4 Counselling – It’s importance, components
S. Gayatridevi
Introduction
Counsellors were always there, that is, people who have listened to others and have helped resolve difficulties, and yet, the word has not always meant the same thing. There are many kinds of counsellors such as colour coordination counsellors, financial counsellors, pest control counsellors etc. counsellors are most often glorified sales persons. They are to give counselling about their products. Counselling as a process is relatively new. It grew out of ‘the guidance movement’, in opposition to traditional psychotherapy. The means of counselling has to be classified in the context of its definitions and compared with similar concepts.
The Commission appointed by Ministry of Education, Government of India, developed to frame scientific and technical terminology in Hindi for counselling. The term developed by the commission is ‘upbodhan’ which derives from the word bodh. The root work bodh stands for knowledge or enlighten and is therefore also the root stem for the word bushy which means intelligence. Buchan signifies the act of giving knowledge and enlighten. The word pramashdata is also frequently used in Hindi for counsellor. Let us see, what is counselling and its components.
Definition of Counselling
Perez (1965) defined counselling as “an interactive process of conforming the counsellee who needs assistance and the counsellor who is trained and educated to give this assistance”.
The Process of Counselling
The counsellee with different problems, such as, self acceptance, problems related to education, vocational choice and adjustment will try to seek help from the counsellor. Counsellee may not reveal what the actual issues are, only after rapport building the counsellee will be in a position to reveal about the problem to the counsellor.
The first and foremost stage in a counselling process is to build a relationship with the counsellee. Basically, it focuses on engaging clients to explore issues that directly affect them. According to Napier and Whitaker (1978) counselling process faces two struggles.
First is battle for structure, which involves issues of administrative control, such as, scheduling, fees and participation in sessions. Second is battle for initiative which concerns motivation for change and client responsibility.
Influencing Factors of Counselling Process
Majority of the counsellees or clients consider counsellors as a magician, friend, teacher and family member. Clients having misconceptions goes to counsellor reluctantly and hesitantly. To overcome this problem structure is very important.
Structure
According to Day and Sparacio (1980) defined structure is ‘’a joint understanding between the counsellor and the client regarding the characteristics, conditions, procedures and parameters of counselling”.
A predefined structure is helpful in clarifying the counsellor-client relationship for it gives direction; protects the rights, roles and obligations of counsellor and the client and ensures the success of counselling. It also sets up a demarcation between the counsellor and the client that they are two separate and recognizable categories.
The practical guidelines pertaining to the counselling process are:
- Time limit Action limit
- Procedural limit
Initiative
This category thought to be ‘’the motivation to change’’. According to Ritchie (1986) counsellors and counselling theories assumes that clients will be cooperative. Many clients willingly come forward for counselling. Introverts have their own reservations in fully participating in the counselling process. Friend and Dyer (1973) estimated that the majority of clients are reluctant to go to the counsellors. It may be ended up in premature termination.
The different kinds of clients are:
1. Resistant Client
2. Reluctant Client
Resistant Client
Resistant client is the one who has been referred by others, and therefore, could be quite unmotivated to seek help. For an example, children referred by school or people that courts refer. This kind of clients does not want to be counselled, as consequence counselling will be prematurely terminated.
Reluctant Client
Reluctant client is the one who is unwilling or opposed to change. They may seek counselling but does not wish to go through the pain that change demands. Reluctant client refuses to take decisions and is superficial in dealing with problems and does not even act to resolve an issue. With such clients, it is very difficult for a counsellor to move further.
According to Obtain (1989), there are four broad categories of resistance:
1. Resists the words used
2. Opposes the message sent to it
3. Cannot endure the style of communication the counsellor adopts
4. Resists because of its attitude towards counsellors, as well as, counselling sessions. These kinds of clients can be effectively dealt by the experts in five major ways.
They are:
1. To anticipate anger, frustration and defensiveness displayed by the clients
2.Lack of initiative in the counsellee or client is to show acceptance, patience and even understanding
3.The counsellor should use persuasion technique to handle the client effectively. Counsellors and counsellee influence each other. It also depends on how the counsellor responds to a client based on that the client will be able to change his/her behaviour.
