a significant source of information that are used in people's daily lives to
improve their quality of life in some way. Community resources can provide services to people, sites,
or residences, as well as population aid. Maintain a constructive and positive relationship with
community resources, as well as timely and accurate quarterly reports and needs assessments. Clients
are assisted in locating and creating community resources in order to promote their independence and
discharge.
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Administrating Psychosocial Assessments- Patients should have their Bio-Psychosocial Assessments
completed as soon as possible after their arrival. Conduct BioPsychoSocial examinations with clients
in their home language. Treatment plans, Bio-Psychosocial assessments, CFARS/FARS evaluations,
mental health interventions and individual/group therapy are all part of the job.
Educating for Independent Living - In a community context, provide mental health skill-building
support services and aid consumers in acquiring independent living skills. Volunteer to lead
educational classes on topics such as parenting, independent living, and behaviour control. To
encourage independence, educate and teach clients on how to improve and maintain personal
independent living abilities. Assist clients in developing survival skills in preparation for the
transition from residential to independent life.
Measuring Vital Signs
The operation of various body systems is indicated by vital signs, which are a set of values. They're
measurements of the human body's most fundamental functions. Body temperature, pulse rate,
respiration rate, and blood pressure are the four major vital indicators used in medicine to examine a
patient. Patients' vital signs are monitored, medications are administered, and patients are given
support as needed, all in accordance with their customised treatment regimens. Provide
nurses/physicians with vital sign data and extensive documentation for overall assessments and
decision-making.
Planning Recreational Activities
Recreational activities are leisure activities in which you spend your free time doing something for
the sake of enjoyment, pleasure, or relaxation. Plan, coordinate, and implement appropriate
recreational activities based on the preferences of individuals, and provide adequate and appropriate
supervision.
Collaborating with Social Workers
A social worker is a professional who assists people in improving their daily lives, providing them
with basic necessities, and assisting them in coping with life's stressors and difficulties. Social
workers can work in a variety of settings, including mental health clinics, schools, nursing homes,
and hospitals, or they can have their own practise. They examine their clients' needs and requirements
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in order to build programmes that will improve their well-being. Unemployment, a lack of children,
house facilities, divorce, and illness are just some of the changes and issues that social workers can
assist people with. They can also assist with disaster relief, such as earthquakes, floods, and
tornadoes. To ensure the delivery of excellent therapeutic services, collaborate with a
multidisciplinary team of social workers, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatrists.
https://www.zippia.com/mental-health-counselor-jobs/skills/
Q3) Fill in the blank-
1) Body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure are the four major
_________ used in medicine to examine a patient.
2) A ___________ is a professional who assists people in improving their daily lives, providing
them with basic necessities, and assisting them in coping with life's stressors and difficulties.
10.4 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR ADDICTION AND REHABILITATION

COUNSELLING
Skills in the field of addiction and rehabilitation, often known as substance abuse counselling,
include the following:
Listening skills - Working with clients one-on-one to better understand their experiences allows
you to determine the most effective counseling services. You can make better recommendations
by talking to clients about their past experiences, family history, and other unique variables.
Clients need to feel heard, understood, and validated, which is why active listening is so
important in offering good therapy.
Skill to Empathise - While you may not be able to relate to your clients' circumstances on a
personal level, empathising with them can help you create meaningful relationships. When you
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express empathy, clients are more likely to open up and engage with you without fear of being
judged.
Skill to assist people - When it comes to offering effective treatment, sincerity is crucial — a
client can tell whether you are actually invested in them. Substance abuse counselling is difficult
work that is not for the faint of heart; yet, having a strong desire to help others, as well as other
interpersonal skills, makes the job extremely rewarding.
Stress management skills - Counseling for substance abuse is a difficult field. You will meet
people with a wide range of personalities who are dealing with a variety of mental, physical, and
emotional issues. It may be tough to contact your clients at times, and there will be successes and
failures; learning to manage the stress that will inevitably accompany the job can help you avoid
feeling overwhelmed or burned out.
Skill to maintain boundaries - You will form important relationships with your clients
throughout the healing process. You may go above and above to aid them in some situations;
nevertheless, a lack of limits will lead to the development of enabling behaviours. While you
may be able to assist your clients by transporting them to interviews or ensuring that they are
able to attend treatment programmes, you must set clear boundaries. It is easy to be caught up in
wanting to help someone succeed, but you need to set boundaries to safeguard your relationship's
integrity and avoid being taken advantage of.
Reflecting on Personal recovery - While it is not needed to be an effective substance abuse

counsellor, those who have gone through their own journey to recovery are often able to connect
with those in treatment in ways that others cannot. Having gone through the recovery process
yourself can help you empathise with individuals you're working with and provide you
significant insight into how to deal with triggers and prevent mistakes. Find out more about how
recovering addicts can work as counsellors.
Social skills - It's crucial to build genuine relationships with your clients, and developing trust
early on might make it easier to connect. It's critical in drug abuse treatment to be non-
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judgmental and to avoid condemning a client's prior mistakes. Even if your client has relapsed,
being kind and sympathetic will make it easier for them to open up to you and will benefit their
recovery experience. However, in order to achieve success, you must strike a balance in which
you hold your customer accountable for their actions. ("Substance Abuse Counselor Skills And
Characteristics: Sober College")
Activity - 1
Visit an alcohol anonymous centre in your city to understand the process of rehabilitation of an
alcoholic addict and prepare a report on it.
10.5 SKILLS REQUIRED FOR COUNSELLING PEOPLE WITH SEXUAL

IDENTITY PROBLEMS
Skills required for counselling people with sexual identity problems are:
Skill to identify factors influencing sexual identity - identify that biological, familial, cultural,
socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors all influence the trajectory of affectional orientations
and gender identity/expressions development.
Skill to identify various phobia and prejudices - Identify the hetero-sexism, biphobia,
transphobia, homophobia, and homo-prejudice that are embedded in current lifespan
development theories, and account for this bias in diagnostic and counselling techniques.
Skill to note development stages of life which impacts LGBT clients - It's important to note
that developmental stages throughout life (e.g., youth, adolescents, young adults, middle adults,
and older people) might have an impact on the issues that LGBQQ clients bring up in
counselling.
Skill to identify contextual factors and social determinants on development of sexual

identities - identify the impact of other contextual factors and social determinants of health
(such as race, education, ethnicity, religion and spirituality, socioeconomic status, family role,
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peer group, geographical region, age, size, gender identity/expression, and so on) on the
development of LGBQQ identities.
Skill of using appropriate language - Recognize the significance of appropriate language use
for LGBQQ people, as well as how certain labels (such as gay or queer) require contextualization
in order to be used in a positive and affirming way.
Skill to identify factors unfavourable attitudes against LGBT group - Recognize how
internalised bias, such as heterosexism, racism, classism, religious/spiritual discrimination,
ableism, adultism, ageism, and sexism, can impact the counselor's own attitudes as well as those
of LGBQQ people, leading to unfavourable attitudes and/or feelings against LGBQQ people.
Skill to get to LGBT culture - Familiarize themselves with LGBTQIQA people' cultural
traditions, rituals, and rites of passage.
Skill to acknowledge spiritual and religious importance for LGBT - Recognize that while
spiritual development and religious practises are important for LGBQQ people, they can also be
difficult due to the limited number of LGBQQ positive religious institutions in a given
community and the fact that many LGBQQ people face personal struggles with their faith and
identity.
Skill to build affirmative treatment environment - Demonstrate the skill to build LGBQQ
affirmative treatment environments in which disclosure of affectional orientation is encouraged
and supported, but no one is forced to disclose their affectional orientation.
Skill to update own-self - Continue to gain understanding, information, and abilities in

