TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION TO
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
Objectives

• Examine elements & issues related to guidance and

counseling

• Understand the relationship between different

terms that is related to helping profession.

• Learn about the broader counseling profession.

Classroom activity:

i. Break-up in group of 3-4. in 15 minutes, discuss

on the distinction and similarities between
the following terms;
a. Advice
b. Guidance
c. Counseling
d. Psychotherapy

ii. Choose one spoke person and share with the

rest of your friends.
 ADVICE
 An opinion or recommendation offered by an individual as guide to
action or conduct and worth following.
 Advice can be given by anyone, at any time (do not required
specific session) and at any place i.e unstructured setting.
 Advice is given once (to a person, group, etc.) and the result is not
to be reviewed. Advice is often unsolicited.
 It is a practical recommendation from advice provider’s point of
view. Containing information and normally based on the helper’s
ability, potential, understanding, experiences and knowledge they
possessed (and not the client)
 Advice is just ideas that you could follow to do something and it is
not mandatory.
 The recommended ideas/opinion may not be suitable or practical
enough to others.
 GUIDANCE

 Guidance is given to a person or groups of individual

and helps them along.
 It is an act of assisting a person, nurturing someone to
do good sort of things or mentoring someone that
wants direction.
 It also refers to the process of helping people make
important choices that affects their lives. eg. choosing a
preferred career or life style.
 Focuses on helping people/individuals choose what
they value most and lead a person to the right path,
provide the information and show them something
new.
 GUIDANCE

 Guidance usually involves providing actionable

solutions to more general, immediate issues.
 In the process of guidance, the client’s problems
are listened carefully and ready made solutions
are provided by the service provider.
Much of early work of guidance occurs in schools
such as;
i. Adult (teacher) help student make decisions.
- eg. deciding on a vocation / course of study.
ii. Unequal relationship between teacher and
student. It was beneficial in helping the less
experienced person find direction in life.
- eg. Children have long receive “guidance”
from parents, teachers, leaders, coaches etc.
 In the process (guidance), these individuals have gained an
understanding of themselves and their world (Shertzer &
Stone, 1981).

 Guidance is about being there for someone and having

support and it is only one part of overall helping service
provided by professional person.

 The New York State Teachers Association published a

report in 1935, defined guidance as;

“...... the process of assisting individuals in making

life adjustment. It is needed in the home, school,
community & in all other phases of the individual’s
environment”.
 Have you heard some of these
statements?

“I’m feeling lonely and depressed”.

“I wish I were better at controlling myself”.
“I find it difficult to say ‘No’ to people”.
“My life seems meaningless”.
“Our marriage seems to be heading towards the rocks”.
“ I get very tense over exams and under-perform”.

What do you think of it? How are you

going to relate it to counseling
profession?
 COUNSELING

 They use ‘counseling’ to mean any kind of helping

activity ( Pete Sanders,1996)

 In educational settings:
‘Counseling’ is used alongside the term guidance,
often to mean helping people with their personal
concerned or find the right course or the right job.

 In certain agencies;
The term ‘counseling’ is being used to describe
information giving, advice giving and help client on a
particular areas such as healthcare issues perhaps on
family planning, or in financial institutions such as
financial counselor etc.
 WHAT COUNSELING IS?

 Counseling is not giving opinion, instructions or

advice, it is using facilitative listening and
questioning to allow the client to choose the best
solution for a problem.
 Counseling focuses on in-depth discussion of
problems and sharing information that aids
understanding and future decision making.
 Counselors are concerned about client’s environment
with a more global view than other professionals as
well as concern that goes beyond treating
dysfunction or pathology and dealing with the
clients’ self-awareness, personal growth and wellness.
COUNSELING….continue

 In the process of counseling, the client’s problems

are discussed and relevant information are
provided in-between.
 In the end of counselling process, the client
himself/herself have an insight to the problem and
he/she becomes empowered to take own decision.
(Hershenson and Strein (1991); and Palmo, Shosh and Weikel (2001))
 What are the differences between
guidance and counseling?

