Counselling - Meaning, Principle and technique

Meaning of Counselling:

1. Counselling is not a process of giving advice, but it is a process of helping your patient who is genuinely in need.

2. It aims to help an individual to help himself to overcome his problem.

3. Counselling is different from a casual conversation as it builds a professional relationship with the patient.

4. It is totally FOCUSED, SPECIFIC and PURPOSEFUL.

5. Counselling is a long-term process and consists of professional communication.

6. What is Communication?

It is a process in which there is exchange of thoughts, ideas and feelings. It happens between two or more persons. It differs from casual communication.

THE CONCEPT OF COUNSELLING

Counselling the intimate and vital part of entire guidance. Webster‘s Dictionary defines Counselling as ―consultation, mutual interchange   of   opinions,   deliberating   together.‘      Wren   says

―counselling is a dynamic and purposeful relationship between two people who approach a mutually defined problem with mutual consideration for each other to the end that the younger or less mature, or more troubled of the two is aided to a self determined resolution of his problem.

―Counselling  is helping a person to come to see who he really is, what he has and does not have, what he can do easily, what he can do with difficulty and what he cannot do at all. It is a close sharing of a human relationship with one who has for him a high regard; one who can offer him unconditional acceptance, but one who has no guarantees, no answers.‖

Counselling     is     a     process     that     occurs     between     two individuals…counsellor and counselee (client) It. takes place within a professional setting.

It is initiated and maintained as a means of facilitating changes in the behaviour of the client.    It is a professional task for professionally trained people.

MEANING OF COUNSELLING

Though the term guidance and counselling is used interchangeably, both the terms have different meaning. We have studied about guidance, now we will know about counselling. In everyday life, we find counselling goes on at many levels. In a family, parents counsel their children, doctors counsel patients, lawyers to clients and teachers to students. There is no limitation to the problems or counsellors in providing  counselling, so, let us know what counselling is.

According to Webster dictionary counselling is defined as

―Consultation,           mutual interchange      of         opinions,          deliberating together.‖

―Counselling is a dynamic and purposeful relationship between two people who approach a mutually defined problem, with mutual consideration of each other to the end that the younger or less mature or more troubled of the two is aided to a self determined resolution to his problem‖ - Wren-

―Counselling   is  an  interaction  process  which  facilitates meaningful understanding of self and environment and results in the establishment and or clarification of goals and values for future behaviors‖ -Shertzer and Stone.-

―Counselling is an accepting, trusting and safe relationship in which clients learn to discuss openly what worries and upsets them, to define precise behaviour goals, to acquire the essential social skills and to develop the courage and self confidence to implement desired new behaviour‖- Merle M. Ohlsen.-

―Counselling is a process by which a troubled person (client) is helped to tell and behave in a more personally satisfying manner through interaction with an uninvolved person (counsellor) who provides information and reactions which stimulate the client to develop behaviour which enable him to deal more effectively with himself and his environment.‖ -Edwin Lewis.-

If  all  the  definitions  are  analyzed  we  can  come  to  the following conclusions.

Counselling is a two way process. It involves two individuals.

There is mutual relationships between the two individuals.

It  helps  an  individuals  to  gain  self  understanding  self acceptance and self realization

Counselling constitutes the three activities like -

I -                      Informing

A-                     Advising and

C -                    Counselling

 

Informing:

Here the role of the counsellor is to give appropriate and correct information to the clients. For example you are a student and you need counselling to select your course for the future. Here the role of the counsellor is to give you information about the availability of different courses & its future prospects.

Advising:

In this stage the counsellor suggests appropriate courses of action. Here the counsellor will offer you several options and recommends one according to your aim or interest. For example if your aim is to be an engineer, the counsellor will suggest you a course related to applied mathematics.

Counselling:

In this stage counsellor helps the students to clarify his needs, feelings or motivations so that he can make the appropriate decision for himself.

For example if you will tell, you have no aim or you can not decide what you will do in the future. So the counsellor will ask you if you are not sure about what to do in future but you must want to do something interesting so describe about your idea.  Like this the counsellor can motivate you to find out your idea & can recommend you the course according to your interest.

