UNDERSTANDING COUNSELING PROCESS THROUGH ROLEPLAY

AIM: Understanding counseling process and its application in regards to couples’

counseling.

OBJECTIVES:
1. To understand the process of counselling
2. To enhance one’s counseling skills
3. To participate in roleplay surrounding the nature of interpersonal relations with
respect to couples’ counselling.
4. To learn experiential techniques in counselling, specifically, role rehearsal, feedback
and observation of transaction problems, redefinition, and bringing about changes.
5. To record, interpret, discuss and analyse the process of counselling in light of
couples’ counselling (interpersonal relationships)

BASIC CONCEPT
(I) INTRODUCTION: Counselling is a social institution imbedded in the culture of
modern industrialised societies. This term has been used widely as to help
individuals become self-sufficient, self-directed, self-dependent and to adjust
themselves efficiently to the demands of better and meaningful life. Counselling is all
about understanding another person’s mental distress and gently paving the way out
of that state of anxiety. This process is impossible without a verbal communication
between the two parties. Counselling is a process in which a trained counsellor helps
an individual or a group of individuals to gain understanding of self and others to
solve problems more effectively and resolve conflicts in day to day living or life. The
process of counselling involves a professional helping relationship between a
counsellor and the clients. According to Smith (1955) counselling is a process in
which the counsellor helps the counselee to make interpretations of the facts
relating to choice, plan or adjustment which the person needs to make. Pepinsky&
Pepinsky (1954) defined counselling a process of interaction which occurs between
two individuals that take place in a professional setting and is initiated and
maintained as a means of facilitating changes in the behaviour of the client. A more
comprehensive definition of counselling is stated by Carl Rogers who defined
counselling as a series of direct contact with individuals which aims to offer
assistance in changing attitude and behaviour.
(II) PROCESS OF COUNSELLING
(III) TYPES OF COUNSELLING- Individual, group, couple, family, marital
(IV) APPROACHES TO COUNSELLING (1 PAGE MAX)
(V) INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
 TYPES
  RELATIONSHIP DISTRESS
 APPLICATION IN COUNSELLING
(VI) ROLEPLAY
 IMPORTANCE
 ADVANATGES AND DISADVANTAGES
(VII) COUPLES’ COUNSELING

EXERCISE 1
Objectives:
1. To participate in roleplay surrounding couples’ counselling as (a) a counsellor or co-
counsellor (b) moderator or co-moderator (c) couple or (d) observer
2. To learn how to take intake record
3. To initiate the initial session of counselling, i.e., meeting, greeting, and seating,
initiating opening statement, informed consent and debriefing

Setting: In each group, there was a counselor, co-counselor, moderator, co-moderator, and
clients “Rohit” and “Archana,” and recorder. Apart from the recorder in each group, one
overall observer was present.

Starting counseling session

 Initial session
 Meeting, greeting, seating
 Informed consent

Couples’ counseling intake record

 Clients’ name: Rohit and Archana
 Case number: 1
 Date:
 Referred by:
 Purpose and desired outcome:
Rohit and Archana had been seeing each other since the third year of their
undergrad course. During the final year, they had decided to continue with a long-
distance relationship as they both went on to do their post-graduation in different
places and then found themselves jobs. They were very confident of their
relationship as it had survived their separation during the post-graduation years and
they had known each other for more than 6 years. Additionally, their families also
shared a good bond with each other.
Finally, Archana’s parents to ask her to get married. There was no objection from
either family even though they belonged to different religious communities. Initially,
 all went well until the “honeymoon phase” came to an end and life came back into a
regular routine.
At this point, Archana feels that the marriage is not working and she wants to move
out of the relationship. Rohit is aware and agrees with her but wants to give it
another try, and wants their marriage to work.
+ Who decided to seek counselling?

 Socioeconomic status:
 Living situation:
 Clients’ occupation:

 BEHAVIOURAL OBSERVATION
 COMMUNICATION
 PRESENTING PROBLEM

INITIAL SESSION: SESSION 1

Meeting, greeting, seating
Opening statement
Informed consent

Discuss with the clients-

 How is confidentiality essential?
 Limits of confidentiality
 Process of counselling
 Primary role of therapist
 Expectations from client
 Approx. length of process and each session
 Main rights and responsibilities
 How will termination be handled
 Establishing the relationship- rapport formation, understanding clients, non-
judgmental, expressing appropriate warmth, communicating understanding of their
experiences + empathy
 assisting clients in channeling inner resources
 defining the problem, the issues, the clients’ own perceptions

SESSION 2: INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS