Counseling

Dr.G. Sam Sangeeth

Assistant Professor
Mar Gregorios College of
Arts &Science.
 Counseling
 “Counselling means consultation, mutual interchange of opinion, deliberating
together.”Webster’s Dictionary
 Counseling is one of the approaches most frequently used in health education
to help individuals and families. 
 Counselling is face to face communication by which you help the person to
make decision or solve a problem and act on them.
 Counselling is a helping process aimed at- problem solving. 
 Counselling – done with individual , group or with couple.
 Counselling is specific to the need , issue and circumstances of each individual
client. It is client centered.
 Counselling is a Interactive , mutually respectful collarabarative process
 Counseling is helping process by which, we first understand the problem, and
then help the people to understand their problem, and then we need to work
together with them to find solution that is appropriate to their situation.
 Goal directed.
 A counsellor must not persuade the client to accept the advice
 Advice is not appropriate in counseling for two reasons :
1. if the advice is right the person may become dependent on the counselor for
solving all the problems. (you are not investing)
2. if the advice turns out to be wrong the person will be angry and no longer trust
the counselor.
3. Counselling is the process of talking therapy provided by a professional
counselor to a counseled.
  Counselling is a scientific process of assistance extended by an expert in an
individual situation to a needy person. Counselling involves relationship between
two persons in which one of them (counselor) attempts to assists the other
(counselee or client) in so organizing himself as to attain a particular form of
happiness, adjusting to a life situation , or in short ,self actualization.
 “Counselling is a face-to-face relationship in which growth takes place in the
counselor as well as the counsellee.” Ruth Strang
 In 1997, the American Counselling Association (ACA) adopted the following
dentition of professional counseling:
Definitions of counselling
‘The application of mental health, psychological, or human development principles, through
cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic intervention strategies, that address wellness,
personal growth, or career development, as well as pathology’ (as cited in Marini and Stebnicki
2009, p. 16).
 "Counseling is a learning-oriented process, carried on in a simple, one-to-one social
environment, in which a counselor, professionally competent in relevant psychological skills and
knowledge, seeks to assist the client, by methods appropriate to the latter's needs and within the
context of the total personnel program, to learn more about himself and to accept himself, to
learn how to put such understanding into effect in relation to more clearly perceived, realistically
defined goals to the end that the client may become a happier and more productive member of
his society."Gustad, J. W. (1953).
Rogers (1952) describes counseling as " The process by which the structure of the self is relaxed
in the safety of the clients relationship with the therapist and previously desired experiences are
perceived and then integrated into an altered self'.
According to Halm and Mcheall (1955) "Counselling is a one to one relationship between an
individual troubled by problems with which he cannot cope alone and a professional worker
those training and experience have qualified him to help others reach solutions to various types
of personal difficulties".
 Smith (1955) defines "Counselling is a process in which the counsellor assists the
counsell~ing to make interpretations of facts relating to a choice plan or adjustments
which h$ needs to make".
 Pepisky and Pepisky (1954) defined "Counselling as that interactions which occurs
between two individuals called counselor and client, takes place in a professional
setting and is initiated and maintained to facilitate changes in the behavior of a client".
 According to Stefflre (1970) "Counselling is a learning-teaching process".  
 Counsellors help clients in reaching ‘their optimal level of psychosocial functioning
through resolving negative patterns, prevention, rehabilitation, and improving quality
of life’ (Hershenson and Power 1987, as cited in Marini and Stebnicki 2009, p. 16).
 we must examine the cultural context where they practice.
 A growing need for counseling services is being recognized in India, especially in the
urban context. (not well established in India)
 Counselling is specific, focused and Time bound
 The counselor should determine individual differences and provide for them.
 Counselling is not thinking for the client, but thinking with the client
 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.
 GOALS OF COUNSELLING
 1. Listening keenly to the patient is the main goal.
 2. Identify the need of the patient. E.g., parents need counseling for their
children’s behavior problems.
 3. To make the patient to ventilate his emotions properly and help him to be
aware of his own emotions and encourage him to be independent.
 4. Main problem should be focused so that the sub-problems should be identified
by the patient himself.
 5. Make the patient to accept himself with his problem and help him to adjust
with it till it gets over.
 6. To focus on his strengths by studying the case and produce positive attitude in
him and ultimately help him to reduce his negativity.
Skills and Techniques of counsellor
 1. Listening skills—you should always listen carefully and not question the patient too frequently.
Allow him to ventilate through your listen­ing.
 2. Attending skill—your proper attention should be given to the patient to show interest and concern-
verbal and non-verbal.
 3. Feedback—expressing the meaning of patient’s feelings and summariz­ing his problems.
 4. Probing—focusing in depth on particular aspects of the situation.
 5. Confronting—help the patient to realize his problems or help him to become aware of what he is
suffering from, by making proper statements.
 6. Interpreting—presenting the alternative ways or angles to look at his situation.
 7. Self-disclosure—share your attitude, opinions and experiences.
 8. Non-dependence—do not make the patient dependent rather make him self sufficient to solve his
problems independently.
 9. Questioning—ask open ended questions so that the patients gets the clue to open up with you. Do
not ask too many close-ended questions.
 10. Incomplete sentence—encourage the patient to complete the sentence if he is not able to do so.
 11. Refocusing—if the patient is going off track or talking in circles get him back to maintain the
theme without hurting any of his feelings.
 12. Silence—be with the patient’s feelings while he is crying and do not prevent him from crying. Let
him cry and ventilate himself.
 13. Connecting—show connection between thought, behaviour and result or effect of what has gone
before