NEED OF COUNSELLING

Counselling is an integral part of an over-all programme of guidance. “Counselling is a specific process of assistance extended by an expert in an individual situation to a needy person”. This means the counseling situation arises when a needy person is face to face with and expert who makes available his assistance to the needy individual to fulfill his needs.

Need of counseling

There is an urgent need of introducing and strengthening the counseling service in the schools and colleges of our country to meet the various needs of the students administrational and the educational system.

1. To help in the total development of the student:

Along with the intellectual development proper motivation and clarification of goals and ideas to pupils in conformity with their basic potentialities and social tendencies are important total development of the student nauseates that individual differences among them are expected, accepted, understood and planned for and all types of experiences in an institution are to be so organized as to contribute to the total development of the student.

2. To help in the proper choices of courses

3. To help in the proper choices of carvers

4. To help in the students in vocational development

5. To develop readiness for choices and changes to face new challenges.

6. To minimize the mismatching between education and employment and help in the efficient use of manpower.

7. To motivate the youth for self employment.

8. To help freshers establish proper identity. Guidance and counseling service is needed to help students deal effectively with the normal developmental tasks of adolescence and face life situations boldly.

9. To identify and motivate the students form weaker sections of society.

10. To help the students in their period of turmoil and confusion.

11. To help in checking wastage and stagnation.

12. To identity and help students in need of special help.

13. There are such students as the gifted, the backward the handicapped who need special opportunities. They need special attention and opportunities.

14. To ensure the proper utilization of time spent outside the classrooms.

The manner in which student spend their non class hours clearly affects their success in achieving both academic competence and personal development of all types a positive direction to students should be provided by influencing how they can use those non class hours.

15. To help in talking problems arising out of students population explosion

16. To check migration to prevent brain drain.

17. To make up for the deficiencies of home.

18. To minimize the incidence of indiscipline.

Bargadon has mentioned the following situations where counseling in required:

1. When a pupil requires not only reliable information but also an interesting introspection of those in formations which can solve his personal difficulties.

2. When a pupil needs intelligent listener who has more experience than the pupil to whom he can recite his difficulties and through which can seek suggestions for his working plan.

3. When the counsellor has to assess those facilities which can help in resolving the pupil problems but the pupil doesn’t enjoy such an access to those facilities.

4. When the pupil has some problem but he is unaware of that problem and his development, he is to be made aware of that problem.

5. when the pupil is aware of the problem and difficulties created by the problem but he feels difficult to define it and to understand it that is, when the pupil is familiar with the presence of the problem and its nature but he is unable to face the problem due to this temporary tension and distraction.

6. When the pupil suffer the main maladjustment problem or some handicapped which is temporary and which needs careful long due diagnosis by an expert.

Majority of students lack a sense of direction, a sense of purpose and a sense of fulfillment and include in destructive activities which lead to social damage and loss. Adequate guidance and counselling facilities is the only answer to help and guide the youth to worthwhile channels and help them to realize the goals of optimum academic personal and social development.

Problems and needs in society are nothing new. But today they seen to be proliferating unprecedented rate. The unique problems in the changing family, cities in up level, conflicts in values, attitudes and moral , the new criticism about politics, economic factors the changing role of work, new pressure and demands on school and the problems of the youth all points out the needs for the counselling services. Guidance and counselling have a challenging role to play in every developing economy much more so if it is a labour surplus one.

Principles of Counselling:

1. Principle of acceptance—accept the patient with his physical, psycho­logical, social, economical and cultural conditions.

2. Principle of communication—communication should be verbal as well as non-verbal and should be skilful.

3. Principle of empathy—instead of showing sympathy put yourself in patients shoes and then give reflections accordingly (Empathy is ability to identify with a person.)

4. Principle of non-judge—mental attitude-do not criticize or comment negatively regarding patient’s complaints.

5. Principle of confidentiality—always keep the patient’s name, and the problem strictly secrete and assure the patient about the same.

