Defining Social Sciences – is made of several disciplines and these include history, political

science, sociology, psychology, economics, geography, demography, anthropology and linguistics.

As a body of scientific knowledge, the social sciences provide diverse set of lens that help us
understand and explain the different facets of human society. The varieties of lens that social
sciences study refer to the different fields of the social sciences that investigate human society.
Branches of the Social Sciences
 Economics studies the allocation of scarce resources and the production and exchange of
goods and services in society.
 Anthropology is the scientific study of humans and their cultures in the past and present
time.

 History is systematic study of human past events in order to understand the meaning,
dynamics, and relationship of the cause and effects of events in the development of societies.
 Political Science primarily studies human behavior in relation to political systems,
governments, laws, and international relations.
 Psychology studies how the human mind works in consonance with the body to produce
thoughts that lead to individual actions.
 Sociology a systematic study of people’s behavior in groups
 Geography is the study of interaction between people and their environments.
 .
 Demography according to the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (2016)
demography is the scientific study of human populations across time.

Defining the Applied Social Sciences-branch of study that applies the different concepts,
theoretical models, and theories of the social science disciplines to help understand society and the
different problems and issues. The applied social sciences is utilized to provide alternative solutions
to the diverse problem of the society.
Three main career tracks for applied social scientist:
 Counseling is one of the fields of applied social sciences as an application of the social
sciences, counseling provides guidance, help, and support to individuals who are distraught
by a diverse set of problems in their lives.
 Counseling can be done by the following:
Guidance counselor and life coaching are applications of the social sciences and
these professions, expert help are given to individuals who needed guidance or advice
pertaining to their business successes, general conditions and personal life transitions,
relationships and career.
Life coach analyzes the present condition of the client, discovers different obstacles or
challenges that a client faces, and provides a certain course of action to make the client’s
life better.
Career counseling is needed by people who are in the process of entering the job
market, searching for possible career change, or those wanting career advancements.
Personal growth counseling concentrates on the evaluation of different aspects of a
client’s life.
 Social work practitioners help individuals, families, and groups, communities to improve
their individual and collective well-being.
 Communication Studies- Applied social science provide adequate training for careers in
the field of journalism and mass communication because of multidisciplinary knowledge
and skills that graduates learn from social sciences.

Counseling – For Nystul (2003) defined it as basically an art and a science wherein you endeavor to
weigh the objective and subjective facets of the counseling process.
- As an art is the subjective dimension of counseling. It upholds a flexible and creative
process whereby the counselor modifies the approach to meet the developing needs of the
clients.
- As a science, on the other hand, is the objective dimension of the counseling process.
 - In practical terms, counseling happens when a person who is distressed asks for help and
permit another person to enter into a kind of connection with him/her. It is indicative with
formal of someone in search of counseling requests for time and attention from person who
will listen, who will allow him/her to speak and who will not condemn and criticize him/her.
- Informal helping- is a kin with formal helping in some ways such as presence of good
listening skills, empathy, and caring capacity.
- Based on Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, guidance and counseling is the
profession that implicates the application of “ an integrated approach to the development of
a well-functioning individual “ through the provision of support that aids an individual to use
his/her potential to the fullest in accord with his/her interest , needs and abilities. (University
of Queensland, 2015).
- At the American Counseling Association (ACA) Conference in Pittsburgh in March 2010,
the representatives come to an agreement on a mutual definition of counseling. They
agreed that counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals,
families and group to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals
(Kaplan, Tarvydas, and Gladding, 2014).
- Goals of Counseling – the key component of individual, group, organizational and
community success
- -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.

Roles and Functions of Counselors

According to Gibson and Mitchell (2003) a helping profession is composed of members “who are
especially trained and licensed to perform a unique and service for fellow human beings”.
Roles / Functions Description
Individual Assessment Seeks to identify the characteristics and potential
of every client ; promotes the client’s self-
understanding and assisting counselors to
understand the client better
Individual Counseling Considers as the core activity through which
other activities become meaningful. It is a client –
centered process that demand confidentiality.
Relationship is established between counselor
and client.
Group Counseling and Guidance Groups are means of providing organized and
planned assistance to individuals for an array of
needs. Counselor provides assistance through
group counseling and group guidance.
Career Assistance Counselors are called on to provide career
planning and adjustment assistance to clients.
Placements and Follow -Up A service of school counseling programs with
emphasis on educational placements in course
and programs.
Referral It is the practice of helping the clients find needed
expert assistance that the referring counselor
cannot provide.
Consultation It is the process of helping a client through a third
party or helping system improve its service to its
clientele.
Research It is necessary to advance the profession of
counseling; it can provide empirically based data
relevant to the ultimate goal of implementing
effective counseling.
Evaluation and Accountability Evaluation is a means of assessing the
effectiveness of counselor’s activities.
Accountability is an outgrowth of demand that
schools and other tax-supported institutions be
held accountable for their actions.
Prevention This includes promotion of mental health through
primary prevention using a social – psychological
perspective.

