Processes in Counseling

Objective:

 Identify the processes in counseling.

 Counseling process is both considered an art and a
science.
 As an art, it requires the counselor to be sensitive to
his clients. It needs excellent skills in listening and
ability of the counselor to demonstrate care and
empathy.
 As a science, it requires the use of scientific tools to
obtain comprehension during the different stages of
the counseling process.
 According to Nystul (2003) there are six
stages of the counseling process.
 Stage 1- Relationship Building provides the
force and foundation for the
counseling.
 Here there is a need to establish rapport,
promote acceptance of the client
and promote relevant communication between
the counselor and the counselee.
 The counseling relationship is the heart of the counseling
process. It supplies the vitality and the support necessary
for counseling to work, and it is the critical factor
associated with successful outcomes in counseling
(Kokotovic & Tracey, 1990; Lambert, 2011).
 Sexton and Whiston (1994) commented, “The quality of
the counseling relationship has consistently been found to
have the most significant impact on successful client
outcome”.
 Stage 2- Assessment and Diagnosis offers
appreciation of the client’s condition
and analysis of the root causes of the problem.
 Data gathered will be the diagnosis.
 Assessment and diagnosis contribute to
several important aspects of the counseling
process. They can help a counselor develop an
in-depth understanding of a client and identify
mental disorders that require attention.
This understanding can facilitate goal setting
and suggest types of intervention strategies.
 Assessment procedures can be divided into
standardized and nonstandardized measures (Kottler,
2004).
 Standardized measures include psychological tests that
have a standardized norm group.
 Nonstandardized measures do not have a standardized
norm group and include strategies such as the clinical
interview and assessment of life history.
 Diagnosis is a medical term that means
“identification of the disease-causing
pathogens responsible for a physical illness”
(Nathan & Harris, 1980, p. 110).
 Stage 3- Formulation of Counseling Goals
sets the direction of the counseling
process, its parameters of work and the client-
counselor relationship.
 The client and counselor must agree on their
goals.
 Goals serve three functions in the counseling
process (Cormier & Hackney, 1993):
motivational, educational, and evaluative.
First, goals can have a motivational function,
especially when clients are involved in
establishing the goals. Clients appear to work
harder on goals they help create (Cormier &
Hackney).
 They may also be more motivated when they have
specific, concrete goals to work toward, which can
help clients focus their energy on specific issues. It
is also important for counselors to encourage
clients to make a verbal commitment to work on a
specific counseling goal.
 Clients tend to be more motivated to work when
they have made a commitment to do so (Strong &
Claiborn, 1982).
 The second function of a counseling goal is
educational. From this perspective, clients can
learn new skills and behaviors that they can
use to enhance their functioning.
 The third function of a counseling goal is
evaluative. Clear goals give the counselor and
client an opportunity to evaluate progress.
Goals can also be useful in implementing
research strategies, and they provide a means
to assess counselor accountability.
 Stage 4- Intervention and Problem Solving
comprises of the counseling goals, strategies
and intervention.
 Once the counselor and client have formulated
a counseling goal, they can determine what
intervention strategy to implement. They may
choose from a variety of interventions,
including individual, group, couples, and
family counseling. It may be best to begin
with individual counseling for clients with
problems of an intrapersonal nature.
 Involving clients in the process of selecting
intervention strategies has some advantages. For
example, Devine and Fernald (1973) noted that this
approach can help counselors avoid using strategies
that a client has already tried without apparent success.
Instead, the counselor and client together can select a
strategy that seems realistic in terms of its strengths
and weaknesses.
 The following guidelines, derived by Cormier and Cormier
(1998), encourage client involvement in selecting the
appropriate intervention strategy:
 The counselor should provide an overview of the different
treatment approaches available, describe the role of the
counselor and client for each procedure, identify possible risks
and benefits that may result, and estimate the time and cost of
each procedure.
 In addition, it is important for the counselor to
be sensitive to client characteristics, such as
values, beliefs, and multicultural issues, when
selecting an intervention strategy (Cormier &
Hackney, 1993).
 Stage 5- Termination and Follow- up
progresses the client with the help of the
counselor.
 Perhaps the ultimate goal in counseling is counselors
becoming obsolete or unnecessary to their clients,
which can occur when clients have worked through
their concerns and are able to move forward in their
lives without the counselor’s assistance.
 At this point, counseling can be terminated. It is
usually best for the counselor and client to agree on a
termination date.
 Stage 6- Research and Evaluation can be
taken at any point of the counseling
stage and provides scientific appreciation.
 Research and evaluation can occur at any time during
the counseling process or after termination. Some
behavioral approaches utilize single-case or small-
group research designs that require counselors to
evaluate counseling whenever they implement an
intervention strategy. These research procedures
involve face-to-face interaction between the counselor
and client.
 Other research procedures, which may or may
not involve direct interaction between
counselor and client, are empirical research
involving hypothesis testing and alternative
methodologies, such as the discovery
approach. These procedures may be used
before or after a client has terminated
counseling.
REFERENCES:

 Self-Learning Module - Quarter 1 –

Module 2
 Introduction to Counseling: An Art and
Science Perspective by Michael Scott Nystul