Counselling Psychology

Unit 1
Counselling Psychology

Counseling psychology is a psychological specialty that

encompasses research and applied work in several broad
domains: counseling process and outcome; supervision
and training; career development and counseling; and
prevention and health.
Counselling psychology is a broad specialization within
professional psychology. This specialized
branch concerned with application of psychological
principles to enhance and promote the positive growth,
well-being, and mental health of individuals, families,
groups, and the broader community.
Book Reference: John Mcleod. An Introduction to
Counselling.p. 4-7.
Counselling psychology follows an integrated set of core
values:
Counselling psychologists view individuals as agents of
their own change and regard an individual’s pre-existing
strengths and resourcefulness and the therapeutic
relationship as central mechanisms of change.
The counselling psychology approach to
assessment, diagnosis, and case conceptualization is
holistic and client-centered; and it directs attention to
social context and culture when considering internal
factors, individual differences, and familial/systemic
influences; and
The counselling process is pursued with sensitivity to
diverse sociocultural factors unique to each individual.
Counselling Definition:
Webster’s Dictionary: “Counselling means consultation,
mutual interchange of opinion, deliberating together.”
Ruth Strang:
“Counselling is a face to face relationship in which growth
takes place in the counsellor as well as the counsellee.”
Harriman: “Counselling is the psychotherapeutic
relationship in which an individual receives direct
help from an adviser or finds an opportunity to
release negative feelings and thus clear the way for
positive growth in personality.”
Difference between Counsellor and
Counselling Psychologist
Counsellor:
Mainly address Client’s emotional and
Relationship issues through talk therapy and Skill
development.
Often work in Social services, school and Career
settings.
Counselling Psychologists:
Treat clients with serious mental health conditions.
Engage in research and teaching coping skills.
Counselling psychologists involve in prevention,
psycho-education and advocacy.
Allied Professions
School Counselor. ...
Clinical Social Worker. ...
Organizational Counselor. ...
Adult & Geriatric Counselor. ...
Group counselor or therapist. ...
Sports Psychologist. ...
Health Psychologist. ...
Nature of Counselling
Counseling is the application of mental health,
psychological, or human development principles.
 Counsellors applied cognitive, affective,
behavioral or systemic intervention strategies, to
identify problems and address wellness, personal
growth, or career development.
Depending on the needs of the client and the
availability of services, counseling may range from a
few brief interactions in a short period of time, to
numerous interactions over an extended period of
time.

Counseling may be delivered by a single counselor,

two counselors working collaboratively, or a single
counselor with brief assistance from another
counselor who has specialized expertise that is needed
by the client.
The counseling relationship is comprised of: Warmth,
responsiveness, & unconditional positive regard.

Book Reference: John Mcleod. An Introduction to

Counselling.p. 4-7.
Scope of Counselling
The application of counselling skills is properly
associated with therapeutic, helping or healing
ends and not with self-centred agendas.
Counselling skills may be used in all sorts of
situations (hospital, classroom, training settings
etc.)
Counselling skills can be applied within
professional context, family and domestic settings.
Counselling skill involves the discipline of responding
mainly to other person, in a purposeful, non-
judgmental and often rather serious way.

Counselling skills are generally associated with some

sorts goal:
 be it helping with decision making,
offering an opportunity to discharge emotion,
offering alternative interpretations or suggesting
Strategies for making desired changes.

Counselling is mostly dedicated to

Enhancing and restoring clients’ own understanding
Decision making resources
Risk taking and personal growth
Students on Counselling skills courses may be nurses,
teachers, residential social worker, as well as those
engage in voluntary workers.

(Book Reference: Stephen Palmer .Introduction to

Counselling and Psychotherapy. P 3-5.)
Scope of Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves lengthy training which
usually includes
 Ongoing mandatory personal therapy
 Exposing them to the subtle
 Unconscious layers of conflicts and defences they
inevitably have.
Book Reference: Stephen Palmer. Introduction to
Counselling and psychotherapy _ The Essential
Guide.P.6-7.
Psychotherapy addresses the deep, unconscious, long
standing personality and behaviour problems, and
patterns of client rather than focusing on and
superficially resolving only their presenting
symptoms.
 Counselling psychologists bring a cooperative,
progressive, diverse, and wellness perspective through
their different research and practice. Counselling
psychologists conduct research in a wide range of areas,
including those of the counselling relationship and other
psychotherapeutic processes, the multicultural
dimensions of psychology, and the roles of work and
mental health in optimal functioning.

Book Reference: Stephen Palmer. Introduction to

Counselling and psychotherapy The Essential
Guide.P.8-16.
Aims of Counselling
Enabling behaviour change.
Improving the client's ability to establish and maintain
relationships.
Enhancing the client's effectiveness and ability to
cope.
Promoting the decision-making process and
facilitating client potential.
Development.
Book reference: John Mcleod. An Introduction to
Counselling.p. 12.
History of Counselling and Psychotherapy

Psychoanalytic Approach
Psychoanalysis was the creation of the physician
Sigmund Freud at the end of nineteenth century.
Many Psychoanalytic approaches have evolved from
Freud’s in recent decades.
Freudian
Jungian
Adlerian
Kleinian
Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches
Behaviour Therapy
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive Therapy
Reality Therapy
Personal construct Therapy
Multimodel Therapy
Life skills Counselling
Humanistic Approaches
Person Centered Therapy
Gestalt Therapy
Existential counselling
Transactional Analysis
Other approaches
Hypnosis
Neuro-linguistic programming
Cognitive Analytic Therapy
Solution Focused Therapy
Problem focused counselling
Integrative

Book Reference: Stephen Palmer. Introduction to

Counselling and psychotherapy _ The Essential
Guide.P.8-16.
Characteristics of Effective Counselling
Effective counseling occurs only when there is a mutual
understanding between the counsellor and the
patient/client.

