INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELLING
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Chapter 1 – An Overview of Counseling
Counseling
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A helping relationship that includes someone seeking help and someone
willing to give help who is trained to help in a setting that permits help to
be given and received (Cormier & Hackney, 1987)
Counselee – someone seeking help, Counselor – someone willing to give
help.
A dynamic process involving a professionally trained counselor and a
client with a particular concern
Considered a “confidential dialogue” – what you learned from a client
cannot be shared
A strategy/intervention that is done to deal with someone who is seeking
help; a process
A dynamic relationship between the counselor and the counselee – hindi
pwedeng isa lang ang may gusto.
Involve a mutual communication.
3 Instances when confidentiality is breached
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Both an art and a science
Balance between the subjective and objective dimensions of the
counseling process
When meeting with a client for the first time you act like an artist in order
to build a relationship/rapport with your client and as the relationship
progresses you shift from the art part of counseling to the science part
wherein you use psychological tests to obtain a more objective
understanding of the client
Art of Counseling
1. Subjective dimension
2. Flexible and creative process – you should know how to adjust,
there are no two clients that are the same
3. Giving of oneself in counseling - authenticity, empathy, kindness,
compassion, being human (Humanistic Psychology)
 Building rapport with clients
If the client is in danger, ex. History of suicidal attempt
When other people are in danger, ex threat to others
When there is abuse, ex. sexual, physical
If the counselor is summoned/ordered by the court
Counseling is not:
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The Art and Science of Counseling
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Science of Counseling
1. Objective dimension
2. Differentiates professional from non-professional helpers
(discipline, science, goal-oriented)
3. Development of skills that can promote professional objectivity.
 Balance the art dimension of counseling.
 Psychological tests
 Obtaining objective understanding of the client
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Lecturing (teaching facts and data)
Merely giving advice (tell people how to proceed)
Teaching, because teaching carries with it the element of indoctrination
(absorbing what you learned) - clients have different beliefs and you
cannot impose them your values and beliefs.
Compulsion
Counseling vs Guidance vs Psychotherapy
Guidance – a systematic phase of the educational process which helps a youth
grow in his power to give point and direction to his own life to the end that he
may gain richer personal experience while making his own unique contribution to
his society (Lefever)
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Guidance is a service (group of services provided to the clients)
Guidance Services – organized cluster of activities/specialized services
1. Counseling – heart of any guidance services
Guidance is more than just assisting an individual
Counseling –
o focus: development
The Counselor: Person and Professional
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1. Clients’ problems:
 Problems of living – problems with people ex friend,
boyfriend
2. Goals: short term
3. Treatment approaches: preventive counseling strategies
4. Setting: schools, churches, mental health clinics
5. Help individuals with usual problems that are hard for them such
as relationship difficulties, career decision making problems
6. Focus is on the conscious processes
Psychotherapy –
o focus: remediative
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Clients’ problems: complex – disorders
Goals: both short term and long-term goals
Treatment approaches: complex strategies
Setting: private practice, mental health centers, hospitals
Curative
Require diagnostic procedures to determine mental disorders in
individuals and provide treatments; might require major
personality reconstruction
13. Focus is on the unconscious processes
Kinds of Counselors
1. Non-professional – did not receive/no training in counseling skills
2. Paraprofessional or quasi-counselor – who may have considerable
training in counseling, yet are not accredited as counseling professionals
3. Professional (w/ RA 9258) – undergone training on appropriate courses
(clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, psychotherapist,
counselors, some psychiatrists and social workers)
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The counselor as a Therapeutic Person
1. Abundant research indicates the centrality of the person of the
therapist as a primary factor in successful therapy (Norcross &
Lambert, 2011; Norcross & Wampold, 2011)
2. Clients place more value on the personality of the therapist than
on the specific techniques used (Lambert, 2011)
3. Counseling is an intimate relationship, because when you counsel
you do not present yourself as an authority or professional (for an
extent; still be able to stay professional) and so there is a personto-person connection and you are facilitating growth
4. Being genuine and authentic leads to encouragement towards
the client
Personal Characteristics of Effective Counselors
1. Effective counselors have an identity – awareness of yourself,
your motivations, your values
2. Effective counselors respect and appreciate themselves – able to
give and receive help, having the feeling of adequateness –
appreciating oneself
3. Effective counselors are open to change – consider change as
growth, having courage to leave your comfort zone
4. Effective counselors make choices that are life oriented – you
should be aware of your choices in life – moving forward.
5. Effective counselors are authentic, sincere, and honest. – be
honest on what you can give (e.g., 30 mins time)
6. Effective counselors have a sense of humor – put event of life in
perspectives, getting out from stressful sessions.