counselling when it comes to LGBQQ problems. Due to the rapid creation of research and
developing knowledge base connected to LGBQQ experience, community, and existence within
our varied, hetero-centric, and ever-changing Society, continuing education in this field is a
requirement for competent counselling.
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Skill to construct affectional groups - Demonstrate the ability to construct group contexts in
which disclosure of affectional orientation is encouraged and supported, but there are no
requirements for group members to do so.
Skill to use collaborative approach - When appropriate, use a collaborative approach with
LGBQQ people to work through ethical challenges that affect the professional relationship
Skill to assess capacity to face adversity - Recognize LGBQQ people's tenacity and capacity to
persevere in the face of adversity.
Skill to assist professional decisions - Assist LGBQQ people in making professional decisions
that promote identity acceptance as well as employment happiness. (Harper et al., 2013)
Activity - 2
Write a review on any LGBT movie portraying social issues of this community.
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Summary
Skills required for relationship counselling are listening, asking questions, reflecting, self-
disclosing, being genuine, empathising and providing unconditional positive regard.
To be productive and effective, marriage and family counsellors need to have a number of key
skills like communication, perceptiveness and empathy, conflict resolution, instruction and
leadership, problem solving and reasoning skills, managing oneself, others, time, and
possessions, collaboration with others and to visualize and perceive.
Skills needed for mental health counselling are crisis intervention, developing treatment plans,
treating through group therapy, communication, maintaining community resources,
administrating psychosocial assessments, educating for independent living, measuring vital
signs, planning recreational activities and collaborating with social workers.
Skills in the field of addiction and rehabilitation, often known as substance abuse counselling,
include listening skills, skill to empathise, skill to assist people, stress management skills, skill
to maintain boundaries, reflecting on personal recovery and social skills.
Skills required for counselling people with sexual identity problems are, skill to identify factors
influencing sexual identity, various phobia and prejudices, to note development stages of life
which impacts LGBT clients, identify contextual factors and social determinants on development
of sexual identities, using appropriate language, identify factors unfavourable attitudes against
lgbt group, get to know LGBT culture, acknowledge spiritual and religious importance for
LGBT, build affirmative treatment environment, update ownself in LGBT context , construct
affectional groups, use collaborative approach, assess capacity to face adversity and skill to
assist professional decisions
Keywords
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● Self-disclosure -a form of communication in which one individual discloses personal
information to another.
● Empathise -understand and share another's emotions.
● Perceptiveness -the ability of being exceptionally good at recognising and
comprehending things that most people miss
● conflict resolution - a method for two or more parties to reach a peaceful agreement in
the face of a conflict
● Visualize - make a mental picture
● Perceive - (Someone or something) is interpreted or viewed in a specific way.
1. Explain skills required for marriage and family counselling.
2. Explain skills required for relationship counselling
3. Explain skills required for mental health counselling.
4. Explain skills required for addiction and rehabilitation counselling.
5. Explain skills required for counselling people with sexual identity problems.
Q1) State whether the statement is true or false -
1) Counsellors may share personal information about themselves to a client - True
2) Listening abilities encompass only aural attention - False
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Q2) Match the following -
Group 1 Group 2
1. Communication b. listen
c. gain the trust

2. Leadership
3. Perceive a.Find an underlying pattern
Q3) Fill in the blank
1) Body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure are the four major vital
indicators used in medicine to examine a patient.
2) A social worker is a professional who assists people in improving their daily lives, providing
them with basic necessities, and assisting them in coping with life's stressors and difficulties.
References
1. Counseling skills in a therapeutic relationship. (2021, February 22).

Retrieved September 27, 2021. https://counseling.education.wm.edu/blog/list-of-counseling-
skills
205
2. Joseph, C. (2016, November 09). Good skills for being a family counselor.
https://work.chron.com/good-skills-being-family-counselor-7234.html
3. Mae, G. (2020, September 15). 14 Skills needed to be a counsellor.

https://icieducation.co.uk/blog/14-skills-needed-to-be-a-counsellor/
4. Marriage and family therapists—Skills and abilities. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27,
2021. https://apps.illinoisworknet.com/cis/clusters/OccupationDetails/100513?parentId=1110
00&section=skills&sectionTitle=Skills and Abilities
5. Substance abuse counselor skills and characteristics: Sober college. (n.d.).

Retrieved September 27, 2021. https://sobercollege.com/substance-use-counselor/skills-and-
characteristics/
206
Guidance and Counselling for Special Problems
UNIT
Structure:
11.1 Introduction
11
11.2 Problems related to Academic Backwardness
11.3 Mild Mental Retardation
11.4 Sensory Deficits
11.5 Learning Disabilities
11.6 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
11.7 Autism
11.8 Emotional and Social Problems of Students
Summary
Keywords
Suggested Reading

Notes
Objectives
----------------------
----------------------
●● Discuss various learning difficulties and their impact.
---------------------- ●● Describe different effects of attention deficit learning disability
---------------------- ●● Explain behaviour pattern of an autistic child.
---------------------- ●● laborate on teachers and counsellor’s responsibility regarding
E
children having special problems
----------------------
---------------------- 11.1 INTRODUCTION

---------------------- In any classroom, teaching activities take place assuming that almost
---------------------- all students have normal abilities and cognitive skills necessary for learning.
However, it is worth noting that approximately ten fifteen percent children do
---------------------- not have the capacity to get the benefit of normal teaching. They either have
some sensory or cognitive problem resulting in their limitations. They can’t
---------------------- adjust to the academic activities and general environment in the classroom. Due
---------------------- care should be taken while identifying these children as labelling is not the goal
of guidance. Whatever positive things remain with the person should be utilised
---------------------- and maximum utilisation of potentials should be achieved.
---------------------- In Indian conditions, the parents are not aware of various possible
disabilities and problems related to them. Teachers have to shoulder extra
---------------------- responsibility and make provisions for these children’s education and welfare.
Counsellor’s job becomes even more crucial in this case.
----------------------
---------------------- 11.2 PROBLEMS RELATED TO ACADEMIC

BACKWARDNESS
----------------------
It is worth noting that there are many students who are capable of studying
----------------------
properly, have all the abilities and skills necessary for formal education but
---------------------- who still substantially underachieve, fail or may dropout from school. There
are many reasons for backwardness in studies. There are problems like the
---------------------- following:
---------------------- ●● Poor study habits
●● Lack of motivation
----------------------
●● Influence of bad company
---------------------- ●● Low socioeconomic status
---------------------- ●● Gratification orientated personality
---------------------- ●● No interest in studies
●● Poor relationship with parents
----------------------
●● Too high expectations of parents Notes
●● Rebellious attitudes
----------------------
●● Inappropriate teaching environment
You must have seen that such children, who are actually normal but ----------------------
still are not achieving as per their potentials, may improve if they are helped ----------------------
within time. It is basically the responsibility of teachers and counsellors to
help these children to realise their worth and utilise their potentials in a better ----------------------
way. The good qualities, positive behavioural patterns and hidden talents of
these children are to be brought out for this purpose. Recognition and reward ----------------------
than punishment and nagging helps these children. Parents must contribute ----------------------
to this guidance program. They must develop positive attitude and whole
hearted acceptance while interacting with the child. Sense of belongingness ----------------------
and satisfaction of achievement are the most useful strategies to deal with their
problems. Developing close relations with children and being warm and firm ----------------------
simultaneously works well. Any inconsistency in discipline or general child ----------------------
rearing, disputes at home, comparison of siblings, controversy in mother’s and
father’s ideas and behaviour should be minimised. ----------------------
Though most of the children develop various capacities with normal speed ----------------------
and efficiency, some children lag behind and differ in certain crucial respects
from their age mates. They differ in case of mental, physical, emotional or ----------------------
social aspects of development. Instructional and guidance services must provide
special facilities for them. Special instructional methods are necessary for these ----------------------
children. Severely handicapped children are not admitted to schools for normal ----------------------
children, as their disabilities are obvious by the time they become five year old.
Their problems are life long and require constant efforts on the part of parents ----------------------
and teachers to help them to learn simple skills essential in day-to-day life.
Some other children whose disabilities are not so obvious as they are apparently ----------------------
normal are admitted to schools for normal children. Their problems are specific ----------------------
and many a times even the parents fail to understand the actual nature of the
problem. Such children pose a real challenge to the teachers and counsellors. ----------------------
a. Mild mental retardation ----------------------
b. Sensory disability
----------------------
c. Autism
----------------------
d. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
e. Emotional problems ----------------------
f. Ill health, specially infections and injury related to brain ----------------------

g. Behavioural problems ----------------------
h. Problems related to parent child relations.
----------------------
These and similar other problems are detrimental to academic achievement
as well as academic or educational adjustment. Let us consider some important ----------------------
limitations and ways to deal with them.
----------------------

