Counselling Goals and Stages.

Meghna Jaiswal 19/3045

Department of Psychology, Sri Aurobindo College Evening,

University of Delhi.

Counselling Psychology

Priyanka Ma’am
Counselling has been described as a journey whereby the client and counsellor undergo a

joint process of exploration and reflection (Thorne, 2007). The idea of a process, however,

requires at least some notion of beginning and end. While many schools of thought and

psychotherapeutic approaches use formulations based on theory in order to explain

behaviours and situations, the person-centred approach tends not to use such formulations

(Cooper and McLeod, 2011). However, when presenting a client in supervision, there is a

need for common terms and a shared language in order to best communicate information.

This common language can be found in Rogers’ 7 stage process. Counselling is “the process

of assisting and guiding clients, especially by a trained person on a professional basis, to

resolve especially personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties.” In other

words, counselling is “A talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and

helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues.” There are therefore a number of aspects

to counselling. For example, it is important that the counsellor is trained. It is also important

that the process is about helping you to find ways to deal with your problems, rather than

giving advice or telling you what to do. There are a number of things that it is generally

agreed that counselling is,

i) The process that occurs when a client and counsellor set aside time to explore

difficulties which may include the stressful or emotional feelings of the client.

ii) The act of helping the client to see things more clearly, possibly from a different

view-point. This can enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or

behaviour, with a goal of facilitating positive change.

 iii) A relationship of trust. Confidentiality is paramount to successful counselling.

Professional counsellors will usually explain their policy on confidentiality. They

may, however, be required by law to disclose information if they believe that there

is a risk to life.

Counselling Goals

Different individuals have different perceptions of what can be expected of counseling.

Individuals preparing to become counselors, and those who seek counseling, as well as

parents, teachers, school administrators and governmental agencies, all differ in their

expectations of the counseling experience. The final designation of these goals is to be

determined by the counsellor and the client as a team.

Counseling theorists do not always agree on appropriate counseling goals because they are

often general, vague and saturated with implications. However, these are the five most

commonly named goals of counseling:

1. Facilitating behaviour change.

2. Improving the client’s ability to establish and maintain relationships.

3. Enhancing the client’s effectiveness and ability to cope.

4. Promoting the decision-making process and facilitating client potential.

5. Development.

These goals are not mutually exclusive and will naturally be emphasized by some theorists

and not others.

Enhancing Coping Skills

We will inevitably run into difficulties in the process of growing up. Most of us do not

completely achieve all of our developmental tasks within a lifetime. All of the unique

expectations and requirements imposed on us by others will eventually lead to problems. Any

inconsistencies in development can result in children learning behaviour patterns that are both

inefficient and ineffective. Learned coping patterns, however, may not always work. New

interpersonal or occupational role demands may create an overload and produce excessive

anxiety and difficulty for the individual. Children who grow up in excessively strict homes

frequently adjust to such training measures through learned behavioural inhibition. When

social or occupational responsibilities require individuals to be assertive, they may experience

anxiety and be unable to handle responsibilities effectively. In addition to psychological

symptoms, physical symptoms such as frequent headaches, stuttering in front of people in

authority or the inability to sleep are common. This maladjustment to daily living makes

coping skills an important goal of counseling. Helping individuals to cope with new

situations and challenges.

Improving Relationships

Many clients tend to have major problems relating to others due to poor self-image. Likewise,

inadequate social skills cause individuals to act defensively in relationships. Typical social

difficulties can be observed in family, marital and peer group interaction (e.g., the troubled

elementary school child). The counsellor would then strive to help the client improve the

quality of their lives by developing more effective interpersonal relationships. All

relationships across the board. Becoming more effective in interpersonal relationships.

Negative self-image or lack of social skills are often the triggers of lacking relationships
Promoting Decision-Making

The goal of counseling is to enable the individual to make critical decisions regarding

alternative courses of action without outside influence. Counseling will help individuals

obtain information, and to clarify emotional concerns that may interfere with or be related to

the decisions involved. These individuals will acquire an understanding of their abilities and

interests. They will also come to identify emotions and attitudes that could influence their

choices and decisions.

The activity of stimulating the individual to evaluate, accept and act upon a choice, will assist

them in learning the entirety of the decision-making process. The individual will develop

autonomy and avoid dependence on a counsellor. Assisting the individual to make good

decisions. Not making the decisions for them. Helping them to realise the consequences of

their decisions. Explore a range of options. Enable clients to see how their emotions and

attitudes and values influence their decisions and choices.

Facilitating Client Potential

Counseling seeks to maximize an individual’s freedom by giving him or her control over

their environment while analysing responsiveness and reaction to the environment.

Counselors will work to help people learn how to overcome, for example, excessive

substance use and to better take care of their bodies.

