UNIT 1 -NATURE AND GOALS OF COUNSELLING

 DEFINITION OF COUNSELLING
“Counselling is a face to face relationship in which growth takes place in the counsellor as
well as the counselee.” [Ruth Strang]
There have always been “counsellors”—people who listen to others and help them resolve
difficulties.
 GOALS OF COUSELLING
Different individuals have different perceptions of what can be expected of counselling.
However there are five commonly named goals of counselling.
1. Facilitating behavior change
The goal of counselling is to bring about change in behaviors that will enable to the client to
be more productive. Goals can be measurable so that client can measure that program.
According to Rogers (1951) behaviour change is a necessary result of the counselling process
although specific behaviors receive little or no emphasis during process. e.g increase physical
activity, reduction of stress, healthy diet, reducing addiction.
2. Improving relationship
Many clients tend to have major problems relating to others due to poor self- image. Likewise
inadequate social skills cause individuals to act defensively in relationships. The counsellor
would then strive to help the client improve the quality of their lives by developing more
effective interpersonal relationships. e.g grounding techniques, muscle relaxation, breathing,
also involves building positive self -image.
3. Facilitate client’s potential
Helping individuals to cope with new situation and challenges. We will inevitably run into
difficulties in the process of growing up. Most of us do not completely achieve all over our
development tasks within a life time. All of the unique expectations and requirements
imposed on us by others will eventually lead to problem learning coping patterns ,however
may not always work.
4. Promoting decision making
The goal of the counselling is to enable the individual to make critical decisions regarding
alternative courses of actions without outside influence. Counselling will help individuals
obtain individuals obtain information and to clarify emotional concern that may interfere with
or be related to the decision involved. These individuals will acquire an understanding of
their capabilities and interests. They will also come to identifying emotions and attitudes that
could influence their choice and decisions.
5. Enhance potential and enrich self -development
Help individuals to cope with new situations and challenges. Counselling seek to maximize
an individual freedom by giving him or her control over their environment while analysing
responsiveness and reach to the environment. Counsellors will work to help people learn how
to overcome. Counsellors will also assist to overcoming sexual dysfunction, drug addition,
gambling and obesity as well as anxiety shyness and depression.
 THERAPUTIC ALLIANCES
Therapeutic alliance is a partnership between a patient and his/her therapist that allows them
to achieve goals through agreed upon tasks.
3 essential elements:
i. Agreement on goals of treatment
ii. Agreement on the task
iii. Development of personal bond made for reciprocal positive feelings.
Important to develop a personal relationship of confidence & regard – also determine by the
clients beliefs in the therapist ability to help him/her. Important so the client accepts, follow
& beliefs in the treatment.

 TRAINING, JOB SETTING & ACTIVITIES OF COUNSELLOR

The aim of this course is to develop awareness, knowledge, and skills that are beneficial
while working with children & adolescents from the counselling perspective. It is based
on a body of knowledge drawn from the different psychological theories, developmental
psychology, and clinical observation.
A doctorate level degree is required to practice as a licensed clinical counsellor. PHD,
PSY.D.
Q. What are the activities involved in the field of psychology?
Counselling & psychotherapy [individual, group, couple, family], psychological testing.
Job settings are highly diverse & so are the job activities.
Colleges & university, General & psychiatric hospitals, counselling centers, private clinic,
nursing homes, rehabilitation center, government organization [ military, criminal, justice
system], special education school, business & industrial.
 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A COUSELLOR
Counselling is:
The process that occurs when a client and counsellor set aside time in order to explore
difficulties which may include the stressful or emotional feelings of the client.
The act of helping the client to see things more clearly, possibly from a different view-point.
This can enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or behaviour, with a goal to
facilitating positive change.
A relationship of trust. Confidentiality is paramount to successful counselling. Professional
counsellors will usually explain their policy on confidentiality, they may, however, be
required by law to disclose information if they believe that there is a risk to life.
Counselling is not:
Giving advice.
Judgemental.
Attempting to sort out the problems of the client.
Expecting or encouraging a client to behave in a way in which the counsellor may have
behaved when confronted with a similar problem in their own life.
Getting emotionally involved with the client.
Looking at a client's problems from your own perspective, based on your own value system.
 STAGES OF COUSELLING PROCESS
1. Stage 1: Relationship building [initial disclosure]
This stage focuses on the counsellor engaging with the client to explore the issues that are
directly affecting. them. The counsellors focus is on good listening skills & building a
positive relationship. The client is also the reading the counsellors verbal & non-verbal
signals to draw inferences about the counsellor & the process.
2. Stage 2: In-depth exploration [case study]
While the counsellor and client continue to build a beneficial, collaborative relationship,
another process is underway: problem assessment. The counselor carefully listens and draws
out information regarding the client’s situation (life, work, home, education, etc.) and the
reason they have engaged in counseling. Information crucial to subsequent stages of
counseling includes identifying triggers, timing, environmental factors, stress levels, and
other contributing factors.