Notes
----------------------
State True or False.
----------------------
1. The reasons for backwardness in studies are poor study habits and
---------------------- lack of motivation.
---------------------- 2. Parents must contribute to guidance program.
3. Though most of the children develop various capacities with normal
----------------------
speed and efficiency, some children lag behind and differ in certain
---------------------- crucial respects from their age mates.
---------------------- 4. Special instructional methods are not necessary for slow children.
5. Severely handicapped children are not admitted to schools for normal
---------------------- children, as their disabilities are obvious by the time they become five
---------------------- year old.
----------------------
11.3 MILD MENTAL RETARDATION
----------------------
The first important thing is to identify children who have some special
---------------------- problems. Teachers are not supposed to use various tests but they can definitely
recommend children for testing and counselling. What type of criteria is useful
----------------------
for such recommendation is also an important issue. Let us take for example
---------------------- children who are intellectually below average. The teacher should find out if
any child in his class –
----------------------
1. Is educationally backward meaning constantly getting low grades
---------------------- 2. Has physical defects leading to limitations regarding study
---------------------- 3. Is developing slowly and lagging behind in many cognitive skills
---------------------- 4. Lacks day today skills of social interactions
5. Using language in a very limited and different way
----------------------
6. Show great difficulty in grasping new ideas
----------------------
7. Has low memory span and attention span
---------------------- 8. Learns concrete material better than abstract material
---------------------- 9. Is perceived by others as slow and difficult to deal with
---------------------- In such cases, the teacher must try to get the exact diagnosis. Those who
are borderline or mildly retarded may continue schooling in school for normal
---------------------- children at least for some years. Those who are educable may also be placed
in a special school where their needs are better fulfilled. Below that level are
----------------------
trainable who need to learn simplest skills of self-care.
---------------------- One important thing that should be remembered is there are many other
reasons for low achievements and slow development as well as lack of skills.
----------------------
Very low socioeconomic status, disturbed family relations, chronic illness,
emotional problems and many other reasons may lead to low achievement. Notes
Hence, due care should be taken and no child should be labelled as retarded
just on the basis of any one criterion. The counsellor must use different types ----------------------
of tests of intelligence along with social maturity scales to support the findings.
Recommendations should be converted in positive terms than showing the ----------------------
limitations. If the child can not learn abstract things easily, say that the child ----------------------
will be more successful in case of concrete things and take a course leading
to either building construction, carpentry, repairing two or four wheelers and ----------------------
so on. Some schools have introduced special teachers for these children, or
separate class for specific subjects like mathematics. ----------------------
If proper intervention is not introduced at proper time, teachers and ----------------------

parents may blame them for not studying properly and this may lead to many
----------------------
emotional and other adjustment problems.
----------------------
11.4 SENSORY DEFICITS
----------------------
Many a times the child with low achievement may have some minor
sensory problem, which is not noticed by parents and teachers. ----------------------
Ketaki was a slow child who was not interested in any social interaction ----------------------
with others. She was isolated from the whole class and learned in a very peculiar
----------------------
way. Most of the times she was not able to keep pace with the class and could not
answer questions. She used to complain that she could not read the blackboard ----------------------
properly. After she was taken to a specialist, she was identified as a child with
partial vision. She could not even see the face of anyone talking to her. At that ----------------------
time, she was in forth standard.
----------------------
This is a true story of a child who was not understood properly by others
and hence faced some more problems. ----------------------
In a large classroom, no teacher can devote special attention to any ----------------------
student. However, if the symptoms are clear to the teachers, they will be easily
able to identify children having problems regarding eyesight. Some important ----------------------
symptoms are given below. If any child is facing similar problems he should be
----------------------
immediately sent to doctor.
●● Chronic eye irritation, watery, red and swollen eyes ----------------------
●● Nausea, double vision, visual blurring during reading ----------------------
●● Rubs eyes, frowns up face while looking at distance
----------------------
●● Overcautious while walking and no running
----------------------
●● Inattentive during board work
●● Restless, irritable and nervous after visual work ----------------------
●● Blinks excessively ----------------------
●● Holds book very close or very far
----------------------
●● Reads for very short time, covers eyes intermittently while reading.
----------------------

Notes Similar problems are seen in case of children who have partial
hearing loss. Say for example, if there is 30% hearing loss, the child suffers
---------------------- tremendously. In the classroom situation, the child is confused. The child is not
able to understand what the teacher is discussing in the class. He is not able
---------------------- to answer questions asked by teachers. There are other difficulties of social
---------------------- interactions while interacting with classmates which leads to low self-concept.
As the real problem is not understood by others, they either make fun of the
---------------------- child or completely neglect him. This is detrimental to adjustment of the child.
Teachers and counsellors must consider all these issues while treating the child.
---------------------- Of course, medical help and proper hearing aids are essential. Cooperation of
---------------------- significant others is a must.
There are problems regarding faulty speech, which interferes with
----------------------
communication, calls undue attention to itself and causes undue concern for
---------------------- the speaker. It requires remedial treatment and proper guidance. Along with
physiological reasons like nasal obstructions, cleft palate, prematurity, visual
---------------------- impairment, weak auditory discrimination, bilingualism may also cause speech
problems. Fixation, regression, personality problems or lack of motivation,
----------------------
overprotection are some important psychological reasons for speech problems.
---------------------- Stuttering or stammering, cluttering, lisping and lolling are associated with
severe maladjustment. Parents and teachers are also responsible for these
---------------------- problems if they are too strict and give severe punishment to children. Intentional
neglect with warm relations and unconditional acceptance may help the child
----------------------
substantially. No labelling, relax atmosphere, good speech models, training
---------------------- for slow speech production with feedback help a lot. Counselling for self-
understanding, ego building and emotional desensitisation are recommended
---------------------- for such children. Teachers and parents should cooperate and enhance the
improvement in children.
----------------------
---------------------- Check your Progress 2

---------------------- Fill in the blanks.
---------------------- 1. Very low __________ status, disturbed family relations, chronic
illness, emotional problems and many other reasons may lead to low
---------------------- achievement.
---------------------- 2. The __________ must use different types of tests of intelligence
along with social maturity scales to support the findings.
----------------------
3. Many a times. the child with _______ achievement may have some
---------------------- minor sensory problem, which is not noticed by parents and teachers.
----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
Notes
Activity 1
----------------------
Select a student who is lagging behind in studies. Find out as many facts
----------------------
about him as possible. The main points that you should study are-
●● General understanding. ----------------------
●● General impression that he creates ----------------------
●● Speed with which he learns
----------------------
●● Achievements in various school subjects
●● Participation in social activities ----------------------
●● Health complaints and sensory problems ----------------------

●● nything else that may be important to understand more about his
A ----------------------
condition.
Write a report on the same and form various hypotheses about the real reason ----------------------
for child’s poor achievement. ----------------------
----------------------
11.5 LEARNING DISABILITIES
----------------------
Some children having normal sight, hearing and intelligence also face
learning difficulties. These are the problems, which remain hidden for many ----------------------
years and affect academic achievement invariably. Learning disabilities are ----------------------
essentially to be ruled out in case of children facing some academic problem.
Dyslexia may be difficult to notice till the child starts schooling. It is a ----------------------
developmental condition where due to hereditary problems or brain damage the
person can not read and write properly. These children need to learn with auditory ----------------------
stimulation and with the help of all other senses as far as possible. As they face ----------------------
many emotional problems their self-concept is low, they are anxious and need
emotional support from parents and teachers. Some children cannot understand ----------------------
written language and some can not understand oral language. Some of them
write the mirror image of words and can not understand the sequence of letters ----------------------
in a spelling. Children who are facing orientation problems of mathematical ----------------------
signs and cannot differentiate between a sign of addition and multiplication
can not get good grades. If the person cannot differentiate between b and d or 6 ----------------------
and 9 the person will take a wrong bus and go to some unexpected place. The
teachers and the counsellor is to help them in every manner. If any pupil in the ----------------------
class shows the following signs, teacher and counsellor must partial out the ----------------------
possibility of the child having learning difficulties.
a. Difficulty in remembering the names of the letters of alphabets ----------------------
b. Difficulty in remembering the sounds of letters ----------------------

c. Tendency of reversing letters while writing them like writing b instead of ----------------------
p or d
----------------------

Notes d. Writing right to left or mirror writing or reading in the same way even
without realising it.
----------------------
e. Reading words backwards like tub instead of but, read number backwards
---------------------- or jumbled
f. Scrambling letters while reading and writing like gril instead of girl
----------------------
g. Substituting words for written words like truck- van.
----------------------
Some important instructional strategies of teaching are given below.
---------------------- ●● Use of simultaneous multi-sensory instructions
---------------------- ●● Teach phonemic skills one at a time
---------------------- ●● Use a sequence that minimise confusion