 Both guidance and counseling are process use to

solve problems of life. The basic difference is in the
approach.
 Guidance is when a person guides you through
problems and counseling is when someone helps
you cope with your problem.
 Guidance is more like just talking to you about what
your problems are and helping you choose the
solution and which path to take while counseling is
basically getting straight-forward help. Counselor
help you with what you need with answering your
question, fixing problems etc.
4 MAIN CATEGORIES PEOPLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET HELP:

1. INFORMAL HELPERS & INFORMAL COUNSELORS.

v All of us have the opportunity to assists others.
v Be it in the role of partner, parent, relative, friend or work
colleague etc.
2. THOSE USING COUNSELING SKILLS AS PART OF THEIR JOBS.
Main focus : eg. Nursing, teaching, preaching, supervising, managing
etc.Service providers: eg. Law, finance, recreation, trade union work &
so on...These jobs required people to use helping skills or counseling
skills.

3. VOLUNTARY COUNSELORS AND HELPERS.

v People trained in counseling and helping skills.
v They work on a voluntary basis in settings such as youth
counseling service, single parent Association, NGO’s etc.

4. COUNSELING AND HELPING PROFESSIONALS.

v People / persons specializing in helping others with their
problems and paid to do so. Such people include;
Counselors,psychologist, social work and psychiatrist.
 FRAMEWORK FOR COUNSELING

1. PERSONAL SUPPORT: To indicate personal

concern, care and support by the counselors.

2. DEVELOPMENTAL SUPPORT: Offered

information - commonly seen as helpful to the client. Provide
encouragement of skills development.

3.PROBLEM SOLVING. Develop suitable skills and

knowledge base. This will provide a platform for helpful
encounter. Helper act as enabling individuals. Individual go
through the process of supported analysis of problem issues.
Individual come to a more satisfactory way of leading their
lives of their own choice and creation.
 FRAMEWORK FOR
COUNSELING…..continue

4. THERAPEUTIC COUNSELING.

Address a deeper needs of the individual.

Not only provide support, information or skill to
enable the resolution of identifiable problems.......
but goes further in empowerment and enabling
the individual to grow through deeper hurts
towards a broader maturity, creativity, self-
actualization that can encompassed in the idea of
solving the problem. This include spiritual a part from
psychological dimension of ourselves.
 NUMEROUS COUNSELING DEFINITIONS

Numerous definitions of counseling by

American Counseling Association (ACA) &
Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) of
American Psychological Association (APA)
based on a number of common points;
 1. Counseling is a profession

 Practitioner should complete a prescribe course of

study leading eventually to a master’s or doctorate
degree.

 They must become members of organizations with;

(a) Sets of professional & ethical standards.
(b) Licensing & certification by national Association.

 This will assure the public that the counselors

meets minimal educational and professionaL
standards. Counselors should possess personal
qualities of maturity, empathy and warmth.
 2. Counseling deals with personal,
social, vocational, empowerment
& educational

 Counselors work only in areas they have

expertise. These areas may include;
Intrapersonal & interpersonal concerns related
to: - School, college adjustment, mental health,
aging, marriage or family issues, organizational /
employment agency, rehabilitation etc.
3. Counseling is conducted with persons who are
considered to function within “normal range”.

• Client have adjustment, developmental

and situational concerns.
• Their problems required short term
intervention.
• Client are not considered “sick” but
“stuck”.
• Sometimes client just need information / a
way to clarify and use the information they
already possess.
4. Counseling is a theory-based and
takes place in a structured setting.

• - Counselors will have to be familiar with the

theoretical orientation and normally they work
based from certain theoretical perspectives.
• - Counselors work in a structured
environment. Eg. office setting with -
individuals, groups, family etc.
5. Counseling is a process in which clients
learn how to make decisions and formulate
new ways of behaving, feeling and thinking.

 - Normally counselor explores their present

level of functioning.
 - Counselor focuses on the goal their client
wish to achieve.
- Counselor & client look through changes that must be
made to achieve clients’ personal goals / objectives.
6. Counseling encompasses various
subspecialities;

- eg: - School and college counseling.

- Marriage and family Counseling.
- Mental Health Counseling.
- Gerantological Counseling, Rehabilitation,
Addiction, Career, organizational or
workplace counseling.