Counselors will also assist in overcoming sexual dysfunction, drug addiction, compulsive

gambling and obesity, as well as anxiety, shyness and depression. Improving personal
effectiveness. Learning to use abilities and interests to one's potential emphasis on "whole

wellness" - emotional, spiritual, physical, mental. Aid them in realising their potential

Facilitating Behaviour Change

Most theorists indicate that the goal of counseling is to bring about change in behaviour that

will enable the client to be more productive as they define their life within society’s

limitations. According to Rodgers (1961), behaviour change is a necessary result of the

counseling process, although specific behaviours receive little or no emphasis during the

process. Enable clients to live more productive and satisfying life. Use specific goals rather

than general ones. These can be measured if more specific. Goals should be measurable so

the client can measure their progress.

Alternatively, Dustin and George (1977) suggested that the counsellor must establish specific

counseling goals. A necessary shift from general goals to specific goals should take place to

enable both the client and counsellor to understand what change is desired. Specific

behaviour goals have additional value as the client is better able to see any change that

occurs. Krumbolz (1966) suggested three additional criteria for judging counseling goals, as

follows:

1. The goals of counseling should be capable of being stated differently for each

individual client.

2. The goals should be compatible with, though not identical to, the values of the

counsellor.
 3. The degree to which goals of counseling are attained by each client should be

observable.

In conclusion, these goals are not mutually exclusive, nor are they equally appropriate for

every client at any specific time. Counseling goals can be classified according to three

categories: ultimate, intermediate and immediate. Ultimate goals are philosophical ideals that

can be reasonably expected from counseling. These goals include helping individuals to

realize their full potential or to become self-actualized. Intermediate goals relate to the

reasons for seeking counseling and usually require several sessions to achieve them. Helping

the individual develop to become and remain a well-adjusted, mentally healthy person and to

achieve his/her potentialities, would classify as an intermediate goal. Immediate goals, on the

other hand, are the moment-by-moment intentions of counseling, for example, encouraging

the client to verbalize an unexpressed feeling.

Stages of Counselling

The stages of the counseling process are:

Stage 1: Relationship Building:

Tasks here include:

•Laying foundations for trust

•Establishing the structure and form the relationship will take

•Informed consent process

•Articulating roles of counsellor and client – developing a

collaborative working alliance.

Stage 2: Identifying the nature of the

presenting problem:

• To understand the kind of change that is sought.

• Seeing the problem in context to the client’s larger

world.

• Keeping an eye on the strengths and resources of

the client.

• Counsellor builds hypotheses during this stage

and throughout maintain process.

Stage 3: Formulation of Counseling

Goals:

• The client articulates where they want their

counseling journey to take them. Client role

as one of driving the bus.

• Enhances sense of ownership and

motivation factors important in the change

process.

• Well identified goals help create a roadmap

and means to evaluate.

• Goals may change, evolve as therapy

Progresses.

Stage 4: Categories: counseling goals:

• To change an unwanted or unwelcome

behaviour.

• To better cope.
• To make and implement decisions.

• To enhance relationships.

• To help client’s journey of growth toward

achieving potential (Nystul, 2003)

Stage 5: Intervention and Problem

Solving:

• Begins as soon as goals are established – there is

plan for how to achieve them.

• Action is directed in accordance with new

perspective.

• Collaboratively established plan works best.

Educational information is given to that client is

offered regarding options, and

advantages/disadvantages for each.

Intervention

•New perspectives on both the way clients have

looked at the problem and ways they might

approach it:

•Confrontation Vs Carefrontation

•Self-Disclosure as appropriate

•A clear, simple plan toward goals.

Stage 6: Termination and follow up:

Collaboration with client in identifying a date in advance for

next follow up session and the role to review progress, create

closure in client counselor relationship and plan for future.

Think of this as a means of empowering client. Counselor always

is mindful of avoiding fostering dependency for the client only

till client is aware of own needs

Preparation for termination begins long before

Open door / plan for possibility of future need is required to be

given by the counsellor to the client. Termination considered not

just at end of successful relationship, but also is considered when

it seems that counseling is not being helpful.

Stage 7: Research and Evaluation:

•Throughout the counseling process, towards the

end, there is a feedback and the counseling process is

reviewed through:

•Generating hypotheses

•Trying intervention strategies

•Determining if/when goal is met and a plan for

evaluation is made.

These stages are, however, helpful for formulating the client’s capabilities, motivation and

ability to change. A significant advantage in using these stages is that it provides a common

language that can be used to communicate and convey information regarding a client in

supervision or when consulting colleagues.

References
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Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality

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Thorne, B. (2007). Person centred therapy. Dryden’s Handbook of Individual Therapy, 144-

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Rogers, C. R. (1958). A process conception of psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 13(4),

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