6. Principle of individuality—treat each and every patient as unique and respect his problem as well.

7. Principles of non-emotional involvement—not getting emotionally in­volved with the patient and avoid getting carried away with his feelings.

Counseling Skills

As a student, your master's degree in counseling is about developing and expanding upon the counseling skills that will best help your clients. These are some of the most important counseling techniques you are likely to use in your counseling sessions.

Listening/Observing: Listening is one of the most valuable counseling skills in the therapeutic relationship. It can be used in three ways:

·                     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. In fact, according to Kevin J. Drab , approximately 80% of communication takes place non-verbally.

·                     Active listening: Active listening occurs when you are listening with all of your senses. According to the Perinatal Mental Health Project , active listening involves listening with your body, heart, ears, eyes, and mouth.

·                     Verbal listening: This is a form of showing you are listening through the words that you use. These verbal cues are used to show attention and to encourage more exploration from the client. This can be as simple as ‘yes’, or ‘go on’. It can also be in the form of paraphrasing or repeating a word of emotion that the client has just said.

Asking Questions: Questions are helpful in the therapeutic environment because they allow you to learn more about your client. The type of questions that you ask will set the tone of the session and the entire counseling process. Questions occur in two forms.

·                     Closed: A closed question is the practice of asking a question that can be answered as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Closed questions should generally be avoided in the counseling relationship, as they do not encourage deeper exploration.

·                     Open: An open question is necessary to gather information. An open question is one that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and it requires reflection or exploration on the client’s end. Every open question should be intentional and therapeutic. According to Susan Mills of the Nielsen Norman Group , the best open ended questions begin with ‘how’ and ‘what’.

Reflection: Reflections are used in the counseling process to accurately describe the client’s state  from their verbal or nonverbal cues.

·                     Feelings reflections: Reflections allow clients to hear the feelings they have just expressed. Sometimes you have to look for the descriptive feeling in a client’s statement. It can also be helpful to look at a client’s nonverbal feeling cues.

·                     Restating/Rephrasing: Restating and rephrasing can build a stronger client therapist relationship. Rephrasing a client’s statement allows you to better understand what a client has just said and to gain further clarity, if you have gotten it wrong.

·                     Affirmation: Affirmation is a form of encouragement that is used to affirm behaviors or life choices. Affirmation is important for empowering clients . A few common affirmations include affirming progress that a client has made toward a goal or encouraging a client to do what is important to them.

Empathy: Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It is much more than sympathy in that you are able to show your understanding of your clients feeling surrounding an experience.

Genuineness: Begin genuine is creating congruence between yourself and your words. Every therapist is different and will provide a different therapeutic process. It is important to remain genuine in all counseling techniques and verbal and nonverbal cues.

Unconditional Positive Regard: Demonstrating unconditional positive regard is the idea of accepting your client for who they are. It is a means of expressing warmth  and respect.

Counselor Self-Disclosure: This is a tricky counseling skill to maneuver. A general rule to follow is to only share personal information that is beneficial to the therapeutic process. It might also be used to help the counselor relate better with their client.

techniques

1. Directive Counselling:

In this counselling the counsellor plays an active role as it is regarded as a means of helping people how to learn to solve their own problems. This type of counselling is otherwise known as counsellor-centred counselling. Because in this counselling the counsellor does everything himself i.e. analysis, synthesis, diagnosis, prognosis, prescription and follow-up.

Features of Directive Counselling:

It has the following features:

1. During the interview attention is focused upon a particular problem and possibilities for its solution.

2. During the interview the counsellor plays a more active role than the client or pupil.

3. The pupil or client makes the decision, but the counsellor does all that he can to get the counsellee or client makes a decision in keeping with his diagnosis.

4. The counsellor tries to direct the thinking of the counsellee or client by informing, explaining, interpreting and advising him.

Steps in Directive Counselling:

The following steps are followed in this type of counselling:

(i) Analysis:

In this step data is collected from a variety of sources for an adequate understanding of the pupil.

(ii) Synthesis:

This step implies organizing and summarising the data to find out the assets, liabilities, adjustments and mal-adjustments of the pupil.

