A Comprehensive Definition Of Counselling Psychology Essay

A Comprehensive Definition Of instruction Psychology cornerstonevassThis essay will deliver a clear definition of counselor and give a discussion with regards to the advise settings that make a lymph motione incur salutary. The essay will so discuss the characteristic that an effective counselor should possess and give the richness of plane unequivocal regard, empathy and congruence in the counselling solve. Importance of self-care will also be discussed in the essay.A COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF COUNSELLINGCounselling is a exercise that enables a soul to phase out issues and clasp decision affecting their life. Often counselling is sought out at fourth dimensions to modify a crisis and dish great deal at any time of their life. Counselling involves talking with a person in a way that patrons that person to solve in a way that name conditions that will cause the person to agnise and improve their behaviour, character, values or lifes circumstances. Counsell ing is often performed face to face in confidential sessions between the counsellor and leaf nodes. Counselling stooge and may take many different format to bring a person to a better understanding(a) of themselves and others. It keep be seen that counselling can be of benefit to a person experiencing problems in finding, forming and maintaining relationships.Counselling is an umbrella term that covers a range of talking therapy. These are delivered by trained practitioners who cipher with people over a short or long period of time to help them bring round effective change or enhance their salutary being. It is also a routine in which a person is helped to explore the situation and find solution or answers for a problem. Counselling is a manner of guidance of an individual. It helps the invitee to obtain to a greater maturity by allowing the individuals to take responsibilities and to make their own decision ( John Rita, 2004).A DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE COUNSELLOR CAN DO W ITH THE REGARDS TO THE COUNSELLING SETTING TO MAKE A CLIENT FEEL SAFE.A counsellor can have a Person-centred counselling where a therapeutic relationship between a counsellor and a client is formed. The client needs to be able to talk about whatever they need to, shell out their intimate thoughts and explore sometimes difficult notionings. For this a client needs to looking able to fully trust the counsellor, feel safe, supported and that they will not be judged. The counsellor should work on creating the right purlieu in which a client feels able to look at themselves and make a greater understanding of their own thoughts, feelings and meanings. The counsellor is not there to analyse or give them advice, but instead to be alongside them supporting them and helping to explore their own issues with the belief that the client will come to find their own answers (France, 1984). jibe to Sutton (199850-56) creating a warm and safe environment is an essential stepping-stone to buil ding a strong therapeutic alliance. A counsellor should have a room that helps the client feel lucky so that they can star sharing their concerns. Counsellors should give examples of break sentences to help break the ice, as well as discussing some other important topics, including building trust confines issues such as contrasting and terminating sessions on time. There should have the sessions in the same room that way the client will feel safe and comfortable and a counsellor should have chairs places approximately four feet apart and slightly at an angle. A small clock needs to be positioned where the counsellor can glance at it and attention should be paid to the lighting and room temperature.A box of tissues should be placed where the client can easily reach them, a vase of flowers should be available to add some colour to the setting so that the client can feel some warmth and reflect something of your personality. greet the client and masking them their sit can also mak e them feel safe. Addressing the client by the first name can also make them feel comfortable and accepted but you should ask them how they want to be addressed and introducing yourself with your first name can also mean breaking mess the barriers of inequality. The counsellors clear(p)ing sentences should be empathic and their posture should demonstrate to the client that they are ready to listen. Building trust is also important for people who have been let down before so developing the skills of active listening, accurate, sensitive responding, reflecting feelings, and empathy demonstrating that you are fully present for the client can help to establish a solid hindquarters of trust ( Sutton, 1998).THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT AN EFFECTIVE COUNSELLOR SHOULD POSSESS.First the counsellor should work on building a relationship. A requirement for being an effective counsellor is being able to practice and impart the skill of empathy in the client-counsellor interaction. The ability to convey a sense of confidence give clients a sense of confidence in themselves and confidence that the counsellor is directing people in the right direction. The counsellor should always be open-minded. They should not be judgemental but instead know how to give the best suggestions on how to deal with different types of situations. They need to know how to put themselves in ones shoes. Counsellors also need to be friendly with everyone. They should never let the person they are counselling feel more down than they already are. The counsellor should also be a good listener (Gladding, 1988).An effective counsellor should be able to relate to the person they are counselling and display a direct of commitment. A counsellor should be able to inspire their client and help them see their potential. An effective counsellor should show their client that opportunities multiply and that life is a long line of opportunities. A counsellor should make their client understand that the choices th ey make presently will affect them in the long run and to collate what and how these choices will and are playing a role in their lives.According to Gladding (1988100-105) a counsellor should have awareness and understanding of ones own self it means understanding ones feelings, personal strengths and limitation. This would help counsellors to understand themselves sufficiently and to know precisely what they are doing, why they are doing it. A counsellor should be in good health and should not be distracted by ones own problems. A counsellor should be open minded meaning that they should be able to distinguish between their own beliefs and values to that of their client and not force them to assume a particular value or belief system. Counsellors should have respect for their clients they must view them as worthwhile people and treat them with warmth and dignity.The counsellor must have assertiveness. It may be communicatory or non-verbal. Verbal attentiveness involves what is e xpressed to the client and the way it is expressed. Allowing clients to complete their sentences is one way of verbal attentiveness. Using verbal encouragers such as I see are ways of demonstrating verbal attentiveness. It is also important for a counsellor to learn to cook their voice and change their volume and speed depending on the clients reactions and situations. Non-verbal attentiveness includes eye contact, head nods, facial expression, body posture and distance.THE IMPORTANCE OF UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD, EMPATHY AND congruity IN THE COUNSELLING PROCESSUnconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence are the counsellors conditions needed to facilitate change. Without these conditions being present a healing relationship cannot form.5.1 The importance of unconditional positive regardAccording to Rogers (195155-60) unconditional positive regard is when one person is completely accepting towards another person. This is not just showing acceptance but is an attitude that is demonstrated through behaviour. Unconditional positive regard is the fundamental attitude of the person-centred counsellor towards the client Some component of unconditional positive regards includeRespect respecting a person in the dignity and brokenness as a personNon-judgemental being neither judgemental against people of different look sharp and sexAcceptance accepting people in all their fullness, missing out including how they treat the relationship with you.Valuing embracing the person you encounter, and valuing them as a incomparable person.Caring being concerned for the person and wanting the best themNurturing wanting to help the person to grow in whatever ways are open for their growth as a personLove experiencing the full richness of non-possessive love for the person in this relationship5.2 The importance of empathy and in the counselling processAccording to Rogers (194260-65) Empathy is an essential variable for engendering constructive personality change in the therapeutic process. Empathy in addition to congruence and unconditional positive regard, has achieved a consensus standing in the professional literature as a core condition in facilitating the treatment relationship in counselling and psychotherapy. Empathy is the capacity to recognize and share feelings such as sadness and happiness that are experienced by another person and it involves esthesia to the clients problems and being able to see things the way the client does. It involves perceiving and communicating. Perceiving is an intense process of active listening by the counsellor. On the other hand in communicating the counsellor says something that tells the client that their meanings and feelings are understood. Cultural sensitivity and knowledge of cultures different from the counsellor own are important to the effective use of the empathy. Empathy is recognized as a prominent variable in the education of a positive relationship. With an enhancement of empathy underst anding, clients generally increase their level of therapy satisfaction, likelihood of compliance, and involvement in the treatment process. Being empathetic ensures you are listening and traffic with the clients concerns as they present them. You are not judging them. Empathy can assist counselors when dealing with challenging clients throughIntensity responding to the feelings expressed at the appropriate level of intensity for example if you are working with a client. They are very agitated, about to be evicted and their mother is sick. Your response is You are a bit upset. The client becomes distant you have not reflected their level of emotion accurately.Context take all aspects into account not just word and non-verbal behaviour. A lot of people we come into contact with have multiple problems in their lives. They may behave in ways we find inappropriate but taken in linguistic context of their experience are understandable.Selective responding sometimes it may be appropria te to respond only to feelings or behaviour. Some clients do not respond well to discussing their feelings and in these cases it is useful to focus on more concrete elements such as experience and behaviour.When your empathic responses have been successful it is evident from the clients response, a nod of the head, or a positive verbal response. If a counsellors empathic response has not been accurate the client will indicate this non-verbally by stopping, fumbling or becoming frustrated. Being aware of these signs will assist a counsellor in relating to the challenging client (Rogers 1951).5.3 The importance of congruence in the counselling processAccording to Rogers (194266-70) Congruence means genuineness. People are congruent when they are not trying to appear to be anything other than what they are. Congruence is concerned with a persons attempt to achieve harmony in their way of being. Congruent is closely related to a number of terms such as honesty, transparency only its me aning does not coincide with any of these.In providing the three counselling processes the counsellor creates a therapeutic environment which enables a client to psychologically self-heal. Congruency can help a counsellor to identify a client by the way the client will be portraying themselves. In counselling process this would help a counsellor to be able to work with a person who knows their true self so it wont be difficult to help that person to overcome the obstacles they face in life.THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE FOR COUNSELLORSSelf care is a way of living that incorporates behaviours that help you to be refreshed, replenish your personal motivation, and grow as a person. It is the equivalent of keeping your car filled with gas so that you are ready to go anywhere you want without being demented if the gas is enough to go a distance. As school counsellors one of the major expectations is developing prevention and intervention strategies for students. However this cannot discoun t the need to develop own prevention and intervention plans for self-care. Prevention for burnout might include such things as asking for supervision, promoting your own personal wellness plan including a method to refill your own emotional bucket. Develop your own professional and personal support system with not only those who support you but those who will challenge you if you are exhibiting signs of burnout. Periodic self-assessments and evaluation of life stressors is an important prevention strategy. Personal counselling, nurturing your own emotional self, evaluating personal relationships, engaging in stress management and positive recreational activities offers value in burnout prevention as well ( Gladding, 1988).Counsellors should build a strong foundation for themselves this means spending time to strengthen themselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually for example daily clearing is to check and identify how you are feeling and what you are thinking. Gathe r quality support such as finding a community like-minded people so that they can give you support. When you are with supportive people you will feel positive and empowered. Get give up of commitments that weigh you down and use the time to do things that give pleasure. Self-care is actually taking care of yourself after a long day at work so that you can work on your inner thoughts and be able to help people with a free mind and not experiencing burnout. Giving yourself time to do all the things that mean a lot to your life and keep you happy will keep you revived and strong enough to face your client with confidence ( Gladding, 1988).CONCLUSIONThis essay defined counselling and discussed the setting that a counsellor should be at to make a client feel safe with specific reference made looking at the characteristic that an effective counsellor should possess. The essay discussed the importance of unconditional positive regard, empathy, congruence and self-care in counselling proce ss and in a counsellors own life