UNIT-2

- R. Shalini Assistant Professor Department Psychology

Basic counselling skills

INTRINSIC SKILLS/ PERSONAL SKILLS OF AN EFFECTIVE
COUNSELOR
1. Self-Awareness
● It means to be aware of oneself i.e. one’s own thoughts, feelings, attitudes,
strengths, weaknesses, biases, behaviors and their effect on others.
● Counselors who are self-aware are likely to have clear perception of their
own and clients’ needs and accurately assess both. Such awareness helps
counselors’ to be honest with themselves and others and build trust and
communicate clearly and accurate
2. EMPATHY
● The counselor uses an "as if" quality to sensing the client's world as one's
own
● It is the ability to perceive another's experience and then to communicate
that perception back to the individual to clarify and amplify their own
experiencing and meaning.
● This refers to the counsellor’s ability to sense what the client is feeling,
experiencing and thinking.
● It is not identifying with the patient or sharing similar experiences, not "I
know how you feel"! which is sympathy
3.Unconditional positive regard
● An expression of caring, nurturance, acceptance and respect. Also conveying
acceptance by responding to the patient’s messages (verbal and non-verbal)
with nonjudgmental or noncritical verbal & non-verbal reactions.
● Respect - Ability to communicate to the patient the counselor's sincere belief
that every person possesses the inherent strength and capacity to make it in
life, and that each person has the right to choose his own alternatives and m
ake his own decisions.

4.Genuineness
 ● Genuineness on part of counselor is very important. It is the most basic
sense it means “acting without using a façade” functioning without hiding
behind one’s role or professional status.
● A genuine interest in the client is a must for the counseling process to
succeed. Rogers (1958) suggests that the counselor should be a real person
to his/her clients.
● For example, if the helper claims that they are comfortable helping a client
explore a drug or sexual issue, but their behavior (verbally and nonverbally)
shows signs of discomfort with the topic this will become an obstacle to
progress and often lead to client confusion about and mistrust of the helper.
5. Concreteness
● It can be termed as a type of skill. It is an ability to listen, to what is being
said by the client, instead of what is being implied. Concreteness in
counseling is essential, if the counseling process has to succeed.
● Any quick, preconceived or initial judgment about what the client is saying
is not particularly helpful. In fact, it may be counterproductive.
● The concept of concreteness almost integrates all the important elements of
the counseling process.
● A concrete counselor, invariably, listens to and accepts what the client is
saying and does not quickly make his judgments.
6. Warmth
● The quality of being warm refers to a situation, where a person shows
interest in other individual/group. ‘Cold’ individuals rarely become good
counselors. There is an element of support involved in being warm.
● Warmth implies attentiveness as well as patience to listen. A word of caution
here, a too warm counselor may lead towards the development of
over-dependence on the part of the client.
● The ideal feeling of being warm is the one which demonstrates that the
counselor is non-judgmental and is honestly interested in his/her client.

7. Objectivity
To remain objective in the counseling process means to be able to stand back and
observe whatever is happening from a neutral frame of reference and not distorted
by perceptions, biases and expectations
8. Open Mindedness
● Open mindedness means freedom from fixed preoccupations and an attitude
of open receptivity to whatever the client is expressing. The open minded
counselor is able to accommodate the client’s values, feelings and
perceptions even if they are different from his or her own.
● As per Anderson, Lepper and Ross (1980) if the counselor is not
open-minded he will persist in believing incorrect things about a client, even
in the face of countervailing evidence