Foloff and Miller (1980) suggested two persuasion techniques employed in counselling.
They are:
a. ‘The foot in the door’. It means that the counsellor makes the client a minor request and follows this up later with a larger request.
b.‘The door in the face’. It means that the counsellor asks the client to do something seemingly impossible and follows this up by requesting the client to do a more manageable task.
4. Through confrontation the client to be dealt effectively. In this procedure the counsellor simply points out to the client exactly what the client is doing. For an example, if the client is inconsistent the counsellor points it out, and then the client takes responsibility for it. The three primary ways of responding are:
- a.Denial
- b. Acceptance of all or part of the confrontation as true c. Developing a middle position that synthesizes the first two.
5. The uses of pragmatic techniques were recommended by Sack (1988). These include silence or pause, reflection or empathy, questioning, describing, assessing, pretending and sharing counsellee’s perspective, as ways to overcome client resistance.
Physical Setting
Benjamin (1987), Shertzer and Stone (1980) stressed upon the importance to external conditions involved in counselling, one most important factor that helps or hinders the counselling process is that the place of counselling. Majority of the counselling happens in a room. The counselling room should be comfortable and attractive. The features of the counselling room should be properly lighted, smooth doors and comfortable furniture.
The second important aspect is the distance to be maintained between the counsellor and the client. Around 30 to 39 inches between the counsellor and clients will not affect their relationship. Benjamin (1987) suggested that the client chair should be in 90 degree angle so that the client can either look at the counsellor or straight ahead. If the room is sound proof, it will not affect the counselling process.
Client Qualities
Counselling is a two way process. The success depends on the counsellor and the client. How they perceive each other is a vital factor in maintaining the relationship. Warpath (1977) points out that clients come in all shapes and sizes, personality characteristics and degree of attractiveness. According to Schofield (1964) the most successful client for traditional approaches tends to be young, attractive, communicative and intelligent. Less successful clients are homely, old, unintelligent, non communicative and therefore disadvantage. However, the counsellor has to be warm to all clients.
The non verbal behaviour of clients is also very important. Clients constantly send counsellors unspoken message about how they think or feel. A counsellor must consider clients body gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and voice quality to be as important as the person’s verbal communication, it is also crucial to consider the cultural, educational, financial backgrounds of clients, also their family and friends and the schools and institution attended.
Counsellors Qualities
The personal and professional qualities of counsellors are very important in facilitating any fruitful relationship. Oakum (1992) listed five important characteristics that a counsellor should possess:
1. Self Awareness
2. Honesty
3. Congruence
4. Ability to communicate
5. Knowledge
In addition, the counsellor should be trustworthy and impressive. The ability to impress is a function of a perceived similarity between a client and counsellors. Counsellors can make themselves impressive by speaking clear, simple jargon free sentences and offering appropriate self disclosure. The manner in which a counsellor greets the client and maintains eye contact can also increase the impression rating.
The non verbal cues used by counsellors are found to impress more than those who do not. The counsellors should dress up in smart, neat and professional way of looking. Counsellor trustworthiness is related to sincerity and consistency. The counsellor must be genuinely concerned about the client and show it by establishing a close relationship with the client. It is essential, therefore, that the counsellor respond to the question of trust rather than the verbal content in the clients language in order to facilitate the counselling relationship.
Initial Interviews
This is another important factor that influences the counselling process. Levine (1983) stresses that “goals of counselling change over time and change according to the intimacy and effectiveness of the counselling relationship. In the first session both the counsellors and the clients work to decide if they want to or can continue the relationship. A counsellor should quickly assess whether he or she is capable of handling and managing a clients problems by being honest to themselves. A client must also ask if a counsellor can be treated and be comfortably stayed with before entering the relationship wholeheartedly. The various kinds of interviews are namely Client Vs Counsellor Initiated Interviews, Information Oriented First Interview and Relationship Oriented First Interview. The primary aim of all interviews is to establish rapport between the client and the counsellor and to continue the rapport.