(iii) Diagnosis:

Formulating conclusions regarding the nature and causes of the problems expressed by the pupils is the major concern of this step.

(iv) Prognosis:

This step implies predicting the future development of the problem of client or pupil.

 (v) Counselling:

This step indicates taking steps by the counsellor with the pupil to bring about adjustment in life.

(vi)Follow-up:

This step implies helping and determining the effectiveness of the counselling provided to the pupil or client.

Role of the counsellor in Directive Counselling:

The counsellor plays the vital role in this counselling process. He is the pivot of the process and the leader of the situation. The counsellor does most of the talking problems and individual is not the focus. The counsellee in fact, works under the counsellor and not with him. The counsellor tries to direct the thinking of the counsellee or client by informing, explaining, interpreting and sometimes advising also.

The counsellor collects all possible information about the pupils or counsellees and analyses them for an adequate understanding. He summarizes and organises the data so as to understand the abilities and limitations, adjustment and mal-adjustment of the pupils. He formulates conclusions about the nature and causes of his problems. He predicts the future development of his problems.

He prescribes what the pupil should do to solve his problems and follows the consequences or effects of his prescription. Directive counselling is also called the prescriptive counselling because the counsellor prescribes the solutions or the course of action for the pupils.

Advantages of Directive counseling:

1) This method is useful from the time consuming view- point .It saves time.

2) In this type of counseling, there is more focus on the problem and the person.

3) The counselor can look the client directly.

4) Counseling focuses more on the intellectual aspects of the person than emotional aspect of the personality.

5) In this process, the counselor becomes readily available to help which makes the client very happy.

Limitations of Directive counseling-:

1) In this process the client is more dependent. He is also less able to solve new problems of adjustment.

2) As the client is never independent of the counselor, it is not an efficient best guidance.

3) Unless and until a person does not develop some attitude through experiences, he cannot make any decision himself.

4) The counselor fails in serving the client to commit the mistakes in future

2. Non-Directive Counselling:

In this type of counselling the counselee or client or pupil, not the counsellor is the pivot of the counselling process. He plays an active role and this type of counselling is a growing process. In this counselling the goal is the independence and integration of the client rather than the solution of the problem. In this counselling process the counsellee comes to the counsellor with a problem. The counsellor establishes rapport with the counsellee based on mutual trust, acceptance and understanding.

The counsellee provides all information about his problems. The counsellor assists him to analyze and synthesise, diagnose his difficulties, predict the future development of his problems, take a decision about the solution of his problems; and analyse the strengths and consequences of his solutions before taking a final decision. Since the counsellee is given full freedom to talk about his problems and work out a solution, this technique is also called the “permissive” counselling.

Pupil’s perception of the relationship:

When a pupil seeks the counsellor’s help, he soon discovers that the counsellor accepts him as he is and believes in his ability to solve his problem in his own way. He also learns that he can talk about whatever he chooses and sometimes he finds, even to his own surprise, that he can talk about topics which so far he couldn’t discuss with his closest friends. Though previous experiences with counsellors may have taught him that the counsellor is a “giver of advice”.

He now finds that he is talking with a person who tries to understand him, tries to follow what he is saying and feeling, tries to help him understand himself, and neither gives advice not attempts to manipulate him into making a decision which the counsellor believes is best for him. He feels that the counsellor understands why he sees the things differently at different times and he learns that if he wishes, he can terminate or avoid the relationship without solving the specific problem which is brought to the consellor.

Steps in Non-Directive Counselling:

The following steps are adopted in this counselling process:

1. The pupil or individual comes for help as the counsellee.

2. The counsellor defines the situation by indicating that he doesn’t have the answer but he is able to provide a place and an atmosphere in which the client or pupil can think of the answers or solutions to his problems.

3. The counsellor is friendly, interested and encourages free expression of feeling regarding the problem of the individual.