●● Use encoding and decoding for reading and writing
----------------------
●● Make the lessons as meaningful as possible
---------------------- ●● Review daily and encourage the child.
---------------------- Special attention is required to identify these children who have otherwise
normal cognitive abilities. Their performance is normal as far as other tasks are
---------------------- concerned where reading and writing is not involved. Psychological tests are
also available to identify these children. Considering the possibility of labelling
----------------------
them as retarded or lazy, as well as that of underachievement and dropout such
---------------------- children should be helped in early stages of educational life.
Sometimes children with dyslexia also face problems with speech,
----------------------
memory, personal organisational skills, counting and auditory discrimination.
---------------------- There are other disorders like specific arithmetic disorder, disorder of speech
and language and disorder of motor functions. In specific arithmetic disorder,
---------------------- the child fails to understand simple concepts of mathematics, fails to recognise
mathematical signs or numerical symbols. They face difficulty in carrying out
----------------------
mathematical manipulation. They find mathematical tables extremely difficult
---------------------- to learn. Dysphasia or disorder of speech and language includes different types.
In that phonological disorder or dyslalia is characterised by inaccurate speech
---------------------- sounds, severe articulation errors which make the speech difficult to understand.
The second type is called as expression language disorder where the problem is
----------------------
that of restricted vocabulary, difficulty in selecting appropriate words is seen.
---------------------- Grammatical errors and cluttering is also seen in these children. One more type
is repetitive language disorder, which includes both receptive and expressive
---------------------- impairment together. Poor understanding of language and failure to respond
to instructions are observed in this case. Motor dyspraxia is another serious
----------------------
disorder leading to poor coordination in daily activities. There is inability to
---------------------- perform fine and gross movements.
Special remedial teaching focusing on specific deficit is essential along
----------------------
with emotional support is required to help these children. Parental counselling
---------------------- and parental education are essential for improving the conditions of such pupils.
Hence, parents, teachers and counsellor should join hands in helping them.
----------------------
11.6 ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVE DISORDER Notes
Persistent inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity with some of these ----------------------
symptoms appearing before the age of 7 is attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. It interferes with all orts of academic, social, and other functioning. ----------------------
Sunil age 6 never sits quietly in the classroom and constantly disturbs others. ----------------------
He never concentrates on what the teacher says. Even when the mother or teacher
tells a story, he either runs away or stats doing something else after two three ----------------------
sentences. He cannot play with other children, as he is not available to decide what ----------------------
is to be done. He is always busy doing something on his own and alone. He is not
interested and is too busy to devote time for writing or reading anything. ----------------------
ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is also a very critical ----------------------
type of disorder which approximately 5% children face during school age. They
need special attention and care along with special strategies of teaching. ADHD ----------------------
is characterised by the following pattern of behaviour and cognitive activities.
----------------------
a. Poor attention span with distractibility-the child never completes the task
that he starts. He constantly shifts from one activity to another. The child ----------------------
is often distracted by environmental stimuli.
----------------------
b. Hyperactivity-the child has difficulty in sitting still, talks excessively and
interferes with others’ activities. Even in the class the child constantly ----------------------
moves uneasily.
----------------------
c. Impulsivity-the child acts before thinking and is too impatient to wait till
his turn comes in play. ----------------------
d. Behaviour inappropriate with age and development. ----------------------
e. Sometimes associated with mental retardation ----------------------
It is very difficult to control behaviour of children having attention deficit
and hyperactive disorder and take care of these children. As a consequence, ----------------------
parents also need some help from the counsellor. ----------------------
Activity 2 ----------------------
----------------------
Discuss with various teachers in an educational institute and collect data
about students who are lagging behind in studies and cannot learn easily. ----------------------
Classify their problems and note down the total percentage of such children.
----------------------
----------------------
11.7 AUTISM
----------------------
Autism is another very serious disorder that requires special treatment
and consideration. ----------------------
Anil was very quite type of child and he never attracted the attention of ----------------------
his teacher even in pre-primary classes. He used to sit quietly in a corner and
play with his fingers or tap on the table for the whole day. He did not pay any ----------------------

Notes attention to environmental stimuli and used to behave as if lost in his own world.
He never used to play with his classmates or participate in group activities.
----------------------
Autism is a very peculiar disorder mainly characterised by problems
---------------------- regarding social interaction and communication. 75% of them have retardation
and need lifelong care. This type of child is not interested in any environmental
---------------------- stimulus and is completely withdrawn from the surrounding. He treats people
like objects. Even as a young child he may avoid eye contact, touch or any
----------------------
other contact with others even with mother. Very limited vocabulary and lack of
---------------------- emotional and social reciprocity are major features of autistic behaviour. Those
who are admitted to school may be identified on the basis of following features.
----------------------
●● o relation with others and rare eye contacts, no response to name and no
N
---------------------- social smile
●● imited use of language, repetition of sentences or TV advertisements for
L
----------------------
hours, reversal of I and you
---------------------- ●● epetitive movements like rocking, playing with fingers or lining objects
R
for hours together
----------------------
●● Solitary play and no friends
---------------------- ●● ack of awareness of existence of others and their feelings, lack of
L
---------------------- separation anxiety
●● Lack of symbolic play
----------------------
●● ttachment to insignificant objects like plastic lids, pieces of broken toys,
A
---------------------- old cards etc.
●● Absence of fear in presence of danger
----------------------
●● No abstract understanding
----------------------
●● No pointing to objects and showing it to others
---------------------- ●● o tolerance of any change in the environment like change in furniture
N
arrangement
----------------------
●● Self stimulating and self injurious behaviour like banging head against wall
---------------------- Otherwise, they are difficult to identify and various different labels
---------------------- may be used to describe them. It should always be remembered that the basic
difference between a mentally retarded child and autistic child is that of social
---------------------- interaction. Both of them are functioning at a level of retardation but those
who are mentally retarded are eager to interact with others and please the
---------------------- authority person and significant adults. The autistic children on the other hand
---------------------- are never interested in any interaction with others. Even when they face any
problem they do not depend on others but are completely inward oriented. Their
---------------------- physical development, motor coordination and other things like movements and
appearance are normal.
----------------------
Such children should be immediately sent to the counsellor and intervention
---------------------- should start as soon as possible even if there is mild problem. Drug therapy,
psychotherapy and behaviour therapy helps. Warmth, acceptance, reinforcement
----------------------
for every small activity are the basic principles for treating them. For reducing
self-injurious behaviour, conditioning principles are used. Parental counselling Notes
is a must. They should be taught as to how to use behavioural therapy in day-
to-day situation. Teachers along with classmates can help socialising the child ----------------------
and changing his habits. As there is hardly any awareness about this problem,
efforts are needed to increase the same. ----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
Multiple Choice Single Response.
----------------------
1. Child suffering from autism treats people like
i. Objects ----------------------
ii. Retarded ----------------------
iii. Friends
----------------------
iv. Academicians
2. The basic difference between a mentally retarded child and autistic ----------------------
child is that of
----------------------
i. Tolerance level
ii. Emotional bonding ----------------------
iii. Social interaction ----------------------
iv. Auditory discrimination
3. The physical development, motor coordination and other movements ----------------------
and appearance of autistic children are ----------------------
i. Normal
----------------------
ii. Different
iii. Deviated ----------------------
iv. Elated
----------------------
----------------------
11.8 EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF
STUDENTS ----------------------
There are various emotional problems, which are serious enough to ----------------------
interfere with learning as well as performance. Some examples of this sort are ----------------------
educational maladjustment, test anxiety, various phobias, insecurity, threats and
fears and lack of trust. ----------------------
●● ducational maladjustment: It includes disturbed teacher-student relations,
E ----------------------
poor peer interactions, poor study habits, non-availability of conducive
environment at home, parental values against education and similar other ----------------------
things. As a consequence, the child is not motivated to learn according
to his convenience. If socio economic status of the family is too low, the ----------------------
child may face pressures to leave school and earn than learn. Malpractices ----------------------
of teachers and other unpleasant elements are responsible for dislike for
school. This includes too harsh discipline or constant nagging by the ----------------------