Empathy
Empathy is the most important quality for a counsellor. Empathy is the apprehension, rather than the mere comprehension of the motions of another person. According to Dymond (1949) it is the ability to feel and describe the thoughts and feelings of others. It is further described by him as the imaginative transposing of oneself into the thinking, feeling and acting of another and so structuring the world as he does. Carl Rogers (1961) describes empathy as the counsellors ability to enter the clients phenomenal world, in order to experience the clients world’ ‘as if’ it were one’s own without ever losing the ‘as if’ quality. Empathy involves two specific skills, such as perception and communication.
Empathy can be of two kinds:
Primary Empathy and Advanced Empathy. The Primary Empathy is the ability to respond in such a way that it is apparent to both client and counsellor that the counsellor has understood the client’s major themes. It is conveyed through non verbal communication, as well as, various verbal responses. Advanced Empathy is a process of helping a client explore themes, issues and emotions new to the clients’ awareness.
Exploration of Goals
In the counselling process the counsellor helps the client explore specific areas and begin to identify goals that the client wants to achieve. This is the ultimate aim of the counselling process.
Qualities of an Effective Counsellor
Today, counselling has acquired quite a momentum and the demand for counsellors is increasing day by day. Counselling requires high professional qualities and is a very technical service, and is fundamental to all guidance services. The vocational world of today has and is developing continuously. As a consequence, counselling services have attained the status of a highly specialized profession. Various branches of counselling are emerging. They are Family Counselling, Career Counselling, Premarital Counselling, Substance Abuse Counselling, Rehabilitation Counselling and Marital Counselling.
The very use of the term ‘process’ with relation to counselling implies that there is a logical sequence and interdependence in its various activities, a process implies a continuum. The seven essential and experiential base steps of a counselling process are:
- Readiness
- Reception
- Reconnaissance
- Examination
- Interpretation
- Application
- Review
Readiness
Readiness is the essential state at which, one is about to enter any act. Both physical as well as psychomotor activities can be successful only if the concerned person is ’ready’ for them. The ideal starting situation in the counselling process, therefore, would be the readiness of both the client and the counsellor. It is the professional responsibility of the counsellor, to enter into the counselling situation with full preparedness. Readiness can be viewed from three angles:
1. Physical setting
2. Informational materials
3. Mental Emotional attitudes
Physical Setting
It is the prime responsibility of a Counsellor to ensure and maintain privacy and comfort at counselling venue. Adequate light, appropriate sitting arrangement, comfortable temperature and peaceful environment are some of the basic requirements of counselling situation. The counsellor’s room should be well furnished so that the client may feel easy and relaxed.
Informational Material
In case the client has been referred to the counsellor, maximum possible information should be obtained from the referring agency. This information must be carefully studied and analyzed before starting a session with the client. The personal data must be available with the counsellor. If the client comes directly opportunity should be given to narrate whatever the clients wants to say about himself/herself. If required psychological tests may be administered. All information should be recorded. Case history form must be filled and it should be available with the counsellor.
Mental Emotional Attitudes
It plays a very significant role in the process and progress of counselling. The counsellor needs to primarily professional, judgemental and maintains a non evaluative attitude towards the client. In fact, a professional counsellor is expected to accept the client as he or she prefers himself to be. The counsellor should always be ready to encourage the client in order to help the person to open up. The role of a counsellor in the counselling process is that of a participant observer. Intellectual alertness is very necessary. Along with verbal communication, the non verbal communication must be positive and the message must go to the client that he or she is accepted and welcome.
Reception
Today reception too has developed into an independent and very scientific activity. It has to have greater significance because it is the first impression on the client that is very important. It is the first impression at the counselling centre that makes the client easy and forthcoming. Therefore, reception has its significance also, for, indeed well begun is half done. A good beginning of the counselling process ensures to the entire work. While receiving the client, a ready and relaxed counsellor should appear cheerful, pleasant and understanding. The reception should not cross the boundaries.