4. The counsellor tries to understand the feeling of the individual or client.

5. The counsellor accepts and recognizes the positive as well as the negative feelings.

6. The period of release or free expression is followed by a gradual development of insight.

7. As the client recognizes and accepts emotionally as well as intellectually his real attitudes and desires, he perceives the decisions that he must make and the possible courses of action open to him.

8. Positive steps towards the solution of the problem situation begin to occur.

9. A decreased need for help is felt and the client is the one who decides to end the contract.

Merit

Freedom of the individual

Relieves tensions due to catharsis

Moves toward acceptance of himself

Confronts weaknesses without feeling threatened

Demerits

Time consuming

Wisdom and judgement of the client cannot be relied upon

All the problems cannot be sorted out through talking

Limitations:

Non-directive counselling is time consuming. Many sessions may be required to convince the client to utilize his inner resources for solving his problems.

A teacher with very little knowledge of dynamics of students’ behaviour will not be competent to use this technique. It is difficult for the counsellor to interpret negative feeling often expressed by the client in the counselling session. Sometimes, it is quite possible that no acceptable solutions emerge out of a counselling session.

Training in the use of this technique is necessary for undertaking the counselling session.

3. Eclectic Counselling:.

Eclectic counselling is a combination of directive and non-directive technique depending upon the situational factors. This approach in counselling is best characterised by its freedom to the counsellor to use whatever procedures or techniques seem to be the most appropriate to any particular time for any particular client. This counselling is one where one who is willing to utilize any procedures which hold promise even though their theoretical bases differed markedly.

This counselling recognizes that each theory may contain some truth and that so long as a final decision between theories can’t be made practical necessity justifiably takes precedence over orthodoxy. The counsellor in this counselling may start with directive technique but switches over to non-directive counselling if the situation requires. He may also start with the non-directive technique and switches over to directive techniques if the situation demands.

So the counsellor in this counselling makes use of directive and non-directive counselling and also of any other type which may be considered useful for the purpose of modifying the ideas and attitudes of the counsellee. Hence it is possible for the counsellor to alternate between directive and non-directive techniques depending upon the requirements of the situation.

It can be said that directive and non-directive counselling are at the opposite ends of the pole of guidance. It is eclectic counselling that bridges the gap between the two and makes adjustment between directive and non-directive techniques.

Features/Characteristics of Eclectic Counselling:

This counselling has the following features or characteristics of it:

1. Methods of counselling may change from counsellee to counsellee/counsellee or even with the same client from time to time.

2. Flexibility is the key note of this counselling.

3. Freedom of choice and expression is open to both, the counsellor and the client.

4. The client and the philosophical framework are adjusted to serve the purposes of the relationship.

5. Experience of mutual confidence and faith in the relationship are basic.

6. Feelings of comfort are essential.

Competence of the Counsellor in Eclectic Counselling:

Eclectic counselling assumes high level competence and should never be used as a rationalization by the counsellor for indiscriminate use or neglect of particular procedures advocated in other philosophies. The competent eclectic counsellor is well acquainted with all other major theories of philosophies in counselling and uses this knowledge in choosing techniques and in the establishment of a positive working relationship with the client. A rejection of any philosophical framework is justified by the counsellor if he had a better way to achieve the task in hand.

The counsellor must be aware of the fact that problems differ from individual to individual. The counsellee or the pupil must be accepted as he is and attempts be made to understand him. Each problem must be treated as unique. All pre-conceived notions of dealing with all the counsellee’s personal problems in the same way should be discarded. The task of the counsellor is very difficult.

He has to shift and interpret all the matter that is available about the individual. The worker should take care in working with the pupils to be warm, co-ordinal, friendly, responsive and understanding but at the same time will be impersonal and objective. To be impersonal and objective, however he needs not to be cold, indifferent or not interested.

Disadvantages of Eclectic Counseling

1) Some people are of the view that eclectic counseling is vague, opportunistic and superficial.

2) Both directive and non-directive counseling cannot be mixed together.

3) In this, the question arises how much freedom should be given to the client? For this there is non-definite rule.

4) The problem with an eclectic orientation is that counselors often do more harm than good if they have little or no understanding about what is helping the client.