- Each has specific educational and

experiential requirements for practitioners.
 DEFINITIONS OF COUNSELING

 Krumboltz (1965) states that;

“Counseling consists of whatever ethical activities a
counselor undertakes in an effort to help the client
engage in those types of behavior which will lead to a
resolution of the client’s problems”
(p. 384 - Personal and Guidance Journal, 44)

 American Personnel and Guidance Association

(APGA), (1980) define counseling as;
“....the application of counseling procedures and other
related areas of the behavioral sciences to help in
learning how to solve problems or makes decision related
to careers, personal growth, marriage, family, or other
interpersonal concerns”.
(p. 23 - Licensure Committee Action Pocket)
 DEFINITIONS OF COUNSELING…..

 Burks and Stefflre (1979);

“Counseling denotes a professional relationship
between a trained counselor and a client. This relationship
is usually person-to-person, although it may sometimes
more than two people. It is design to help clients to
understand and clarify their views of their life-space, and to
learn to reach their self-determined goals through
meaningful, well-informed choices and through resolution
of problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature”
(p. 14 - Theories of Counseling, 3rd. Ed.)
 DEFINITIONS OF COUNSELING…..

 Laws Of Malaysia,
 Counselors Act 1998 (Act 580)
Part I, Preliminary: Sec. 2 (interpretation).

“Counseling means a systematic process of

helping relationship based on psychological
principles performed by a registered counselor
in accordance with the counseling code of ethics
to achieve a voluntary favorable holistic change,
development and adjustment of the client such
that the change, development and adjustment
will continue throughout the lifespan of the
client”.
 DEFINITIONS OF COUNSELING…..

 Laws Of Malaysia,
 Counselors Act 1998 (Act 580)
Part I, Preliminary: Sec. 2 (interpretation).

“Kaunseling” ertinya suatu proses sistematik

untuk membantu perhubungan berdasarkan
prinsip-prinsip psikologi yang dilaksanakan oleh
kaunselor berdaftar mengikut kod etika
kaunseling untuk mencapai suatu perubahan,
kemajuan dan penyesuaian yang holistik, baik
dan sukarela pada diri klien supaya perubahan,
kemajuan dan penyesuaian itu akan berterusan
sepanjang hayat klien”.
 COUNSELING……..
(Boundaries, Qualities and
Aims/Functions)
 The essential BOUNDARIES of
counseling are;
 That it is practised by someone designated as
a counselor.
 That the counselor be approprietly trained
to be able to practise to an acceptable
standard.
 That the counselor abides by a code of ethics
and practice.
 That the client knows that the service being
offered by the counselor is counseling.
 COUNSELING…….. (Boundaries, Qualities
and Aims/Functions)…..

 The essential QUALITIES OF THE

RELATIONSHIP are;

 That the counselor shows deep respect for the

client.
 The counselor and the client will agree on what
the relationship will sent out to achieve and how
it will seek to achieve it. (Inform consent)
 That the client will feel safe enough to be
challenged.
 That the client will feel valued as a person.
 The counselor does not judge the client.
COUNSELING…….. (Boundaries, Qualities and
Aims/Functions)…..

 The AIMS or FUNCTIONS of counseling

are;

 That the client will feel empowered (i.e. have a

greater sense of personal autonomy).
 The client has a greater sense of self-
understanding.
 To enable the client to live in a more “satisfying
and resourceful way” (Russel-1992).
 That the client has a greater sense of well-being.
 That the above “gains” should be
enduring/lasting.
 GOALS OF COUNSELING
(George & Cristiani, (1995) Counseling Theory and Practise,
Prentice Hall : New Jersey, p.5-8).

1. FACILITATING BEHAVIOR CHANGE

ü Bring about change in behavior - enable client
live more productive, satisfying life within
society’s limitations.

2. IMPROVING THE CLIENT’S ABILITY TO

ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIP.
(Improving relationship).
ü Counselors help clients to improve the
quality of relationships with others.
Becoming more effective in their interpersonal
relationship.
 GOALS OF COUNSELING
(George & Cristiani, (1995) Counseling Theory and Practise,
Prentice Hall : New Jersey, p.5-8). Continue…………..