Counseling and Its Clientele and Audience

The clientele and audiences of the counseling profession come from different settings.
Counselors deal with a mixture of people with different concerns and issues.
- People who abuse drugs – drug abuse is not just harmful to our physical health but to our
mental health as well. It cannot be denied that the drug addiction create more social
problems and contribute to social disintegration. Consequently, more youth victims cry for
help and seek for counselors’ attention.
- People who use Tobacco – slowly our population recognizes the bad effects of tobacco to
our health. However, many people still use and continue use tobacco even if it is deadly.
Users find it difficult to stop smoking. Hence, smokers who desire to quit tobacco were
added to the list of the counselor’s audiences.
- People who abuse alcohol – alcoholism is seen as a disease alcoholics find it difficult to
stop drinking on their own. This requires help from a professional as it requires appropriate
treatment. However, an equally important paradigm is to look at alcoholism as a weakness
of self – control and self –discipline .therefore this requires intervention other than treatment.
- Women – most men still have less participation in household responsibilities and child care.
In this case, women’s advancement is constrained. What complicates this situation is the
women’s perception about themselves and the society’s expectations. Counselors are
responsible in helping women appreciate their own values, abilities, aptitudes, and interests
and to utilize these to develop their full potential. ( Gibson and Mitchel ,2003 )
- Older Adults – a transition from a busy life to retirement stage must be instituted. This is a
challenge to the counseling profession. other issues that require attention of counseling
include loss of a partner ,decline of mental capacity and mobility, increased
loneliness ,decline in financial security etc.
- People with AIDS –acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been labeled as the
most feared disease due to its incurability. Victims of this disease are seeking help to
improve their quality of life and to handle their emotional stress and low self-esteem.
Counseling’s approach requires sensitivity and appreciation of the intricacies of the disease.
Counselors may also help in assisting and educating the victims’ support system.
- Victims of Abuse – this population represents victims of domestic violence characterized
by spouse and child abuses. Spouse abuse is often associated with poverty, drug abuse
and career disappointments. The abuse has also become rampant and has caused
psychological damage to the victims. The counselors are increasingly utilized to help the
victims.
- Gay Men and Lesbian Women- they are usually the victims of harassment, violence,
discrimination, and isolation. Gays and lesbians, like other sectors of the society, suffer from
peer denial, family clash, health uncertainties and prejudgment. Counseling will focus on
self-awareness, self- acceptance and understanding.

There are six stages of the counseling process, namely, relationship building, assessment and
diagnosis, formulation of the counseling goals, intervention and problem solving, termination and
follow –up, and research and evaluation.
1. Stage One: Relationship Building
 This is the heart of counselling process because it provides the force and foundation for
the counselling to succeed.
 This stage involves establishing rapport,
  promote acceptance of the client as a person with worth,
 establishing genuine interaction,
 promote direct mutual communication
 helping clients understand themselves,
 helping client focus and
 Slowly promote counselling relevant communication, from the client.

2. Stage Two: Assessment and Diagnosis

 One of the most crucial stages.
 This serves as the window for the counsellor to have a thorough appreciation of the client’s
condition.
 It entails analysis of the root causes of problems.
 The data that will be gathered in diagnosis will be utilized in the formulation of goals.
3. Stage Three: Formulation of Counseling Goals
 Goals are important as it sets the direction of the counselling process.
 It shall serve as the parameter of work and the client-counsellor relationship.
 Counselling goals may be treated as a process goal or outcome goal.
 The client and counsellor must agree on the counselling goals.
4. Stage Four: Intervention and Problem Solving
 Guidelines:
 A. The counselor has to provide a mapping of the different approaches offered.
 B. Describe the role of the counselor and client for each procedure.
 C. Identify possible risks and benefits that may come.
 D. Estimate the time and cost of each procedure.

 Kafner and Busemeyer identified the six-stage model for problem solving
 Problem detection
 Problem definition
 Identification of alternative solutions
 Decision-making
 Execution
 Verification
5. Stage Five: Termination and Follow –up
 The essential goal in counselling is to witness a client progress on his/her own without the
assistance of the counselor.
 There are four components of termination which were identified by Quintan and Holahan:
 1. Discussion of the end of counselling
 2. Review of the course of counselling
  3. Closure of the counsellor-client relationship
 4. Discussion of the client’s future and post-counselling plan
6. Stage Six: Research and Evaluation
 This stage can be undertaken at any point in the counselling stage.
 Research and evaluation are fundamental part of the evaluation.
 Results of the research provide a scientific appreciation of the counselling situation.

Counseling and Its Work settings

- Counselors in Schools – has grown rapidly. According to Gibson and Mitchell (2003),
counselors are recognized especially in the preventive interventions and developmental
stage. There are elementary school counselors, junior high school counselors, secondary
school counselors, counselors in vocational schools, counselors in higher education, and
counselors in community and junior colleges. The counseling service in the schools is
usually located under the student affairs program. It is under the supervision of the Dean of
Students Affairs.
- Counselors in the Community Setting – refers to employment in community, agency, and
other non-school professional situations. Counselors can be found in community and
mental health agencies, employment and rehabilitation agencies, correctional settings, and
marriage and family practice. ( Gibson and Mitchell , 2003 )
- Counselors in the Private Sector – refers to counselors who decided to do full time work
as private practitioners or engage in part – time private practice while employed by
community agencies. This is feasible if the counselors expertise and specialization matches
or relevant to an adequate client population in the geographic area. ( Gibson and Mitchell ,
2003 )
- Counselors in the Government - counselors are also present in various agencies of
government or institutions supported by the government that are into social welfare, health,
and education. Relevant agencies or institutions include public schools, public social welfare
agencies such as that for the youth, children, and the aging.