After the Reception, the counsellor should make the client feel at ease, physically as well as mentally. Some informal conversation is, therefore, necessary because that helps the client feel comfortable, relaxed and also feels ready to talk. These little moves of the counsellor, at this stage, should induce the counsellee to shed off fears, about the counselling situation. The counsellor should not pose any question directly.
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance means a survey or preliminary exploration. During this stage, the counsellor validates the information about the counsellee which he has received from referring agencies such as school, teachers, home or friends. The purpose of this step in the counselling process is primarily to obtain a brief personal social sketch of the counsellee. If the counsellor is alert without asking direction questions or administering psychological tests he will be able to pick up clues of the counsellees’ personality. Several traits such as reserve, hostility, trust, suspicion, apology or superiority and inferiority complexes can quite forthrightly be noticed during the first or few counsellor counsellee organized sessions. The counsellor has to be alert, observant and be a good listener.
Examination
During the reconnaissance stage, the Counsellor formulates various hypotheses which he or she tries to tests during the examination stage. It may be remembered, at this stage, the psychological testing is not the first or even a compulsory part of the counselling process. The first is a simple routine instance of information seeking and psychological tests could be an option, however, when at personal social counselling the relevant tests should be judiciously used. The Counsellee should also be cross questioned to understand himself/herself thoroughly. Generally 10 to 12 sessions are conducted in the whole process of counselling.
Interpretation
The next important step is interpretation. Counsellors’ work is to conduct the tests and interprets the data or results. The language used in an interpretation becomes very significant in the entire counselling process. The counsellor should not use technical jargon and negative forms of communication. The language of the counsellor should be easy and understandable.
Application
It implies that initial attempts to make desirable changes in moods and modes of interpretation relationships for better adjustment at home, at work, or in society of the counsellee. Alternative changes may have to be tried out in the context of psychodynamic of human behaviour and its delicate intricacies.
Review
Review of work, is an activity, involved in every step of the counselling process. In fact, review, replan and reshape are activities inherent in the life of every human being. Therefore, Counsellor should analyze how the counsellee reactions to the counselling process. At the final review, when winding up a counselling, the counsellor may well end up with analytic summary and possible lines of development in the case.
Qualities of an Effective Counsellor
The effectiveness of counselling depends on numerous variables including personal background, education, skill and experience of counsellor.
An effecting counsellor
- Must have an identity
- Self respect
- Open to change
- Recognize and accept his/her strengths
- Sincere, honest, authentic
- Sense of humour
- Respect the values of culture
- Sensitive
- Genuinely interested in human welfare
- Profound involvement in work
- Cope with discomfort
- Strive for excellence
- Maintain healthy relationship
- Live and work in the present
- Revise the earlier decision if necessary
Furthermore, some more qualities are needed for a counsellor to function effectively in the profession are good listening, patience, empathy, integrity, emotional maturity and open mindedness.
Conclusion
Mythologically Lord Krishna was considered to be the greatest of all counsellors. He had counselled Arjuna to fight his own relatives to establish dharma. Similarly, counsellors could bring wonderful changes in the clients provided the client is also willing to take up the suggestions and decisions put forth by the counsellors. It is not quite easy for the clients to take up all the suggestions and implement as Arjuna did. Since people have their own judgement and senses sometimes feelings and emotions coming in the way of them executing what could be good for them and to the society. Those who take up these suggestions made by the counsellor tend to deviate from following the guidelines established by the counsellor which they would have accepted and put into practice initially. Although, human beings are suggestible, it would take continuous effort of counsellors to get complete change and good result. Since people tend to go by their comfort of doing things which they lived with. Therefore, counselling should not end up abruptly and should be followed by the both the client and the counsellor regularly.
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Bibliography
- Alam, S. (2014). Basics of Guidance and Counselling, Second Edition, Global Vision Publishing House, New Delhi.