Notes teacher. Comparing children’s achievement is detrimental to their mental
health. Educationally wrong practices are undue emphasis on lower
---------------------- cognitive activities like rote learning and not giving any opportunity to
use higher mental processes like creativity, creating lot of tension in the
---------------------- mind of children, which leads to poor learning. This makes learning a
compulsion than a pleasure. Guidance essentially means monitoring all
----------------------
these things and making children more happy and free when they learn.
---------------------- ●● est anxiety: It is an undue and excessive reaction to test situation due
T
to which the student experiences lot of negative emotions resulting
----------------------
in cognitive block. It is a form of state anxiety emerging due to test
---------------------- situation. Anxiety is a state of uneasiness accompanied by dysphoria and
somatic signs and symptoms of tension. It focused on apprehension of
---------------------- possible failure, misfortune and danger. These negative thoughts are so
overwhelming that the counselee is unable to function normally with
---------------------- reference to cognitive functions.
---------------------- You must have seen some students who are bright, sincere and good
students, but at the time of oral examination, they are unable to respond to
---------------------- questions. As the examination approaches, they become more and more
restless. They are afraid of examination. Scientific research says that it is
----------------------
due to undue expectations by parents and stress resulting from the same.
---------------------- ●● I nsecurity: In case of very unpleasant practices of teachers or any other
adults like child abuse there is lot of insecurity that is generated in
----------------------
children. They are uneasy and restless.
---------------------- Namita is a very good-looking child studying in third standard. She used
to be friendly and pleasant previously. Nowadays, however, she is completely
---------------------- withdrawn and unhappy. She is not keeping good health and is reluctant to go
---------------------- to school. Her parents are confused and could not find the reason behind it.
Actually, she has to travel by a minibus along with other children to school.
---------------------- The driver of the minibus is sexually abusing her when she is alone with him
and she does not know how to describe it and is afraid of its consequences. She
---------------------- wants to avoid the awful experience of someone kissing on the lips and touching
everywhere so she avoids going to school.
----------------------
The counsellor has to devote lot of time and has to use all her skills to
---------------------- assure such a child and try to understand what the child wants to suggest. Parents,
teachers and siblings as well as friends have to contribute to this activity. Due
---------------------- to such insecurities, children can not concentrate on studies and underachieve.
---------------------- Emotional problems and threatening situations tax the child to a large extent and
due care should be taken to protect children from its negative consequences.
---------------------- In social problems, we can consider low status of the family, caste creed
---------------------- and community. Due to this situation, the student may feel inferior and may not
mix freely with others. The whole personality, confidence and social adjustment
---------------------- are affected because of this. Other social problems may include inappropriate
language and mannerism, typical appearance and poverty. Opportunities must
---------------------- be provided to these students to overcome their deficits and build confidence.
They should be encouraged to try new things and think positively. They should
----------------------
be motivated to become self sufficient and hard working.
Summary Notes
●● Children with minor problems which are difficult to identify and ----------------------
understand are admitted to a classroom of normal individuals. There
----------------------
they can not cope with the learning and lag behind as well as face many
emotional problems. It is necessary to help them before their problems ----------------------
become worse and irreversible.
----------------------
●● Children having minor sensory defects as slight hearing loss or correction
needed to eyesight, generally try to compensate for their deformity and are ----------------------
not easily identified as different. Those who have boarder line intelligence
or cognitive problems due to autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ----------------------
or similar other problems can not compensate for their limitations. They
----------------------
face many emotional problems due to lack of understanding on the part of
classmates, parents and teachers. Simple tricks to identify them are given in ----------------------
this chapter. The teachers must help the counsellor to assist these children.
----------------------
Keywords ----------------------
●● ental retardation: Sub-average intellectual functioning which
M ----------------------
originates in developmental period and is associated with impairment of
adaptive behaviour. ----------------------
●● yslexia: It is defined as disturbed ability to read i.e. disturbed
D ----------------------
comprehension of what is read ranging from minor or fluctuating
disability to complete or permanent inability to read which is at odds ----------------------
with individual’s intelligence and socio economic background. This may
----------------------
include words, letters or figures.
●● ehaviour therapy: It is a technique aimed at altering maladaptive
B ----------------------
and unwanted behaviour, specially through application of principles of
----------------------
conditioning. Unlearning of wrong behaviour pattern and learning new
ones is achieved with the help of reinforcement and association. ----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
1. Discuss the problems faced by children who are lagging behind in studies.
2. Describe how children having normal intelligence also face problems of ----------------------
learning. ----------------------
3. What is autism? What are the limitations of information processing among
these children? ----------------------
4. As a teacher, how would you identify a child who is not normal? ----------------------
5. Why a teacher’s role is specially important in helping exceptional ----------------------
children?
----------------------
6. Discuss and critically evaluate awareness among teachers and parents
regarding various problems discussed in the unit. ----------------------

Notes Answers to Check your Progress
---------------------- State True or False.

1. True
----------------------
2. True
----------------------
3. True
---------------------- 4. False
---------------------- 5. True

Fill in the blanks.
----------------------
1. Very low socioeconomic status, disturbed family relations, chronic
---------------------- illness, emotional problems and many other reasons may lead to low
achievement.
----------------------
2. The counsellor must use different types of tests of intelligence along with
---------------------- social maturity scales to support the findings.
---------------------- 3. Many a times the child with low achievement may have some minor
sensory problem, which is not noticed by parents and teachers.
----------------------
---------------------- Multiple Choice Single Response.
---------------------- 1. Child suffering from autism treats people like
---------------------- i. Objects
2. The basic difference between a mentally retarded child and autistic child
----------------------
is that of
---------------------- iii. Social interaction
---------------------- 3. The physical development, motor coordination and other movements and
appearance of autistic children are
----------------------
i. Normal
----------------------
---------------------- Suggested Reading

---------------------- 1. Colman, A.M. 2006. Oxford Dictionary of Psychology. New Delhi:
Oxford Press.
----------------------
2. Hamblin, D.H. The Teacher and Counselling (1978. London: Billing and
---------------------- Sons.
---------------------- 3. Hansen, J.C. 1978. Counseling Process and Procedures. New York:
Macmillan Publishing Company.
----------------------
Self Management Skills and Social Competency
UNIT
Structure:
12.1 Introduction
12
12.2 Goals of Guidance
12.3 Self Management
12.4 Social Competency Behaviour
12.5 Value Orientation
12.6 Guidance and Life Goals
Summary
Key Words
Suggested Reading

Notes
Objectives
----------------------
----------------------
●● Discuss importance of self-management and social competence
---------------------- ●● Describe value orientation and its effect
---------------------- ●● Explain different life goals
---------------------- ●● Elaborate counselling goals regarding self-management and social
competence
----------------------
---------------------- 12.1 INTRODUCTION

---------------------- Guidance and counselling are oriented towards all sided development
of the counselee. Here we consider not only achievements but psychological
---------------------- harmony, maturity and socially acceptable behavioural patterns. Acquiring high
---------------------- and appropriate life goals is essential to give proper direction to individual’s life.
Importance of value system in integrating human life can’t be underestimated at
---------------------- any given point of time.
---------------------- As children grow older, we expect them to be independent in various

activities and manage on their own. Same is that true in case of guidance and
---------------------- counselling. The goal of guidance and counselling is the individual should
be able to lead individually satisfying and socially useful life. The individual
---------------------- should be able to lead his life independently and should be in a position to guide
one’s own activities. Self-management skills and skills of social competency
----------------------
are required for achieving this goal. There are ways and means to learn self-
---------------------- management and social competence. It adds into our repertoire to know how to
improve our behaviour and achieve better goals.
----------------------
Guidance should be oriented towards making the individual balanced and
---------------------- self directing individual. The person should not require anybody else’s help to
lead a socially acceptable and still satisfactory life. It is worth trying for oneself
---------------------- and others.
---------------------- 12.2 GOALS OF GUIDANCE
---------------------- As we have already discussed, guidance and counselling are oriented
towards all sided development of the individual. We are interested in emotional,
----------------------
social, educational, occupational and cognitive development of the individual.
---------------------- It is also to be noted that motivation should be from within. The person should
contribute to his development. No one else can change our life, only we can do
---------------------- that. So it is a must that the person should be able to decide as to what he wants
to achieve. Hence, guidance and counselling are oriented to:
----------------------
1. Self Understanding
----------------------
2. Understanding others
---------------------- 3. Developing proper life goals
4. Developing self-management skills Notes
5. Acquiring social competence
----------------------
6. Developing value system that is respected by the society
----------------------
7. Utilising potentials to the fullest extent
8. Becoming an independent and mature person. ----------------------
We will be able to spell out many more objectives of guidance and ----------------------
counselling. It is expected that the individual should be independently dealing
with his life effectively. ----------------------
----------------------
----------------------
Multiple Choice Single Response.
----------------------
1. There are many ways and means to learn self-management and social
----------------------
i. Competence
ii. Direction ----------------------
iii. Structure ----------------------