Effective counseling deals with ethical understanding,

legal responsibilities and moral realities.
Ethical Understanding
Counselling Relationship
The Right of Informed Consent
Confidentiality and Privacy
Professional Responsibility
Evaluation, Assessment and
Interpretation: Without an accurate assessment of
a client’s presenting situation, the individual may
not receive appropriate treatment.
legal responsibilities
Legal Recognition of Counselling
Professional Credentialing:
 Registration
 Certification
 Licensure
 Civil and Criminal Liability
Moral realities

Morality, involves judgment or evaluation of action.

Application of Counselling
Vocational :Vocational counseling includes
professional and personal counseling.
Educational :Educational Counselling mainly refers
to providing assistance and guidance to students in
making the right choices in their studies, be it their
educational plans, career aspirations, choice of stream
and specialisation as well as the selection of college or
university as per their interests and preferences.
Personal Growth: Personal growth counselling
will help a person maximize congruence: a state of
being where beliefs and values are aligned with
speech and action. It will help a person with self-
understanding, capacity for achievement, and the
ability to better enjoy life at any instant.
Types of Counselling
1. Directive Counselling,
2. Non-Directive Counselling, and
3. Eclectic Counselling.
Directive Counselling
In this counselling the emphasis is given upon the cause,
solution of the problem. It is also known as the counselor
centred counselling. E.G. Williamson is the chief
exponent of directive counselling.
Non- Directive Counselling
It is also known as permissive counselling and client
centered counselling. Carl Roger is the leading exponent
of Non-Directive or Client centered counselling. The
client is free express in client centered counselling .The
counsellor only guides the client.
Eclectic Counselling
It is a combination and synthesis of directive and non-
directive counselling. F.C Thorne is the chief exponent
of this type of Counselling. The process emphasis on the
personality and needs of the client.
Counselling and Psychotherapy
Counselling is generally characterised by explicit agreement
between a counsellor and client to meet in a certain, private
setting at agreed time under disciplined conditions of
confidentiality with ethical parameters, protected time and
specified aims.

Book Reference: Stephen Palmer. Introduction to

Counselling and psychotherapy _ The Essential Guide.P.4-5.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy like counselling is fundamentally
talking based therapy resting on psychological
contact, theories and technique.

Book Reference: Stephen Palmer. Introduction to

Counselling and psychotherapy _ The Essential
Guide.P.6-7.
John McLeod: An Introduction to Counselling.p.12.
Counselling Settings
Private practice
Community settings
Legal system
Group Homes
Long term care facilities
Short term care facilities
In advocacy roles
In educational system
Counselling Psychology in India-
Development
Social and Cultural context
Philosophical Considerations
The Professional Knowledge Base of
Counselling Psychology
Professional Training in Counselling Psychology
Careers and Practice in Counselling Psychology
(Book Reference: A short introduction to Counselling
psychology. V. Orlans, S.V. Scoyoc.P.13.)
Current Debates and Challenges in Counselling
Psychology
 Social and Cultural context

Psychology is not new to Indian thought, and ancient

Indian writings both in the Vedic and Buddhist
literature are replete with sophisticated psychological
concepts and systems that provide clear evidence for
the existence of a traditional Indian psychology or
Mano (mind) Vidya (knowledge).

Book Reference: A short introduction to Counselling psychology.

V. Orlans, S.V. Scoyoc.P.13
Arulmani (2007) draws attention to the fact that traditional
Indian psychology, referred to as Mano Vidya, or ‘mind
knowledge’.

Book Reference: A short introduction to Counselling

psychology. V. Orlans, S.V. Scoyoc.P.13
Philosophical Considerations

Early Greek philosophers (pre-Socrates, Aristotle and

Plato) considered three main areas of thought:
metaphysics, epistemology and ethics.
These considerations lie at the heart of both western
philosophical tradition, as well as older non-western
traditions.
Book Reference: A short introduction to Counselling
psychology. V. Orlans, S.V. Scoyoc.P.23-25.
Metaphysics – closely related also to the philosophical
domain of ontology that is concerned with ‘existence’ or
‘being’ – explores what the world and its components
(such as human beings) are made of and seeks
understanding of the ultimate substance of reality .
Epistemology explores the question of
how we come to know what we know, and how we decide
what constitutes acceptable knowledge.
The study of ethics explores good and bad, right and wrong
and is concerned with moral philosophy and morality. The
Triguna theory described in 600 BC could well be described
as a three-factor description of personality types, according
to which the human personality comprises three gunas or
qualities—sattwa, rajas, and tamas. This formed the basis
for guiding young people toward occupational roles for
which they were suited, echoing what we would call career
counselling today.
The Professional Knowledge Base of
Counselling Psychology

The importance of counselling has been emphasised

in India from at the early years of1938. The Acharya
Narendra Dev Committee underlined the importance
of guidance in education. Professional development
programmes were carried out by the All India Vocational
and Educational Guidance Association (AIVEGA).
Guidance and counselling were considered to be new
and emerging forces to the education system.
Professional Training in Counselling Psychology

A wide variety of courses have become available

over the last few years that range from full-time
postgraduate degree programmes to certificates and
diplomas.
Post Graduate Degree
Master degree
Diploma in Counselling
Certificate Course
Careers and Practice in Counselling Psychology

National mental Health Services.

Forensic Settings.
Legal Settings.
Organizational Contexts.

Book Reference: A short introduction to Counselling

psychology. V. Orlans, S.V. Scoyoc.P.23-25.