LET’S TALK ABOUT

MENTAL HEALTH.
-Aqsa.khatib
What is Counseling?
Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Professional counselors help clients
identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve
communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal
mental health
◦ Counsellors work in the fields of counselling, human services/ community work, psychology, education,
health medicine, law.
 People seek “help” when they:
Are involved in complex problem situations that they are unable to manage/cope with
Feel they are not living as fully as they might… missed opportunities and unused
potential
Goals – Mature/Optimal Functioning (Ideal)
Life enhancing Outcomes… managing problems and developing personal resources for
more effective living
Learning self-help… assist clients to become better at supporting themselves
◦ Prevention mentality… assist clients to develop action oriented prevention mentality in
their lives
Formal counselling is different to just talking to someone we know.
Some of the differences are:
Supportive environment for client to reflect and explore and identify their own solutions as against advising the client
what to do
Counselling is a formal process that should conform to accepted practices…
◦ Giving advice is not the goal; helping the client to find their own solutions is the counsellor’s goal
Insight: Providing an understanding into the origins and development of the
emotional difficulties, leading to an increased capacity to take rational control
of their feelings and actions.
Relating to Others: Becoming better at forming and maintaining relationships
that are meaningful.
Self-Awareness: Becoming more aware of one’s thoughts and feelings that
have been blocked off or denied.
Self-Acceptance: Developing a positive attitude towards self, marked by an
ability to acknowledge the areas that have been subjected to self-criticism and
rejection.
Self Actualization and Individuation: Moving in the direction of fulfilling potential or achieving
integration of previously conflicting parts of self.
Problem Solving: Finding a solution to a specific problem that the client had not been able to resolve
alone. Acquiring general problem solving competencies.
Psychological Education: Enabling the client to acquire ideas and techniques to control behaviour.
Acquisition of social skills: Learning and mastering social and interpersonal skills such as eye contact,
holding a conversation, assertiveness, etc.
◦ Cognitive Change: Modification and replacement of irrational beliefs or maladaptive thought pattern
that is associated with self-destructive behaviour
There are many diverse ideas about what a counsellor can do and what a
client should anticipate from the counselling process.

◦ Identify a situation about a child’s behaviour or concerns that would like to be changed.
◦ Identify, define, and evaluate one desired outcome for this issue, using the Goal-Setting, Behavior
modification.
◦ Behaviour management is vitally important within the classroom. It is not just about punishing
unwanted behaviour or even rewarding desired behaviour. Rather it is about having strategies in
place to support children to behave in ways that help them gain the most from their schooling.
Behavioural problems at school interfere with lessons and disturb other students. Children who exhibit behavioural
problems invariably require extra attention which places strain on teachers and shows the pace at which lessons
are offered and completed. Major behavioral problems of students are:
◦ Sensory processing disorder
◦ Aggressive students
◦ Inappropriate language
◦ Inattentive students
◦ Avoiding school work.
◦ Arguing / Talking back.
◦ Taking things.
◦ Angry Outbursts
◦ Not telling the truth.
◦ Late to class.
◦ Due to their negative self-perception, many clients frequently experience serious interpersonal
difficulties. Similar to how poor social skills make people respond defensively in relationships. The
counsellor would then make an effort to assist the client in raising the quality of their life by fostering
stronger interpersonal connections.
◦ Assisting people in adjusting to new circumstances and obstacles. It is inevitable that as we mature, we
will have challenges. The majority of us do not finish all of our development responsibilities in one
lifetime. People’s various demands and expectations will eventually make it difficult for us to adopt
effective coping mechanisms with the help of appropriate therapy it is possible to restructure thoughts
and effectively solve problems
◦ The purpose of counselling is to empower the client to choose among various courses of action
independently and with clarity.
◦ Counseling will assist people in gathering information and in making sense of emotional issues that
might conflict with or be connected to the decision at hand. The strengths and Interests of these people
will come into better focus.
◦ Additionally, they will learn to recognize the feelings and attitudes that may affect their judgement and
choices. Help the teen to identify what situations make him anxious. Identify triggers (antecedents) and
consequences for the anxious behavior
◦ Help the child to define what his or her “anxious” behavior looks like. Work on relaxation techniques
and desensitization strategies to help the teen to feel more comfortable in situations that tend to increase
his anxiety. Help the teen to identify situations that typically or can result in stress. Help the teen to
identify strategies that reduce that stress (i.e. coping skills or relaxation strategies). Be specific with the
strategies. Teach the youth to practice these skills frequently.
Thankyou!

Regards – Aqsa khatib.