iv. Coordination ----------------------
2. Motivation in an individual should be from
----------------------
i. Parents
----------------------
ii. Within
iii. Teachers ----------------------
iv. Peers ----------------------
----------------------
12.3 SELF MANAGEMENT
----------------------
Self-management is the deliberate applications of counselling principles
----------------------
to oneself by oneself. It is oriented towards enabling each individual counselee
to be his own counsellor. According to traditional meaning self-management ----------------------
is self control, but as per the new idea, it is self-discipline. This is the ultimate
goal of guidance and counselling. The reasons behind it are given below. ----------------------
●● irst, we do not want the counselee to be dependent on the counsellor as
F ----------------------
and when there is a confusion or a decision is to be taken. The counsellor
may not be available or may leave the station or country for some work. ----------------------
●● Self-confidence has to be achieved by the counselee to deal with his life ----------------------
and his ways to tackle his own problems.
----------------------
●● Self-management is based on internalisation of values by the counselee.
Once internalisation takes place, the individual himself can monitor his ----------------------
behaviour and interaction with others. In that case, external control and
supervision is not necessary. ----------------------

Notes ●● Once achieved, self-management skills are useful for the whole life of the
individual. In the long run, the individual does not need anyone to help
---------------------- him in case of important decisions.
Preeti is studying in sixth standard in a school where all her classmates are
----------------------
coming from very well to do families. They spend lot of money during break and
---------------------- purchase luxury items for the cold drinks and pastries everyday. Preeti does not
get that much of pocket money from her parents and hence cannot do all these
---------------------- things. She started asking for more pocket money. Gradually Preeti realised that
her life is different than their life and started eating her own tiffin and going to
---------------------- playground instead of accompanying them to canteen. She did not ask for more
---------------------- money and at the same time found out alternative activity for herself.
Let us consider procedure of self-management. The counsellor is to
---------------------- encourage the counselee to go step by step and try to improve his self command.
Some important steps are given below.
----------------------
1. Identifying the target behaviour
---------------------- First step is to identify what exactly one would like to achieve. It is the
precise identification of what it is that has to be changed. It can be some
----------------------
behavioural pattern that the person wants to achieve or something that
---------------------- he wants to extinguish. It may be some behaviour that is only weakly
established and the person wants to strengthen. The person also should
---------------------- understand what other environmental and personal factors are responsible
for that particular thing. What causes it is an essential understanding
---------------------- before starting self-management program. That specific behaviour is the
---------------------- target behaviour that the person wants to change. Contributing factors
should also be controlled. All the while we are talking about the behaviour
---------------------- pattern that the individual himself wants to change not about something
that someone else wants the individual to change. If the person is changing
---------------------- behaviour as per someone else’s wish, it cannot be self-management. Self-
management is ability to manage one’s own behaviour with the use of self
---------------------- reinforcement. Self reinforcement is much more effective than similar
---------------------- reinforcement given by others.
2. Acquiring baseline data
----------------------
Second step is acquiring baseline data like knowing under what conditions
---------------------- and how often unwanted behaviour occurs or conditions and frequency
when wanted behaviour does not occur. Sometimes target behaviour is
---------------------- ambiguous and vague. In this case more details regarding intensity and
duration as well as length and conditions accompanying that behaviour
---------------------- are to be studied.
---------------------- 3. Setting up contingency management plan
This is the plan of rewarding oneself for acting in preferred way and
---------------------- punishing oneself for getting involved in unwanted behaviour. For minor
---------------------- achievements, we have to think of small reward and for substantial
achievement major reward is to be given. The counsellor should help
---------------------- the counselee to break down the target behaviour into small segments.
It leads to better understanding of how one starts acting undesirably and
---------------------- how do begin wanted behaviour.
Sameer always has been a lonely child who cannot make friends. The Notes
counsellor helped him to accept this idea that he has to change his
behaviour. Now Sameer is motivated to modify his behaviour and see the ----------------------
effect. What type of behaviour leads to friendliness and unfriendliness is
considered in detail. As Sameer wants to be a self managing person, he ----------------------
started changing his behaviour and rewarding himself for even minor ----------------------
changes. The first change is now that Sameer has started smiling at his
classmates which he never used to do previously. The next step is giving ----------------------
simple greeting along with smile. The third stage will be giving some
complimentary comments with smile and greeting. Here we have to think ----------------------
of some reward that he likes. It can be anything like buying something, ----------------------
eating something or playing some game. Rewarding oneself with the help
of self talk, evaluating effects of behaviour change and giving feedback to ----------------------
oneself are also effective.
----------------------
As far as diminishing undesirable behaviour is concerned, punishing
oneself if involved in that type of activities is a must for self-management. ----------------------
The punishment may be something like loss of desired leisure as
----------------------
restrictions on television viewing.
4. Ending the procedure ----------------------
In this last stage, assessment is to be done whether the desired behaviour ----------------------
has been achieved or undesirable behaviour has been diminished. If that is
achieved, the contingency management program can be terminated. Here ----------------------
the counsellor has to help the counselee to decide if premature withdrawal
----------------------
of contingency management is taking place. A patient, who is feeling
better after taking medicine for sometime, feels that it is not necessary to ----------------------
continue the medicine and stops taking it. This may result in re-emerging
the same complain again. Similar situation may result if evaluation of the ----------------------
changes in behaviour is not done properly.
----------------------
Check your Progress 2 ----------------------
Fill in the blanks. ----------------------
1. __________ is the deliberate applications of counselling principles to ----------------------

oneself by oneself.
----------------------
2. According to traditional meaning self-management is self control, but
as per the new idea, it is __________. ----------------------
3. __________ is based on internalisation of values by the counselee. ----------------------
4. __________ the target behaviour is the first step is to identify what
exactly one would like to achieve. ----------------------
5. __________ is ability to manage one’s own behaviour with the use of ----------------------
self reinforcement.
----------------------
6. The __________ should help the counselee to break down the target
behaviour into small segments. ----------------------

Notes
Activity 1
----------------------
1. Select one desired change in your own behaviour and write down the
----------------------
following.
---------------------- a. Identify the exact target behaviour
---------------------- b. Acquire baseline data
---------------------- c. Plan contingency management program
2. Select a student who is very popular and one more who is isolated in
----------------------
the class from seventh standard. Study the activities in which these
---------------------- two are involved in routine school hours, when someone from the
class needs help and when some activity is to be coordinated. Write
---------------------- down five differences in their behaviour and interaction with others.
----------------------
---------------------- 12.4 SOCIAL COMPETENCY BEHAVIOUR
---------------------- As we have already discussed, the ultimate goal of guidance and counselling
is to help the counselee to lead individually satisfying and socially effective life.
---------------------- Every society, every religion and every educational institute wants an individual
to function effectively in the society to get along well with others as valued by
----------------------
all social institutes – family, school, religious organisations, social organisations
---------------------- and so on. Man is a social animal and our happiness largely depends on our
relationship with others like our parents and siblings, teachers, fellow beings and
---------------------- other significant people in our lives. As a member of a group, we must be able to
understand others’ emotions and accept them as worthy individuals.
----------------------
The guidance goals in this domain are similar to that of counsellor’s skills of
---------------------- interacting with others. Some important ones are given below-
1. Identifying perceptions and feelings
----------------------
While interacting with others in day-to-day situation, we do not and
---------------------- cannot identify perceptions and feelings of others. However, these skills
are essential for developing and maintaining proper relation with others.
----------------------
These skills can be learned if systematic efforts are taken for the same.
---------------------- While discussing communication in guidance, we have already explained
various other skills like verbal skills and nonverbal skills in counselling
---------------------- relations. All these things are essential to be considered here. Use of
appropriate nonverbal communication strategies and verbal modes of
---------------------- communication helps any individual to establish cordial relations and
---------------------- maintain them. Every individual should be given an opportunity to learn
more about these things which are important in day to day life situation.
---------------------- 2. Skills in verbal communication
---------------------- Use of socially acceptable apt words, avoiding hurting others’ feelings,
being assertive and respecting others as worthy individuals are essential
---------------------- communication strategies leading to better communication.
a. Attentive listening: Attentive listening is a skill where the listener is Notes
actively processing the information and concentrating attention on
the message given by communicator. It is not just keeping silence, ----------------------
but verbal reinforcement along with nonverbal cues that one has
understood the message and is eager to get the remaining one is ----------------------
to be given. Non intrusive vocalisation and facial expression of ----------------------
eagerness help.
----------------------
b. Restatement: Restating the ideas, experiences expressed by the
speaker is another strategy worth considering. This leads to better ----------------------
understanding on the part of the listener.
----------------------
c. Reflection: It is reflecting feelings and perceptions of the speaker.
It is a must to develop this capacity to understand other person’s ----------------------
feelings. It adds to the understanding of the listener about
perceptions of the speaker and reassessment of the speaker of his ----------------------
own perceptions and feelings.
----------------------
d. Clarification: This goes beyond restatement and reflection because
it is integrating the whole process of communication and making ----------------------
it more meaningful. Sometimes even the speaker also fails to do
----------------------
that and is not aware of the meaning. It includes clarification of
concepts, events, feelings and relation between all these elements. ----------------------
All these things are similar to the concept of emotional intelligence. It ----------------------
is social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’
emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s ----------------------
thinking and actions. Empathy and handling relationships is included in this with
self awareness, managing oneself and motivating oneself to manage impulses. ----------------------
Emotional intelligence is as important as intelligence is. Counsellor must give ----------------------
this opportunity to all counselees to improve their emotional intelligence.
----------------------
----------------------
State True or False. ----------------------
1. Every society, every religion and every educational institute wants an
individual to function effectively in the society ----------------------
2. Man is not a social animal and our happiness largely depends on our ----------------------
relationship with others like our parents and siblings, teachers, fellow
beings and other significant people in our lives. ----------------------
3. While interacting with others in day to day situation, we cannot ----------------------
identify perceptions and feelings of others.
----------------------
4. Use of appropriate nonverbal communication strategies and verbal modes
of communication helps any individual to establish cordial relations ----------------------
5. Use of socially acceptable apt words, avoiding hurting others’ feelings,
----------------------
being assertive and respecting others as worthy individuals are
essential communication strategies leading to better communication. ----------------------