9. Sensitivity
Sensitivity is a prime factor in contributing to counselor effectiveness. It implies
that the counselor makes a deeper and spontaneous response (cognitive and
emotional response) to the client’s needs, feelings, conflict, doubts and so on.
10. Sense of Humor
● Humor involves giving a funny, unexpected response to a question or
situation. It requires both sensitivity and timing on part of the counselor.
● A sense of humor comes quite handy, in rescuing most of the sensitive or
delicate situations. It is never aimed at demeaning anyone.
● It also does not mean that a counselor should start taking the conversation
during counseling session lightly. If used properly, it is a ‘clinical tool that
has many therapeutic applications’ (Ness 1989).
MICRO/COMMUNICATION/EXTRINSIC SKILLS
1. Active Listening
● Counsellors not only listen to the words spoken by the clients but also to the
feelings, facial expression, emotion, gestures, and the unspoken thoughts of
the clients.
● This means, when the client speaks the counsellor must give full attention.
Active listening is essential for arriving at an objective assessment of the
client’s problem and determining appropriate strategies for starting the
healing process.
2. Attending
Attending is the ability to be physically present for the client. It means giving them
your undivided attention and making appropriate eye contact, mirroring body
language, and nodding.
These attending behaviors show your client that you care.
When it’s used: Throughout the entire counselling interview. Particularly important
in the initial stages of establishing rapport.
Examples: Attentive body language (eye contact, leaning forward slightly,
encouraging gestures).
Egan (1994) has summarized the useful non-verbal behavior in counselling as
Techniques of Counselling
SOLER.
S – Sitting at a comfortable angle and distance
O – Open posture; crossed arms/legs may indicate less involvement of the
counsellor.
L – Leaning towards the client shows the counsellor’s interest.
E – Eye contact with the client.
R – Relaxed state of the counsellor which acts as social modeling for the client
to achieve relaxation.
3. Paraphrasing
● This is restating or rewording the content (what is said by the client) back
to the client. This should not be mere parroting the words back to the client.
● Paraphrasing also involves reflection of the content and feelings of the
client.
● Reflections are used in the counseling process to accurately describe the
client’s state from their verbal or nonverbal cues.
● Paraphrasing and reflection help in confirming with the client if the
counsellor has understood the problem as narrated by the client.
4. Questioning
● Effective questioning helps guide the counselling conversation and may
assist in enriching the client’s story. Goal is to facilitate exploration – not
needed if the client is already doing this.
● Have an intention or therapeutic purpose for every question you ask. Avoid
asking too many questions, or assuming an interrogatory role.
● Best approach is to follow a response to an open-ended question (Open
Questions -- A questioning process to assist the client in clarifying or
exploring thoughts or feeling.) with a paraphrase or reflection which
encourages the client to share more and avoids repetitive patterns of
question/answer/question/answer/
● Examples: “What brings you to mediation today?”
“How does that make you feel?”

5.Confrontation
● Confrontation is a skill that can assist clients to increase their
self-awareness. It can be used to highlight discrepancies that clients have
previously been unaware of.
● When it’s used: Confrontation is often used when the counsellor observes
mixed messages or incongruities in the client’s words, behaviours, feelings
or thoughts.
● Confrontation should only be used after rapport has been developed between
client and counsellor.
● Examples: “You say you would like to do further study but you haven’t
contacted the training institution.”
6.Interpretation
● In interpretation the counselor is providing new meaning, reason, or
explanation for behaviors, thoughts, or feelings so that CLIENT can see
problems in a new way.
● Interpretations can help the client make connections between seemingly
isolated statements of events, can point out themes or patterns, or can offer a
new framework for understanding.
● An interpretation may be used to help a pt focus on a specific aspect of their
problem, or provide a goal.
● Use interpretations sparingly and do not assume a client's rejection of your
insight means they are resistant or that you are right
7.SUMMARISING
● After listening to a series of statements or at the end of a session, the
counsellor summarizes the content presented by the client.
● Through summarizing, the counsellor attempts to find out if s/he has
properly understood the frame of reference of the client and also helps the
client to place his/her problem in perspective.

8.Immediacy
● Immediacy refers to the counsellor disclosing feelings about the client or the
therapeutic interaction at that moment as it happens.
● For example, after listening to a student who suffered sexual abuse, the
counsellor may share his/her feeling towards the student: Counsellor: “I
appreciate you trusted me with one of the most traumatic experiences of
your life. And I respect your courage for confronting the problem

9.SELF- DISCLOSURE
● Self-disclosure refers generally to a counselor’s sharing of personal
information to clients during or outside the counseling session.
● Types of counselor self-disclosure can range from the sharing of information
about the counselor’s personal life and experiences to the sharing of his or
her personal opinions about particular issues and events.
● Too much counselor self-disclosure can blur the boundaries in the
professional relationship. The client may come to view the counselor more
as a friend than a professional helper.
● The sharing of too much information by a counselor about his or her own
personal struggles may be perceived by the client as a sign of counselor
impairment and inability to perform his or her professional duties
responsibly. hence it should be done relevantly at appropriate times.
5 Characteristics of a Professional Counselor

● INFO
● Capella University
● MS in Clinical Counseling
● Request Information
● Professional counselors are licensed by their state to help patients deal with
stress and psychological problems. While having a certification is important,
successful counselors must have other attributes, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. For a patient to feel comfortable talking to you, you must be
able to build a rapport and express empathy. With the right personal
attributes, you will be able to develop a sense of trust with the patient and be
a better counselor.
● 1. You Are Self-Aware
● Before you can help someone else, you must be able to help yourself first.
You would never go to a dentist who has terrible teeth or an addiction
counselor who is currently using drugs. Likewise, someone who comes to
you for help will want you to be in a good psychological state. Before you
become a counselor, address your own fears, weaknesses and insecurities.
Once you are aware of your fears, you are better able to handle these
feelings and help your patient. In addition, self-aware individuals are often
more intuitive about the things a patient needs help with.
● 2. Practice Patience
● Patience is a challenging skill to develop. Few people are born naturally
patient, so this skill is often developed over the course of a lifetime. As a
counselor, you must be able to help your clients move toward positive
changes. This process takes time, so you must be patient and willing to wait
as your patient gradually improves. You are unlikely to see major changes
 happen overnight with any client, so be prepared to wait and celebrate the
small victories.

