The Discipline of Counseling

Prepared by:

Ernie Ronel T. Mabahague

 What is Counseling

• It involves the process where a client (i.e.

person asking for help) and the counselor (i.e.
person trained to help set aside time to explore
issues/problems bothering the client.
• It is the act of helping the client see things in a
different perspective.
• Depicts a relationship of trust; confidentiality is
essential.
 What is Counseling

• It is not giving advice.

• It is not judgemental.

• It is not sorting out client’s problems.

• It is not expecting a client to behave in a

certain way.
 Goals of Counseling

1. Change in behavior

2. Mental Health

3. Problem Solving

4. Personal Effectiveness

5. Decision-Making
 Scope of Counseling
1. Individual/personal needs and problems
2. Physical, emotional, moral, and marital
problems.
3. Career advancement.
4. Educational needs/problems.
5. Vocational, occupational and professional
needs.
6. Holistic individual development.
 Core Values of Counseling

• Prevention of mental health problems through

education, intervention and outreach programs.
• Relationship of trust and respect, integrity,
sensitivity and openness between clients and
counselors, among counselors and
communities.
• Commitment to a practice of hospitality by
creating a safe and welcoming physical and
emotional environment.
 Core Values of Counseling

• Commitment to highest standards of excellence

by pursuing continuing professional education.
• Respect for the uniqueness of every individual.
• Believe that innovation and creativity are
essential to the helping process and is open to
change.
• Work to develop multiple sources of support
including individuals, corporations, churches and
foundations.
Principles of Counseling
1. Principle of Acceptance

2. Principle of Permissiveness

3. Principle of Respect for the Individual

4. Principle of Thinking with the Individual

5. Principle of Learning

6. Principle of Consistency with Ideals of

Democracy
 Professionals and
Practitioners in Counseling
 Roles, Functions,
Competencies of Counselors
1. Self-understanding and self-awareness
2. Psychologically healthy
3. Sensitivity
4. Open-mindedness
5. Objectivity
6. Competence
7. Trustworthiness
8. Interpersonal skills
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
1. Career Counselors
- help prepare clients in starting, changing,
advancing their careers.

2. Child Abuse Counselors

- have the demanding and rewarding task of
helping victims of child abuse rebuild their
psyche, trust, and happiness.
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
3. Child or Pediatric Counselors
- trained to provide outpatient counseling
treatment services to children, adolescents, and
their families.
4. Community Mental Health Counselors
- professionals who provide therapy,
consultation, and coaching to people who are
having issues in their community setting.
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
5. Conflict Resolution Counselor
- well-versed in the art and science of resolving
disputes in healthy and mutually agreed-upon
ways.
6. Domestic Violence Counselor
- responsible for helping victims of domestic
abuse deal with and overcome their traumatic
experience
- i.e. Violence against Women and Children
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
7. Geriatric Counselors
- Provide therapy and counseling services to
senior citizens and their families.

8. Grief Counselors
- Licensed therapists who help people cope with
the grief and sense of loss that usually follows the
death of a loved one, divorce, or a tragic life
experience.
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
9. Marriage and Family Counselors
- provides counseling to people who are going
through marital and family problems.

10. Mental Health Counselors

- helps people who are dealing with physical,
emotional and psychological stress .
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
11. Pastoral Counselors
- trained ministers of faith who are responsible
for tending to the physical and emotional needs
of their followers or congregations.
12. School Counselors
- responsible for all aspects of their students’
educational life from academic achievement and
social adjustment to career selection and
development.
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors
13. Rehabilitation Counselors
- treat clients with physical, mental, or emotional
issues so that they can live as independently as
possible.

14. Suicide Intervention Counselors

- trained to handle clients with depression and
suicidal issues.
 Areas of Specialization of
Counselors

15. Transformational Counselors

- offer an alternative form of mental and
physical healing that focuses on self-
improvement, spiritual healing, and deeper life
satisfaction.
 Career Opportunities for
Counselors
1. In Hospitals
2. In Mental Health Centers
3. In Residential Care Facilities
4. In Geriatric-Related Facilities
5. In Prisons and Correctional Facilities
6. In the Corporate Setting
7. In Schools
 Career Opportunities for
Counselors

8. In Career Centers
9. In Non-Profit or Social Service Agencies
10.In Religious Institutions
11.In Public or Private Practice
 Rights, Responsibilities,
Accountabilities and Code of Ethics
• Rights and Responsibilities of Clients and Counselors
1. Right of Clients
a. Right of Informed Consent
b. Minors’ Rights
c. Right to a Referral
2. Duty of the Counselor to Warn and Protect
a. Duty to protect other people from potentially
dangerous clients
b. Duty to protect clients from themselves
 Ethical Issues in Counseling

