Lesson 2:

The Discipline of Counseling

Part I. Learning Module Information

Content disciplines of counseling

Standards
demonstrate a high level of understanding of the basic concepts of
counseling through a group presentation of a situation in which
Performance
practitioners of counseling work together to assist individuals, groups, or
Standards
communities involved in difficult situations (e.g., post disaster, court
hearing about separation of celebrity couple, cyber bullying)
Most Essential identify the goals and scope of counseling
Learning
Competencies explain the principles of counseling
(MELC)
Duration Q1 Week 2

Part II. Learning Explorations

 Goals of Counseling

Detailed and expansive counseling goals have been identified by Gibson and Mitchell (2003),
which are as follows:

1. Development Goals – assist in meeting or advancing the clients human growth and
development including social, personal, emotional, cognitive, and
physical wellness.

2. Preventive Goals – helps the client avoid some undesired outcome.

3. Enhancement Goals- enhance special skills and abilities.

4. Remedial Goals – assisting a client to overcome and treat an undesirable development

5. Exploratory Goals- examining options, testing of skills, trying new and different activities,
etc.

6. Reinforcement Goals- helps client in recognizing, that what they are doing, thinking, and
feeling is fine

7. Cognitive Goals-involves acquiring the basic foundation of learning and cognitive skills

8. Physiological Goals – involves acquiring the basic understanding and habits for good health

9. Psychological Goals – aids in developing good social interaction skills, learning emotional
control, and developing positive self – concept.

The presented list of counseling goals, some of which are enhancement of the above goals.

Goal Description
Understanding of the origins and development of emotional
Insight difficulties , leading to an increased capacity to take
rational control over feelings and actions
Becoming better able to form and maintain meaningful and
Relating with others satisfying relationships with other people : for example ,
within the family or workplace
Becoming more aware of thoughts and feelings that had
Self- awareness been blocked off or denied, or developing a more accurate
sense of how self is perceived by others.
The development of a positive attitude toward self, marked
Self- acceptance by an ability to acknowledge areas of experience that had
been the subject of self- criticism and rejection
Moving in the direction of fulfilling potential or achieving an
1Self – actualization
integration of previously conflicting parts of self.
Assisting the client to arrive at a higher state of spiritual
Enlightenment
awakening
Finding a solution to a specific problem that the client had
Problem- Solving not been able to resolve alone. Acquiring a general
competence in problem – solving
Enabling the client to acquire ideas and techniques with
Psychological education
which to understand and control behavior
Learning and mastering social and interpersonal skills such
Acquisition of Social Skills as maintenance of eye contact , turn taking in
conversations, assertive, or anger control
The modification or replacement of irrational beliefs or mal
Cognitive change adaptive thought patterns associated with self- destructive
behavior
The modification or replacement of maladaptive or self-
Behavior change
destructive patterns of behavior.
 Introducing change into the way in that social systems
Systematic change
operate
Working on skills , awareness, and knowledge that will
Empowerment
enable to client to take control of his or her own life
Helping the client to make amends for previous destructive
Restitution
behavior
Inspiring in the person a desire and capacity to care for
Generality others and pass on knowledge and to contribute to the
collective good through political engagement

Scope of Counseling

The scope and field of counseling has widened as the human problems are wide in
range. Broadly, the scope of counseling includes individual counseling, marital and
premarital counseling, family counseling, and community counseling.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING

•Adolescent identity, concerns, teen-parent relationships, peer relationships

•Anxiety
•Anger management
•Children’s concerns within the family unit, sibling relationships, school experiences,
peer relationships
•Depression
•Family of origin dynamics and issues
•Gender: identity, sexuality, homosexuality
•Relationships: personal and interpersonal dynamics
•Sexual abuse recovery
•Seniors: challenges, limitations, transitions
•Singles: single, newly single, single through divorce or being widowed
•Spirituality
•Stress management
•Workplace stress and relationships
•Young adult: identity, relationships, vocation

MARITAL AND PRE-MARITAL COUNSELLING

•Marital and relational dynamics

•Extended family relationships
•Fertility issues

FAMILY COUNSELLING

•Adolescent and child behaviors within family dynamics

•Adult children
•Divorce and separation issues and adjustment
•Family dynamics: estrangement, conflict, communication
•Family of origin / extended family issues