3. ENHANCING THE CLIENT’S EFFECTIVENESS

AND ABILITY TO COPE. (Enhancing Coping Skills).
ü Helping individuals learn to cope with new situations and
new demands is an important goal of counseling.

4. PROMOTING THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.

ü Helps individuals obtain information, clarify and sort
personal characteristics & emotional concerns that may
interfere related decisions.

ü These will enable individuals acquire understanding not

only of their abilities, interests and opportunities but also
emotion and attitudes that can influence their choices and
decisions.
 GOALS OF COUNSELLING
(George & Cristiani, (1995) Counseling Theory and Practise,
Prentice Hall : New Jersey, p.5-8). Continue…….

5. FACILITATING CLIENT POTENTIAL

AND DEVELOPMENT

 By giving the individuals the opportunity to

learn ways to use their abilities and interests to
the maximum. This will improve personal
effectiveness.
 Counselor can help people with their
interpersonal problems, with emotional
problems and with development of learning
and decision-making skills.
(Krumboltz & Thoresen, 1976).
 PSYCHOTHERAPY

1.Traditionally focuses on serious problems

associated with intrapsychic, internal & personal
issues and conflicts.
2.Characteristically it emphasizes the following
issues;
a. The past more than the present.
b. Insight more than change.
c. The detachment (disconnection) of the therapist.
d. The therapist’s role as an expert.
3.The term psychotherapist is generally used by
Psychiatrist and clinical psychologist.
4. There are also similarities in counseling &
psychotherapy processes or Stages:

i. Develop rapport.
ii. Exploration of self, perceptual field, and behaviors.
iii. Problem solving.
iv. Decision making.
v. Plan of Action.
vi. Follow-up and possible development of additional strategies.
vii. Possible assessment and acquisition of environmental input,
such as information assimilation.
viii. Problem identification /Initial structure established
ix. Termination
The work of counselors and
psychotherapists have similar processes.

Source: Pietrofesa,J.J., Hoffman, A., & Splete, H.H. (1984).

Counseling:An Introduction, Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
5. Generally there are two criterias to be
considered when making distinction between
psychotherapy and counseling.
Psychotherapy Counseling

1. Involves long-term 1. Tend to be a short term

relationship (20-40 sessions relationship (8-12 sessions
over a period of six months to spreads over a period of less
two years ) that focuses on than six months) and focuses on
reconstructive change. the resolution of developmental
and situational problems.

2. Therapy is provided in 2. Counseling is usually

both outpatient and inpatient provided in outpatient settings
settings (residential treatment (non-residential buildings such
facilities such as mental as schools, community agencies).
hospitals).
 COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

 Differences in goals:
Goals in counseling is to help individuals deal
with the developmental task appropriate to their age.
Goals of psychotherapy are more likely to
involve a quite complete change of basic character
structure.
• Differences in Clients and Setting:
Counselor deals with normal persons and are
more apt to work in educational setting.
Psychotherapist deals with neurotic or
psychotic persons and are more apt to work
in hospital setting or in private practice.

Ref: George R.L. & Cristiani T.S. Counseling Theory

and Practice (3rd. Ed.) Prentice Hall, N.Jersey.
6. Blocher (1966) list 5 basic assumptions about clients and
counselors which he believe further differentiate
counseling from psychotherapy;

i. Counseling clients are not considered to be “mentally ill”,

but are viewed as being capable of choosing goals, making
decisions, and generally assuming responsibility for their own
behavior and future development.

ii. Counseling is focused on the present and the future.

iii. The client is a client, not a patient. The counselor is not an

authority figure but is essentially a teacher and partner of the
client as they move toward mutually defined goals.

iv. The counselor is not morally neutral or amoral but has

values, feelings and standards of his/her own. Although
counselor does not necessarily impose these on clients, he or she
does not attempt to hide them.

v. The counselor focuses on changing behavior, not just

creating insight.
 MENTAL HEALTH FIELD HIERARCHY
- Generally based on academic degree & length of training involved.

Psychiatrist

Clinical Psychologist

Counseling Psychologist

Counselors

Social Workers

Para Professionals
(minimum training)