THE COMPONENTS OF COUNSELLING

The Counsellor
- is a trained professional who serves clients through therapeutic communication, which entails
encouraging disclosure, listening to the client, and giving advice, among other things. A
counsellor can be a guidance counsellor in school, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, a marriage
counsellor, an organizational behavior specialist, and even a doctor, lawyer, or parish priest.

A counsellor is expected to possess the following attributes and values:

An ability to listen and understand the client's psychological pain from his or her perspective - This
includes creating an environment in which the client feels safe enough to disclose personal issues to the
counsellor. This is achieved by the counsellor's actions such as keeping quiet while the client talks,
intervening only to encourage him/her to continue the exploration; demonstrating a keen interest in
what he is saying, and communicating a non- judgmental attitude.

The client The client brings to counselling a number of ingredients which include the following:

Personal Pain - This pain may be a reaction to an adversity like the death of a loved one, or it may be an
enduring concern like chronic low self-esteem. However, there are times when a client seeks counselling
not exactly because of personal pain but for other reasons, deciding what course to pursue in college,
choosing a job offer, or learning how to improve class performance.

Help Seeking by Choice - Counselling is based on the assumption that a client has voluntarily decided to
seek help. A client whose marriage is on the rocks may opt to see a marriage counsellor to seek help on
how to save the marriage. A student who is confused as to what course to pursue may also choose to see
a counsellor.

Personal Issues -Counsellors hold the view that all client behaviors are a result of the issues they
struggle with. Clients inevitably bring their problems to the counselling sessions and these could affect
their behavior during counselling.
The working alliance between counsellor and client

Empathy- is experienced when the counsellors put themselves in the place of the client. An empathetic
counsellor will be able to better understand the experiences of his or her client.

Respect- is the counsellor's positive regard for the client. Rogers (1957) originally called this
unconditional positive regard (UPR), which involves caring for the client without setting conditions for
doing so.

Genuineness- means being consistent in one's feelings, thoughts, and behavior in the relationship.

PROCESS GOALS IN COUNSELLING:

OUTCOME GOALS OF COUNSELLING Counselling leads to change in the client. This is true for both
individual counselling and group counselling and whether the expressed intent of counselling is
developmental (oriented toward personal growth) or remedial (oriented toward the resolution of
problems).

BEHAVIORAL CHANGEBEHAVIORAL CHANGE Is easy to recognize because it is overt and observable. A

THE STAGES OF THE COUNSELLING PROCESSTHE STAGES OF THE COUNSELLING PROCESS

The First Stage: Initial Disclosure

At the start of counselling, the counsellor and the client do not know each other well and have
no prior contact. A student, for example, may have been sent to the counsellor by his or her teacher. A
counsellor might have been referred to the client by a friend. One important task of the counsellor in
this stage is to allay the client's fears and encourage self-disclosure.

To encourage disclosure, the counsellor must set conditions that promote trust. Rogers (1951)
described these trust-promoting conditions as the characteristics of the helping relationship:

1. Empathy- understanding another's - experience as if it were your own

2. Congruence or genuineness- having - one's actions consistently reflect his or her thoughts and
feelings

3. Unconditional positive regard -caring for the client without setting conditions for doing so

4. Concreteness using dear languag to describe the client's life situation (Patterson and Welfel 2000)
According to Carkhuff (1973) and Egan (1998), another important counsellor behavior at the start of
counselling is the attending, or paying careful attention to the client’s words and actions.

The Second Stage: In-depth Exploration

In the second stage of counselling, the client should gain a clearer understanding of his or her life
concerns and begin to develop a new sense of hope and direction. At this stage, a broad outline of the
pattern of desired change is beginning to emerge.

Immediacy- can be characterized in three different ways. It can relate to general discussions about the
progress of the counselling relationship ("Is the counselling process progressing in a way that is
satisfactory to you?"). It can also be manifested in the immediate reaction to the client's statements or in
asking the client to disclose current thoughts about the counsellor ("I am wondering about your reaction
to my comments about your teacher?"). Lastly, immediacy can be seen in self-involving statements that
express the counsellor's personal reaction to a client's progress ("I am impressed with what you have
accomplished in just a few counselling sessions").

The Third Stage: Commitment to Action

In the final stage of counselling, the client must decide on how to accomplish the goals defined
during the second stage. He or she must identify or choose from possible courses of action and aim for
the best possible outcome. Ideally, the client comes up with or chooses a course of action. with help and
encouragement from the counsellor. Once a decision is made, the client must commit to this plan and to
his or her new behavior while keeping in touch with the counsellor. Both the counsellor and the client
then monitor the client's ultimate progress in solving his or her problems.