3. Remember to Be Accepting
● You may be the only person in your patient’s life that they feel comfortable
with. It is important that they feel accepted when they visit your office.
Although it can be challenging to be non-judgmental at times, it is one of the
most important attributes of successful counselors. Practice being accepting
of the people you meet. Greet your patients with warmth and accept them for
who they are. It may not be easy at times, but it is necessary to do.
4. Work on Building a Rapport
● Throughout your life, you have most likely met people who oozed charisma
and charm. While you do not have to be the most charismatic person in the
world, you do have to be approachable. Counselors need to be talented at
quickly developing interpersonal relationships. They must be able to
cultivate trust with their patient and learn how to establish a rapport. From
focusing on your client’s problems to listening to their needs, there are many
ways that you can quickly and efficiently develop a rapport.
5. Remember to Be Flexible
● The techniques you learned in school will not always be effective. Although
psychology has advanced significantly in the last few decades, it still does
not have a one-size-fits-all approach. While you can try the standard
approach with each client, you must be willing to adjust over time. Your
predetermined treatment plan must be able to go with the flow and adjust to
the patient’s needs.

● Related Resource: Top 10 Online Master’s in Counseling Degree Programs

● With the right skills and attitude, you can become the professional counselor
that clients want. Your entire goal is to help clients overcome their problems,
and developing these attributes will help. Even if you do not have these
characteristics now, it is always possible to learn them over time.

Be organized within your practice.

● Whether they’re first-time clients or you’ve counseled them for years,
organization in a counseling practice is key. Organization of paperwork,
scheduling, and personal details will give your clients peace of mind and
confidence in your work.
Practice ethically and professionally.
● There are many resources for counselors to understand the ethics of the
profession. Some resources include the 2014 American Counseling
Association Code of Ethics, ASERVIC (Competencies for Addressing
Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling) competencies, and mental
health state statutes.
Educate yourself.
● If you are on the path to earn a degree in counseling, you’re already moving
forward with one of the most important ways to become an effective
counselor. Another great way to gain experience is to attend a counseling
conference, such as the ACA Conference. Study hard, ask a lot of questions,
and get all the experience you can while earning your undergraduate or
master’s in counseling.
Be confident in your position and responsibility.
● Whether you’ve been a licensed professional counselor for 20 years or
you’re new to the profession, you must maintain confidence in your work. A
client is looking to you for help, so use your education and experience
assuredly. Good clinical supervision is also suggested.
Be respectful and non-judgmental.
● According to the ACA Code of Ethics, “Counselors are aware of — and
avoid imposing — their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors”
(A.4.b). As a counselor, you must respect each client’s beliefs and struggles,
and never assert your personal values or beliefs.

Understand the importance of communication.

● Since every client is different, you may have some that need time to warm
up to you, while some aren’t afraid to divulge their life story from the start.
Understand that communication needs to be personalized to each client.
Have a flexible attitude.
● Working as a counselor, you will have to be accommodating. Some clients
will be late or may cancel, along with clients that are seeking an emergency
session. Possess a flexible attitude to ensure your clients feel safe and
understood.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
4M
1. Define Empathy
2. Define Concreteness
3. List out all the micro skills of counseling
4. Mention all the personal skills of an effective counselor
5. Write a brief note on Questioning-Micro Skill
6. What does genuineness mean?
7. Explain about Paraphrasing

6M
1. Write brief notes on
a. Concreteness
b. Open Mindedness
2. Write brief notes on
a. Self-Awareness
b. Self-Disclosure
3. Discuss about any 3 important communication skill
4. Discuss briefly on any 3 important intrinsic skills to become a counsellor
5. Discuss briefly on any 3 important extrinsic skills to become a counsellor
6. Briefly write notes on SOLER
7. Elaborate on the micro skill Attending
8. Write short notes on
a. Empathy
b. Warmth

10M
1. Write an essay on any 5 of the Intrinsic Skills of an effective counselor
2. Write an essay on any 5 of the extrinsic Skills of an effective counselor
3. Discuss on any 5 of the important communication Skills of an effective
counselor
4. Discuss on any 5 of the personal characteristics that is expected out of an
effective counselor
5. Elucidate the Micro Skills in Counseling and give a detailed description on
any 5 micro skills
6. Elucidate the Macro Skills in Counseling and give a detailed description on
any 5 macro skills
7. Write notes on
a. Self-Disclosure
b. Active Listening
c. Paraphrasing
d. Summarising
e. Confrontation
8. Write notes on
a. Unconditional Positive Regard
b. Concreteness
c. Sense of Humor
d. Warmth
e. Sensitivity