7. Effective counselors make mistakes and are willing to admit
them. – we still make mistakes, and we should accept it and not
dwell too much
8. Effective counselors generally live in the present. – we are not
victims or our past experiences, and not dwell so much in the
future.
9. Effective counselors appreciate the influence of culture. –
multicultural counseling - acknowledging influence of culture.
10. Effective counselors have a sincere interest in the welfare of
others. – working towards the welfare of the client.
11. Effective counselors possess effective interpersonal skills. – social
personality – you have the ability to work with others
12. Effective counselors become deeply involved in their work and
derive meaning from it.
13. Effective counselors are passionate.
14. Effective counselors are able to maintain healthy boundaries. self care
Issues Faced by Beginning Counselors
• 1. Dealing with your anxieties – talking about your anxieties is one way of
dealing with your anxieties.
• 2. Being yourself and self-disclosure • 3. Avoiding perfectionism - it is okay to make mistake
• 4. Being honest about your limitations
• 5. Understanding silence
Personal Therapy for Counselors – self awareness
• Should people be required to participate in counseling or therapy before they
become practitioners?
• The vast majority of mental health professionals have experienced personal
therapy, typically on several occasions (Geller, Norcross, & Orlinsky, 2005b)
• Mental health professionals report satisfaction and positive outcomes from
their own counseling experiences (Orlinsky, Norcross, Ronnestad, & Wiseman,
2005).
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self-awareness, and you are acknowledging that you have difficulties
by experiencing to be a client, you also gain some experiential reference
that will provide you more compassionate feelings toward your clients
because somehow, you have gone through it
The Role of Counselor’s Values in Counseling
• Personal values influence how we view counseling and the manner in which we
interact with clients, including the way we conduct client assessments, our views
of the goals of counseling, the interventions we choose, the topics we select for
discussion in a counseling session, how we evaluate progress, and how we
interpret clients’ life situations.
(we cannot impose our values to other people)
• 6. Dealing with demands from clients – at the beginning of the session, explain
your goals and limitations, and clear up expectations.
• 7. Dealing with clients who lack commitment
• 8. Tolerating ambiguity • 9. Becoming aware of your countertransference
• 10. Developing a sense of humor
• 11. Sharing responsibility with the client
• 12. Declining to give advice
13. Defining your role as a counselor
• 14. Learning to use techniques appropriately
• 15. Developing your own counseling style
• 16. Maintaining your vitality as a person and as a professional
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Counselling Skills
Helping Skills
1. Active Listening – this skill involves the use of the counselor’s
ears, eyes, and mind so as to grasp what the client is saying (and
not saying).
 Reflective listening – enter your client’s frame of
reference
 Two micro skills
1. Attending Skills (SOLER)
 S – face the client squarely
 O – adopt an open posture (indicates
involvement) – seat with your both feet on the
ground (crossing your legs and arms indicates
that you are not interested and welcoming)
 L – as you face your client, lean toward him or
her – lean forward to hear your clients.
 E – maintain eye contact – be more natural.
 R – as you incorporate these skills into your
attending skills, relax.
2. Listening/Observing Skills – capturing and
understanding the verbal and nonverbal information
communicated by the counselee.
2. Using open-ended and closed-ended questions
 Open-ended questions - aim client to elaborate more
 Goal is to facilitate exploration
 Avoid asking too many questions, or assuming an
interrogatory role
 Closed-ended questions – (yes/no questions)
 To obtain specific information
 To narrow the topic of discussion
 To interrupt an over-talkative client
3. Summarizing - A collection of two or more paraphrases or
reflection that condenses the client’s messages or the session.
Can be used periodically throughout the session, helping to keep a
focus, and putting together the pertinent issues at hand for the
client.
4. Empathy – the ability to perceive another’s experience and then
communicate that perception back to the individual to clarify and amplify
their own experiencing and meaning. (Ability to understand the situation
of your client from your client’s own frame of reference.)
 Three micro-skills of an empathic communication
A. Attending Skills - SOLER
B. Paraphrasing – the counselor rephrases the content of the client’s
message. (Stating in your own phrase the essence of what has been said
by your client –restating the same information the client has said in
different words).
Example:
Client: “I like to go jogging after a stressful day because it helps me
unwind.”
Counselor: “It seems like jogging is a good stress release for you.” –
should be worded tentatively (it seems).
Purposes of Paraphrasing
o To convey that you are understanding him/her .
o Help the client by simplifying, focusing and crystallizing what they
said .
o May encourage the client to elaborate .
o Provide a check on the accuracy of your perceptions .