In case no action is planned, the last stage of counselling can focus on making sure that the client
has done everything possible to deal with his or her situation.

TYPES OF COUNSELLING

Directive counselling -involves learning about, planning to solve, and motivating a client to act on his or
her problems. This type of counselling mostly accomplishes the counselling function of advice, but it may
also reassure, communicate, give emotional release, and to a minor extent clarify thinking. Reorientation
is seldom achieved in directive counselling.

Nondirective or client-centered counselling- at the opposite end of the continuum. It involves skillfully
listening to and encouraging a client to explain his or her issues, understand them, and determine
appropriate solutions. It focuses on the client rather than the counsellor; thus, the client does most of
the talking in this type of counselling. The client is psychologically independent as a person, choosing a
solution and making better choices for his or her future.
Participative counselling -also called cooperative counselling, is a mutual counsellor- client relationship
that establishes a cooperative exchange of ideas to help solve a client's problem/s. The counsellor and
the client both mutually apply their different knowledge, perspectives, and values to problems.
Participative counseling is considered a balanced compromise that combines the good features of both
directive and nondirective counselling and tries to avoid their disadvantages. Participative counselling
starts by using the listening techniques of nondirective counselling. However, as the counselling session
progresses, participative counsellors may apply a more active role than that of nondirective counsellors.

THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF COUNSELLING

Counsellors are expected to value ethical practices in their work. Some important ethical considerations
in counselling are the following:

Informed consent - This means that the counsellor has informed the client of what to expect in the
counselling process and that the client has given his or her consent to participate in the process.

Confidentiality -This means that the counsellor should not disclose confidential information entrusted
to him or her by his or her client. However, it should be made clear that there are limits to absolute
confidentiality and these need to be clarified with the client before counselling.

Protection and Development -The counsellor is expected to protect the welfare of his/her client as well
as his or her own. It is a professional requirement for counsellors to have their work supervised.
Supervision of counselling work enables the counsellor to offer his or her client a more effective and
safer service.

Counselling as profession and practice

This chapter discusses the various roles of professional counsellors as well as the skills necessary for a
counsellor to be effective in his/her profession. Ethical standards for counselors are also outlined and
discussed.

PROFESSIONALS AND PRACTITIONERS OF COUNSELLING

The professionals and practitioners of counselling include the following: guidance counsellors, human
resource development specialists, career counsellors, marriage counsellors, psychiatrists, child
counsellors, adult counsellors, geriatric counsellors, and clinical psychologists. These professionals and
practitioners have gone through extensive training in counselling. Their undergraduate and graduate
degrees are usually in the fields of Psychology, Counselling, Social Work, Human Resource Management,
and the Behavioral Sciences.
ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLORS

Counsellors are found in colleges and universities, in public and private organizations, government and
nongovernmental organizations or in civil society, the military, hospitals, and the community. They can
be one of the following:

School counsellors -School counsellors help students deal with hindrances in their studies. They play an
important role in crisis intervention following traumatic events like a violent incident or the death of a
teacher or a classmate. School counsellors also help students better navigate the stresses that they
experience and prevent these from interfering with their academic performance.

Career counsellors - Career counsellors help their clients prepare for the start of their professional lives,
adjust to changes in the workplace, and succeed in their careers. They are usually found in schools as
well as in public and private organizations. Career counsellors provide consulting, coaching, and
counselling for clients who want to explore their interests and make choices that will improve their
careers.

Child abuse counsellors - help victims of child abuse rebuild their psyche, trust others, and gain
happiness. These counsellors use their training to identify, analyze, and treat specific symptoms of child
abuse. They also provide necessary therapy to help the child overcome his or her ordeal. They may have
private clinics or offices and may also be employed in schools, colleges, or universities.

Child counsellors- provide counselling services for children, adolescents, and their families. Clinical
psychologists and child psychiatrists can also be considered child counsellors. They assess children for
specific issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.

Depression Counsellors - help people who deal with the mental, emotional, and physical issues arising
out of depression. These are usually psychiatrists who not only perform counselling but also prescribe
appropriate medical treatment. Depression counselling encourages the family of the client to give him or
her support toward reaching full recovery. Depression counsellors work in hospitals and private clinics.