Notes
Activity 2
----------------------
Suggest two activities to highlight importance of gestures and tone in
----------------------
communication.
----------------------
---------------------- 12.5 VALUE ORIENTATION

----------------------
The image an individual holds of himself as an individual and in relation
---------------------- to others is intrapersonal self. What does he think about himself, what does he
value most, what attitude does he hold and how does he evaluate limitations and
---------------------- assets are the important things. The whole process of counselling depends on all
these things. Beliefs represent organisation strategies of the individual through
---------------------- which the person puts everything that he knows together.
---------------------- Values refer to guidelines for behaviour. It is centrally located in
individual’s belief system about how one ought and ought not behave and
---------------------- goals which are worth attending. It constitutes desirable modes of conduct and
ultimate goals to achieve. Interpersonal self is actual relationship with others.
---------------------- It is the complex interaction between intra personal self, interpersonal self and
---------------------- ideal self i.e. what one wants to achieve that decides values.
Any religion in the world wants its members to develop tolerance for
---------------------- delay of gratification. When an individual wants something, he may not get it
immediately. All cultures want to socialise its members to have self-discipline.
----------------------
Let us say for example, age of marriage is not the same as age of physical
---------------------- maturation. Any individual matures physically during middle of teenage, but
the society wants him to get sexual satisfaction after mid twenties. The society
---------------------- expects that the individual should get enough education, some occupation
and should be able to shoulder the responsibilities of his family and children.
---------------------- It is only after this there that is a social sanction for marriage. Faulty child
rearing practices, however, lead to immediate gratification oriented personality
----------------------
of children. Materialistic tendencies and availability of every pleasure during
---------------------- childhood leads to such problems. The counsellor should be able to understand
the dynamics of gratification oriented personality and seek parental cooperation
---------------------- in improving child’s habits and perception.
---------------------- Extreme reactions to minor frustrations are seen in case of these children.
Temper tantrums, maladjustment and undue importance given to simple things
---------------------- are seen in their interactions. They become ego centric and selfish. Such
individuals face problems when they become young adults as their parents
---------------------- cannot provide everything that they want to get at that stage of life. Like for
example, no parent can get admission to government medical college if the
---------------------- marks of his offspring are not up to the mark.
---------------------- It is essential to understand the importance of values of the counsellor. The
counsellor should understand his own values. Values with regard to religion for
---------------------- example affect communication of the counsellor with the counselee. Exploration
of the clients’ feelings and attitudes towards values are also considered with
----------------------
reference to counsellor’s values. Unless the counsellor is aware of his own Notes
values and ethics of his profession, he will be influenced by counselee’s values
and opinions. He may accept counselee’s ideas without critical evaluation. There ----------------------
are various ways to interpret role of values in counselling. It is a controversial
issue. According to one’s view, counsellor should play a very crucial role ----------------------
for becoming instrumental to value commitment of highest order. Here the
----------------------
counsellor should have the highest value system in his own thought and life.
We have to consider ethics and values in counselling relationship. The ----------------------
counsellor has basic responsibility of the counselee. Whatever the counsellor
does should not be detrimental to the welfare of the client. Second responsibility ----------------------
is that of the society, as counselling is aimed at individually satisfying and socially ----------------------
effective life of the counselee. As a consequence, the counsellor should not suggest
anything to the counselee that is harmful to any member of the community. Third ----------------------
responsibility is of self as an individual and as a member of family and society.
Taking into consideration all these things professional organisations in advanced ----------------------
countries like American Psychological Association and American Personnel
Guidance Associations have suggested some guide lines about it. ----------------------
Confidentiality of personal information is the most important and primary ----------------------
responsibility. Information received in confidence should be revealed only after
most careful deliberation and only when there is a clear danger to the individual ----------------------
or to the society. Since counselling is so close a relation that the counselee has
----------------------
to discuss his own impressions, ideas and problems, there is every possibility
that this relation and this information will be abused. This can prove dangerous ----------------------
and it violates the right of the counselee. Due to ignorance, inadequate training
or some selfish purpose, the counsellor may misuse the secrete information ----------------------
given by the counselee. Results of the various tests administered also should
be kept confidential unless it is essential to disclose them for the benefit of ----------------------
the counselee. If interviews are taped, they should be destroyed without fail
----------------------
after interpretation is done. If problem of the counselee is beyond the scope of
training that the counselee has received, it is a must to send the counselee to ----------------------
some other expert.
----------------------
----------------------
Fill in the blanks. ----------------------
1. ________ refer to guidelines for behaviour.
----------------------
2. Any religion in the world wants its members to ________ tolerance
for delay of gratification. ----------------------
3. Due to ignorance, inadequate training or some selfish purpose, the
______ may misuse the secret information given by the counselee. ----------------------
4. We have to consider ________ and values in counselling relationship. ----------------------
5. ________ of personal information is the most important and primary
responsibility. ----------------------
6. Results of the various tests administered also should be kept ________ ----------------------
unless it is essential to disclose them for the benefit of the counselee.
----------------------