1. Social and Personal Relationships with Clients

2. Touching as Part of the Counseling

Relationship

3. Sexual Contact with Clients

4. Suicidal Clients

5. Confidentiality
Ethical Principles in Counseling

1. Respect for Autonomy

2. Non-maleficence

3. Beneficence

4. Justice

5. Fidelity
Clientele and Audiences in
Counseling
 Clientele and Audiences
- come from different walks of life
- most are not aware that they need
counseling
- consultation is often expensive and stigma
on individuals asking for help discourages
people from seeking counsel
- Government agencies and Non-
Government Organizations (NGO’s) offer
free counseling services
 Counseling Needs
1. Psychological
- essential to develop healthy personality that will
allow individuals to adapt to changes
2. Sociological
- makes people aware that every action, every
word spoken has an impact on others
3. Educational
- enables students to make informed decisions
to be a productive, independent and responsible
member of society
 Counseling Needs
A. In Individuals
- dependent on the individual’s situation such as:
1. Adolescent identity, teen-parent relationships, peer
relationships
2. Depression (Bereavement) and Anxiety
3. Anger Management
4. Children’s concerns within the family unit, sibling
relationships
5. Gender issues: identity, sexuality, homosexuality
 Counseling Needs
6. Relationships: personal and interpersonal dynamics
7. Sexual abuse recovery
8. Seniors: challenges, limitations, transitions
9. Singles: newly single, divorced or being widowed
10. Spirituality
11. Stress Management
12. Workplace stress and relationships
13. Legal Issues (e.g. witness or victim of a crime)
14. Dealing with a diagnosis of terminal illness
15. Difficulty managing day-to-day existence
 Counseling Needs
B. In Groups
- allows individual to establish a feeling of
“experiencing with others” and not suffering alone
- counselor facilitates sharing sessions
- issues/concerns:
1. Marital and Pre-marital Issues.
2. Family Issues
3. Behavioral Issues
* Industrial Setting – Teambuilding and group sensitivity
exercises
 Counseling Needs
C. In Communities
- natural or man-made calamities that
affect a large number of people require
counseling for potential or real psychological
damage they inflict
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- e.g. 4.8 million survivors of Typhoon
Yolanda (2014) were potentially at risk of PTSD
Setting and Tools/Techniques in
Counseling
*Setting
A. Government Health Centers/Hospital
Clinics
B. In the Private Sector
C. Civil Society
1. Religious Spaces
2. In the Home
3. Mental Health Clinics
4. Career Centers
Setting and Tools/Techniques in
Counseling

D. School-Based Programs
E. Community Counseling Centers
Tools and Techniques of
Counseling
1. Standardized tests
2. Non-standardized tools and techniques
a. Interview
b. Behavioral Observation
c. Anecdotal Record
d. Cumulative Record
e. Checklist
f. Rating Scale
 Counseling Services, Processes
and Methods
• Counseling for Individuals
- most popular form of counseling
- one-on-one or face to face interaction between
counselor and client
- session may be a one time meeting or a series of
meetings
- goal is to develop and improve the client’s coping
and decision-making skills
- one example of this happens within the school
system facilitated by the School Counselor
 Counseling Services, Processes
and Methods
• Counseling in times of Crises
- involves situation or event where client feels
overwhelmed and unable to cope
- crisis may be a death of a loved one, loss of job,
rough ending to a relationship or failing grades
- short-term and may cover only a few sessions
- focused on management and maintenance of
mental health in times of crises
- in times where a large number of people are
affected, Psychological First Aid (PFA) may be used
Counseling Services, Processes
and Methods
- must be employed when immediate support is
needed
- aimed at making people feel safe, connected to
others, calm and hopeful
- should also include access to social, physical and
emotional support to regain a sense of control
- applied upon first contact with people in crisis
- safety of individuals and privacy are essential
 Counseling Services, Processes
and Methods
• Characteristics of PFA
1. Non-intrusive, practical care and support
2. Assess needs and concerns of affected individuals
3. Help people address basic needs (i.e. food &
water)
4. Listening but not pressuring people to talk
5. Comforting people and making them feel calm
6. Helping people connect information, services and
social supports
7. Protecting people from further harm
 Counseling Services, Processes
and Methods
* Crisis Events Not requiring PFA

1. Counselling for Career Planning

2. Making Referrals
3. Counseling for Groups
 The Counseling Process
1. Dynamics of the Counseling Process
- no two counseling sessions even with the same
client is ever the same
2. Clarification, Confrontation, Interpretation
- attempt to rephrase what the client is saying or
feeling, so that the client may see/realize something
for him to understand the issue better
3. Empathy and Positive Regard
- putting oneself in the place of another; the
counselor imagines himself as the client
 The Counseling Process
4. Listening Skills
- counselor must listen attentively to the client to
understand the content of the problem from the client’s
perspective and the emotions the client is experiencing
5. Resistance
- counselor must not take personally the client’s
resistance to change and recognize the stressful nature
of the process for the client
6. Respect
- the counselor must put his values, feelings,
opinions aside and treat his client with respect
 The Counseling Process
7. Transference and Counter-transference
- when the client becomes willing to “transfer” feelings
and perceptions that should belong to other people in
the client’s life (past or present); i.e. anger towards a
parent is transferred towards the counselor
- counter-transference is the counselor’s reaction
towards the client that actually belongs to significant
people in the counselor’s life.
Stages in the Counseling
Process