COMPETENCIES OF COUNSELLORS

Professional counsellors are expected to possess the following core competencies:

1. Professionalism. Counsellors are expected to follow the policies and procedures of the institutions
they are affiliated with. They are also expected to be highly organized and exhibit integrity.

2. Accountability. Counsellors must take responsibility for their own actions. They must value the
commitments they have made with clients and other parties.
3. Concern for the welfare of others. Counsellors make sure that they look after the welfare of their
clients. They demonstrate compassion and are aware and sensitive to the various cultural and personal
backgrounds of their clients.

4. Professional identity. Counsellors think and act like professionals. They are usually members of
professional organizations for guidance counsellors.

5. Good social skills. Counsellors must be able to relate well with different types of people, groups, and
communities. They must maintain productive and respectful relationships with clients, peers,
supervisors, and professionals from other disciplines.

6. Effective communication skills. Counsellors should be able to clearly communicate ideas, feelings, and
information through verbal, non-verbal, and written skills. They use professional terms and concepts
appropriately and clearly in discussions as well as in case reports.

7. Basic helping skills. These relate to the counsellors' readiness to help their clients. The counsellor
listens and is empathetic toward others. He or she respects and shows interest in other cultures, as well
as the experiences, values, points of view, goals, desires, and fears of other people. He/she also
effectively uses verbal and non-verbal communication.

8. Knowledge of key issues and concepts in related disciplines. Counsellors must be open to working
with professionals from other related disciplines such as social work and psychology. They must also
recognize the contributions of other disciplines in the development of counselling practices.

9. Scientific-mindedness. Counsellors are expected to display critical scientific thinking and apply
scientific methods in their practice. They evaluate the methodologies of studies and the scientific basis
of their findings.

10. Awareness and application of ethical decision making. Counsellors should apply the concepts of
informed consent and confidentiality in their practice. They must also value morality in their work, as
well as honesty and integrity.

11. Observational skills. Counsellors must be able to observe clients' facial expressions, body language,
and social interactions during counselling sessions.

Community mental health- counsellors provide therapy, counselling, and coaching services to help
minimize mental health issues and promote mental health in communities. They help bridge the gap
between the people and the institutions and agencies that provide access to mental health facilities and
services. In addition, community mental health workers provide debriefing sessions for victims of
disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and typhoons. Community mental health workers are
employed by the government to serve in marginalized communities.

Legal counsellors- are usually lawyers who rehabilitate inmates and help them adjust to their
incarceration. They also provide counselling to inmates about to be freed to help them become better
citizens of the community. Legal counsellors usually work in prisons or correctional facilities. They may
also be in local communities, where they can help resolve interpersonal conflicts. There are also legal
counsellors in foreign embassies who help citizens going through difficult times e.g., on the verge of a
possible deportation or divorce from a foreigner husband or wife.

Hospital counsellors- help patients develop a positive view of their confinement. These counsellors can
also be social workers providing assistance to indigent patients by linking them with charitable
institutions. Hospital counsellors with doctorate degrees can also assume the position of clinical
supervisors or many other jobs in hospital administration.

Drug abuse counsellors- may be hired in inpatient or outpatient facilities. In inpatient facilities,
counsellors assist in the care of high-risk patients battling substance abuse. In outpatient facilities,
counsellors are hired to provide treatment during the day while patients are allowed to return to their
work at night. These counsellors may also serve as detox specialists or crisis workers in a detoxification
center, where people dealing with substance abuse first head for recovery. They may also be found in
private clinics or in non- governmental organizations helping people facing drug abuse.

Residential care facilities counsellors- assist and monitor people temporarily living in foster care
facilities, including those that house troubled or at- risk youth. Boys Town is an example of a residential
care facility in the Philippines.

Religious or spiritual counsellors- specialize in combining mental health counselling with Christian
beliefs in their practice. They often work in a religious environment such as the church. Priests and nuns
can be considered religious counsellors. They counsel clients who are troubled not only in their faith but
also with other issues such as domestic abuse or violence, as well as separation.

Counsellor needs to disclose client information, the reason for doing so must be explained, as well as its
consequences. Fidelity to the client also means that counsellors must avoid ending the counselling
process abruptly. If doing this is unavoidable, the counsellor must refer the client to another institution
or counsellor.

Counsellors must also extend their fidelity to their colleagues, employers, and their profession. They
must be faithful to their employer's mission, except when it is detrimental to the client's best interests.
Counsellors must also observe the tenets of their profession.