Notes
Activity 3
----------------------
In most of the cultures, introduction of delay of gratification is introduced
----------------------
during childhood itself. The simplest example is, the child has to pray before
---------------------- he eats even when he is feeling very hungry. Give two similar examples
from your religion and community.
----------------------
----------------------
12.6 GUIDANCE AND LIFE GOALS
----------------------
For highest meaning of life, everyone must develop satisfactory life
---------------------- goals. It is the unifying whole which binds together all aspects and activities of
one’s life in one consistent and significant whole.
----------------------
It is something that the person believes is valuable and is oriented towards
---------------------- achieving it. Life goals are related to set of values. The person may or may not
be able to achieve, but tries to do that for the whole of his life. A scientist may
----------------------
not be able to find out effective drug for AIDS though still he may devote whole
---------------------- of his life. It is the centre of integration of individual’s physical, intellectual and
emotional aspects.
----------------------
Dileep is oriented towards saving environment. He knows that he alone
---------------------- will not be able to change environment but he is doing everything that one
can do for avoiding pollution and becoming environment friendly. He does not
---------------------- use any car or scooter as it creates pollution, does not iron his clothes as it is
wastage of electricity and saves every drop of water. So he has to walk or use
----------------------
bicycle, has to wear clothes which are simple and only cotton without iron and
---------------------- so on. Still he continues to do all these things with great devotion as if it is his
life goal.
----------------------
It is a challenge to the counsellor to help the counselee for selecting an
---------------------- appropriate life goal suitable to his abilities, needs and interests. The goal should
have promise of attainment. Human life is limited. If a person can’t decide
---------------------- what is important and what is not, he will be wasting his time unnecessarily.
---------------------- Parents, teachers, counsellor and whole socialisation process are responsible
for selection of life goals. Major life goals are as follows:
---------------------- a. Self realisation: Self-realisation is becoming what one wants to become.
---------------------- Counsellor should help the individual to understand relationship between
self concept and life goals. If both of them are in congruence, the individual
---------------------- obtains satisfaction out of it. Let us take an example.
---------------------- Yogita always wanted to become a singer. Right from the beginning she
is studying and practicing classical oral music. As her mother is a well
---------------------- known singer, she is always interested in music and puts in lot of efforts
for excellence in the field. She is very happy to share many things with
----------------------
her mother.
----------------------
b. Service to others: Every religion pleads the importance of service to Notes
others. Great people like Mother Teresa worked for it and devoted their
life for serving others. It is a socially respectable goal. Many individuals ----------------------
serve the needy and deprived as per available time and energy. Though
they cannot devote their whole life, they find some time regularly to serve ----------------------
the poor or the handicapped. A teacher may teach the students from slum ----------------------
area during evening without charging them anything for that. A house
wife may read text books loudly for the blind or a student may share ----------------------
his books with his friend who cannot afford to buy these books. The
counsellor and teachers can enhance this tendency of the counselee to ----------------------
help others. Teachers can directly reinforce such behavioural patterns and ----------------------
discuss lives of great people in the classroom to increase student’s interest
in such life goals. ----------------------
c. Satisfaction: Counsellor should see to it that counselees are involved in ----------------------
focusing on socially acceptable satisfactions. For example, an adolescent
may be satisfied by drug abuse or may get satisfaction by playing cricket. ----------------------
If the counselee is oriented towards getting satisfaction by doing socially
----------------------
undesirable things, teachers, parents and counsellor must help him
understand the danger in that. ----------------------
Ideal situation will be where the individual gets satisfaction from every
----------------------
sphere of life - from home and family, from education, from peers and so
on. The teachers, parents and counsellors should enhance development of ----------------------
life goals.
----------------------
Summary ----------------------
●● Any guidance and counselling activity is oriented towards the ultimate ----------------------
goal of making the counselee self sufficient and self-reliant. The
counselee should be able to become self aware and self sufficient in case ----------------------
of any problem situation. Self-management skills significantly contribute
----------------------
to mental health and effectiveness of behavioural patterns for achieving
satisfaction. Internalisation of values is a must, otherwise the counselee ----------------------
may not be able to achieve integration and mature balance point of
personality. ----------------------
●● Understanding value system of the counselee is essential to understand ----------------------
his life and behaviour. Counsellor should also understand his own value
system and have some reference point when evaluation of counselee’s ----------------------
values is to be done. Related to values is development of life goals. If
life goals are socially valued and based on ultimate value system, then ----------------------
counselee’s life will be socially effective and individually satisfying. ----------------------
●● These are the ultimate goals of guidance and counselling. Contribution of
parents, teachers and other significant adults cannot be underestimated in ----------------------
this achievement. ----------------------
----------------------

Notes Keywords
----------------------
●● Immediate gratification orientation: Faulty child rearing may lead to
---------------------- gratification orientation. The child thinks that whatever he wants should
be made available to him immediately. In adulthood also, these persons
---------------------- show less frustration tolerance.
---------------------- ●● Life goal: It is something that the person wants to achieve in long term,
something that the person values most and has accepted as worthy for
---------------------- putting in efforts to achieve.
----------------------
----------------------
1. What are the steps to self-management?
----------------------
2. Discuss various life goals and their importance in human life.
---------------------- 3. Describe the importance of social competency along with its benefits.
---------------------- 4. What is the role played by values in counselling?
---------------------- 5. Discuss the ultimate goal of guidance and counselling.
---------------------- Answers to Check your Progress

---------------------- Multiple Choice Single Response.
---------------------- 1. There are many ways and means to learn self-management and social
i. Competence
----------------------
2. Motivation in an individual should be from
----------------------
ii. Within
---------------------- Fill in the blanks.
---------------------- 1. Self-management is the deliberate applications of counselling principles
to oneself by oneself.
----------------------
2. According to traditional meaning self-management is self control, but as
---------------------- per the new idea, it is self-discipline.
---------------------- 3. Self-management is based on internalisation of values by the counselee.

4. Identifying the target behaviour is the first step is to identify what exactly
---------------------- one would like to achieve.
---------------------- 5. Self-management is ability to manage one’s own behaviour with the use
of self reinforcement.
----------------------
6. The counsellor should help the counselee to break down the target
---------------------- behaviour into small segments.
Check your Progress 3 Notes
State True or False.
----------------------
1. True
----------------------
2. False
3. True ----------------------
4. True ----------------------
5. True ----------------------
----------------------
Fill in the blanks.
----------------------
1. Values refer to guidelines for behaviour.
2. Any religion in the world wants its members to develop tolerance for ----------------------
delay of gratification. ----------------------
3. Due to ignorance, inadequate training or some selfish purpose, the
counsellor may misuse the secret information given by the counselee. ----------------------
4. We have to consider ethics and values in counselling relationship. ----------------------

5. Confidentiality of personal information is the most important and primary ----------------------
responsibility.
----------------------
6. Results of the various tests administered also should be kept confidential
unless it is essential to disclose them for the benefit of the counselee. ----------------------
----------------------
Suggested Reading
----------------------
1. Byrne, R.H. 1977. Guidance: A Behavioural Approach. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall. ----------------------
2. Gupta. M. 2003. Effective Guidance and Counselling. Jaipur: Mangal ----------------------
Deep publications.
----------------------
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Notes
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Counsellor and Counselling Skills

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COUNSELLOR AND COUNSELLING

(FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY)

required to be an effective psychological counsellor.

1.1 Skills of a Counsellor

Self Assessment Questions

Answers to Check your Progress

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

1.1 SKILLS AND QUALITIES OF A COUNSELLOR

12) Emotional compartmentalization –

13) Good Information recall –

14) Observational skill –

Check Your Progress 1

Fill in the blanks

1.2 COUNSELLING AS A PROFESSION

Some Applied Fields include –

Check Your Progress 2 –

1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE COUNSELLOR

1) Being organized in your work –

2) Be ethical and professional –

4) Self Awareness and self confidence –

Be aware of yourself. Knowing your strengths and weakness is important. Counselling is a

5) Be respectful and non-judgmental –

6) Good Communication skill –

1.4 COUNSELLING SET UP

 Welcoming – by greeting the clients warmly, with pleasant facial expressions

 Comfortable – have comfortable seating arrangements, sit facing the client

 Non-threatening – creates a comfortable, relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

 A place where privacy and confidentiality can be maintained – it must be

 A place with few or minimum distractions – with no telephone and no

Check Your Progress 3 –

Multiple Choice Single Response =

4) A good counselling environment must be –

5) A counsellor must not also judge a client based on his _________

Games for Observational Skills –

1.5 PERSONAL CHALLENGES AS A COUNSELLOR

1) Educational and Professional Setbacks –

2) Professional Versus Personal Conduct –

3) Knowing your boundaries –

3) The struggle with being diplomatic –

One of the most important skills of the counsellor is empathy. It means to

5) Burnout because of the emotional baggage –

Check Your Progress 4

Self Assessment Questions

Answers to Check your progress

Fill in the blanks

Answers to Check your progress 2-

Answers to Check Your Progress 3 –

1. Basic counselling skills—A Helper’s manual. By Richard. SAGE ` Publication.

2.1 Attending behaviour and communication skills

Self Assessment Questions

Answers to Check your Progress

After going through this unit, you will be able to

2.1 ATTENDING BEHAVIOUR AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Attending behaviour has four very simple dimensions 3 V’s + B –

 Vocal qualities – the tone, volume, modulation, etc are important.

 Verbal tracking – rephrasing and summarizing the client’s thoughts

 Body language - it must be attentive and genuine.

2.3. SKILLS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

The counsellor must avoid the following –

Check Your Progress 1 –

The two main techniques of reflecting are mirroring and paraphrasing.

2.5. INTEGRATIVE SKILLS

The main problems or criticism regarding this approach are –

2.6. INFLUENCING SKILLS