Coursework

Support Guidance
ACAR144 Introduction to Counselling Skills
Dr. Ravi Dave
 You can deviate from the

The assignment  word count by 10% in

either direction; I.e. you
could write 1350 words
and not be penalised for
being too short, or you can
• The word count target for this assignment is 1500 words, you write as much as 1650
words and not be
are required to: penalised for writing too
much. Outside those
With reference to Egan's skilled helper model, explain how boundaries a penalty
applies – a) the work is
counselling differs from other helping activities and what are the core marked on its content
conditions of the helping relationship. Then reflecting upon your merits, and then b) the
work is given the lowest
learning, evaluate your development of stage 1 counselling skills. possible grade WITHIN the

• Keywords: Egan, Skilled Helper Model, explain, counselling original mark range.

versus other helping activities, core conditions, reflection on e.g. a student submits an
assignment of 1700 words;
learning and stage 1 counselling skills. the assignment is given an
initial mark of 68 on its
• Assessment Deadline is Friday 6th August 2021 by 6pm content alone but due to
the excess word count the
final mark awarded is 62.
 • The intended learning outcomes are
that on completion of this module you
should be able to:
1. Explain the concept of
Learning Counselling and how it differs
from other forms of helping 
Outcomes 2. Identify and explain the core
conditions of effective helping. 
3. Evaluate your Counselling skills
development in simulated class
practice
 The core material supporting this component of
your assignment is essentially found in the
Explain the introductory lecture.

Concept of However, further expansion on this component

Counselling can be made by outlining the specific forms of
therapy at least in outline;
and how it • Psychodynamic – the earliest form of therapy associated
with Freud, Jung and many others.
differs from • Humanistic – the form of therapy strongly associated with
the Person-Centred therapy of Carl Rogers whose core
other helping conditions were accepted as offering important insights into
the essential relationship qualities for successful therapy.
activities • Cognitive-Behavioural - the form of therapy advocating
that emotional disturbance is a product of irrational and
distorted cognitions (thoughts, memories, perceptions).
Associated with Albert Ellis (REBT) and Aaron T. Beck (CBT)
Identify and explain the core conditions of
effective helping
• For Roger's (1957) the following SIX conditions were both necessary and
sufficient for successful counselling, and hence successful client growth, to
occur;
1. That two persons are in psychological contact.
Conditions 3,4 and
2. That the client is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable, or anxious.
5 are sometimes
3. That the second person, the therapist, is congruent (or integrated) in the called "the core
relationship.
conditions" - in
4. That the therapist is experiencing unconditional positive regard toward the client. fact all six are core
5. That the therapist is experiencing an empathic understanding of the client's conditions. The
internal frame of reference (and communicates this to the client). three highlighted
6. That the client perceives, at least to a minimal degree, the unconditional positive are often referred
regard and empathic understanding of the therapist. to as the therapist
• Also relevant here will be the Stage 1 skills that Egan mentions, and conditions.
Carkhuff's characteristics of high funtioning helpers (in the Egan lecture).
Evaluate your counselling skills development
• This really involves three things; Speaking with a friend or family
member about Covid-19
1. Considering your growth in understanding of the core
counselling skills – the learning part. 1. Covid-19 is a very significant THING
• Doing so in the light of Stage 1 of Egan's Skilled Helper model right now.
2. Reflecting upon opportunities you have had to practice skills 2. All of us are experiencing anxiety
(incongruence) right now;
related to these insights 1. There is a way we'd like things to be (our
• ideal self/world).
Class based practice related to; 2. Then there are the way things are; social
• Listening empathically to the Gloria video with Rogers distancing, lockdown at home, isolation
• Using listening skills to listen to a class partner talk about from face to face encounters with
friends/family, fears of getting ill etc.
their experience with defence mechanisms 3. Think of someone you know as friend or family
• Doing the watchword technique (in class or online) - this involved member (for example a distant grandparent in
using a psychodynamic technique of self-exploration, so relates to particular).
4. Call them and REALLY actively listen to them using
growth of "congruent" self-awareness also (a person-centred therapist
empathy, unconditional positive regard and
condition). congruence and the Stage 1 skills in Egan's model.
5. Don't do this merely to support your assignment –
• N.B. Due to the switch to online delivery I propose you primarily do it because you know you want to and

do the homework task opposite ASAP. the other person would really value contact from
and with you, I.e. Be congruent in your choice of
who to call, NOT instrumental.
 • Broadly speaking the assignment can be planned
around the following structure;
1. Introduction (approx. 200 words)
2. Main Body (approx. 1200 words), broken into;
A suggested A. Explaining the concept of counselling and
difference from other helping (approx.
assignment 400 words)
B. Explaining the core conditions of effective
structure helping, focusing on (approx. 400 words);
N.B. This is only a suggested structure – you do not need
to adhere to it slavishly or explicitly in how you actually
A. Rogers' Six conditions
structure the finished product: for example you do not
need to have explicit section headings titled
B. Egan's Stage 1 of the Skilled Helper
"Introduction", "Main Body" or "Conclusion" (unless Model (e.g. Carkhuff qualities of a
you want to).
High Functioning Helper)
C. Reflections upon your development of
counselling skills (approx. 400 words)
3. Conclusion (approx 200 words)