When to use it?
o When you have a hypothesis about what’s going on with the client
Exercise: Paraphrase this statement:
Client: Pinipilit nila adik ako. Sabi ko naman hindi. Isang beses lang
ako sumama sa barkada ko at sumubok ako ng isang beses. Ayaw
nilang maniwala.
C. Reflection of feelings
 Affective reflection in an open-ended, respectful manner of what
the client is communicating verbally and nonverbally, both directly
through words and nonverbal behaviors as well as reasonable
inferences about what the client might be experiencing
emotionally.
 In short: A verbal response to client emotion - you are trying to
reasonably make inferences that your client is feeling this certain
kinds of emotions and feelings.
Example 1
Client: When I was 10, I was involved in a car crash. It was terrifying
(client is sitting hunched up and depressed)
Counselor: It sounds like it was a very frightening time and just
thinking about it makes you feel sad and scared.
Example 2
Client: “So many things are going on right now: another hectic
semester has started, my dog’s sick, and my mom’s ill too. I find
myself running around trying to take care of everything. I’m not sure I
can take it anymore.”
Counselor: “You’re feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the things that
are going on right now.”
5. GENUINENESS - Congruence between what you say and what you are. –
Be genuine and honest.
6. UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD - An expression of caring and
nurturance as well as acceptance.
1. Nonjudgmental or noncritical verbal & nonverbal reactions.
7. CHALLENGING / CONFRONTATION
1. Challenging is used to help clients examine beliefs or behaviours
that seem self-defeating or harmful to self or others.
** there is a discrepancy on what the client is telling.
Note: Before you confront someone you want to make sure the
relationship is strong and able to withstand the challenge of the
confrontation.
8. COUNSELOR’S SELF-DISCLOSURE - The counselor shares personal
feelings, experiences, or reactions to the client. Should include relevant
content intended to help them.
The benefits of self –disclosure are:
o It might help clients develop a new perspective on their issues.
o It might reduce a sense of isolation.
The disadvantages of self –disclosure are:
o It might take attention from the client to the counselor.
o The counselor might assume that because both have
experienced the same thing, they both respond to the
experience in the same way.
o The client might want more information than the counselor is
willing to give.
NOTE: The client is not bound by confidentiality to the counselor
9. TOUCHING
1. Touching a client is very problematic in today’s society. Touch
appropriately is a major concern for counselors.
2. It is a powerful way to communicate caring and empathy. It can
also be easily misunderstood, misconstrued, and damaging to the
counseling relationship.
10. SILENCE
1. Silence can encourage e the client to reflect and continue
sharing. It also can allow the client to experience the power of his
or her own words.
11. PROVIDING INFORMATION
1. Supplying data, opinions, facts, resources or answers to
questions.
2. Explore with client possible problems which may delay or prevent
their change process.
3. In collaboration with the client identify possible solutions and
alternatives.
12. Clarifying
1. When a counselor asks for clarification, they are asking a client to
explain an element of the discussion that was vague.
2. Allows the client a chance to elaborate and allow the counselor
the opportunity to check the accuracy of the client's statements.
3. Examples:
 I am not sure I quite understand…
 Do you mean that…
Note: Do not assume that you already understand what the client is saying.
Effective Listening “Don’ts”
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Judging (Paghuhusga)
Sermonizing (Pangaral)
Advising (Pagpayo)
Threatening (Pagsindak)
Blaming (Pagsisi)
Belittle their experience or feelings (Pagmamaliit sa karanasan or
pakiramdam)
Ethical Issues in Counseling Practice
3. Confidentiality
• counselor’s ethical duty to protect private client communication
• Limits to confidentiality:
• Harm to self
• Harm to others
• There is abuse
• Court order
• Confidentiality vs. Privileged Communication vs. Privacy
Privileged Communication
• a legal concept that generally bars the disclosure of confidential
communications in a legal proceeding.
• When a client–therapist relationship is covered as privileged
communication by statute, clinicians may not disclose confidential
information.
Counselor may refuse to answer in a court.
Privacy
• American School Counselor Association (ASCA) – their principles apply to
us here in the Philippines
• refers to the constitutional right of individuals to be left alone and to
control their personal information.
• Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA) – accredited
professional organization
• Practitioners should exercise caution with regard to the privacy of
their clients.
1. Client Welfare
• The counselor’s primary responsibility is the welfare of the client.
Do not work on something that will not be beneficial for the client.
Parent example shiz.
2. Informed Consent
• Requires counselors to provide each client with an overview of what
counseling will entail so that the client can decide whether to participate.
Right to be informed in the benefits and risks. Include credentials.
4. Dual Relationships
• Also called Multiple Relationships
• Involve counselors engaging in more than one relationship with a client