3. Stage 3: Problem & solutions

This stage which depends on the information gained during the previous two stages is
characterised by increased activities of all parties involved. The Counsellor’s activities
include facilitating, demonstrating instructing, & providing a safe environment for the
development of change. The clients activities focused on re-evaluation, emotional cognitive
dynamics, trying out new behaviors (both inside & outside the session), discarding those that
do not meet the goals.

4. Stage 4: Termination & Follow-up

This stage is the closing stage of the helping relationship & is cooperative determine by all
persons involve.

Termination is the final stage of counselling & marks the close of a relationship. It means the
ending of therapeutic alliance between the counselor & client.

Evaluation is an important part of the counselling process. It is essential that he takes

evaluation termination. To inform the client beforehand him to get prepared psychologically
counselling should never be abruptly terminated. The termination of counseling is
systematically done after the following a series of steps.

The counselor during the evaluation & termination stage insures the following:

i. Evaluating the readiness for termination of counselling process.

ii. Letting the client know in advance about the termination of counselling.

iii. Review the course of action plan.

iv. Emphasize the clients goals in affecting change.

v. Warning against the danger in situations that can cause relapse. This helps to keep the
client aware of the realities of the situation & the possibilities after returning to the
unsupervised environment.

vi. Giving adequate instructions for the maintainace of adaptive functioning. Motivating
them to practice these activities.

vii. Discussion of follow-up sessions

viii. Assuring the availability of the counselor in case of relapse into disfunction.

 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION & COUNSELLING

Keep it short and simple.

This practise will avoid confusion and save time. Be clear in writing down your message.
Keep things simple in order to avoid a misunderstanding. Only include details that are
necessary for the recipient to know. For example, you may include more details in a technical
guide than you would marketing materials.
Be aware of potential misinterpretation.
In verbal and nonverbal communication, you have several other elements, such as your tone,
expression and body language, to help the recipient understand what you are trying to
convey. However, in written communication, your recipient doesn't have access to your tone,
so they may interpret your emotions in different ways. For example, the reader may not be
able to tell the difference between a joke or a serious statement.
Can communicate to anyone.
Can be vague, Judgemental, no-confidential, might not have a purpose, doesn’t have an
objective.
4. Written Communication and Counselling
Body language, sign language, verbal language, writing, gestures, broadcasting – you name
it, it is part of the process of communication. Communication is a broad concept and its
history can be traced from a wide variety of pathways.
Written communication is any written message that two or more people exchange.
Examples of written communication include: Emails. Text messages.
Verbal communication is not always possible that’s when written communication comes into
picture.
Written communication is sometimes used by the counsellor which helps in certain aspects
such as keeping record and making counsellor client contracts of agreed upon goals.
However deficiencies in written communication leads to vagueness, judgement and can break
confidentiality.
Written communication is typically more formal but less efficient than oral communication.

5. Aims and objectives of record keeping, File composition

 Practitioners keep client records to enable practitioners to document and review the
counselling and psychotherapy services provided.
 Practitioners keep well documented records to help protect themselves from
professional liability in the event they become the subject of legal or ethical
proceedings.
 Practitioners can only use client information for the purpose for which it was
recorded, that is, the provision of counselling or psychotherapy services.
 Client information can be used for related purposes only where it is reasonable to
expect that it would be used for these purposes, for example to provide other services
to the client in a multi-disciplinary setting.
 Client information should only be used for other purposes, including research, where
the client’s informed consent has been obtained.
Consecutively record keeping is essential in legal issues.
S - Documentation under this heading comes from the “subjective” experiences, personal
views or feelings of a patient or someone close to them.
O - Vital signs, physical exam findings, imaging/screening results and other diagnostic data
come under objective data.
Symptoms are the patient's subjective description and should be documented under the
subjective heading, while a sign is an objective finding related to the associated symptom
reported by the patient.
A - This is the assessment of the patient’s status through analysis of the problem, possible
interaction of the problems, and changes in the status of the problems. 
P - This section details the need for additional testing and consultation with other clinicians to
address the patient's illnesses. It also addresses any additional steps being taken to treat the
patient. This section helps future physicians understand what needs to be done next.