Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 14

INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELLING

COUNSELLING

What do you understand of counselling concept and the tasks of a counsellor? Is counselling important and useful?
Why?

In this country, counselling service has reached an encouraging level especially in schools and institutions of higher
learning, in line with economic, social, cultural, educational, science and technological development. In the context of
a developing nation gearing towards a developed nation with high technology, counselling is useful to people in
various situations.

Although counselling is regarded a new field compared to sociology, economics and psychology, on the whole, the
influence of counselling is felt by the society though not that widely. The number of individuals who seek counsellors
help to solve their problems to achieve a more peaceful and better quality of life has increased.

Among the problems that are regularly brought forward by the individuals are personal problems to interpersonal
ones at the workplace that affect their peace of mind, difficulty in making decisions due to confusion and also learning
problems. Hence, professional counsellors in modern society have important roles to play especially when Malaysia
is developing rapidly.

This development is not merely in terms of economic, science and technology but also nation unity and multi-racial
peoples harmony. The change in society is the basis of a countrys development. Various social problems exist
directly or indirectly as a result of rapid changes in society. The changes are:

a. A big migration by young people searching for jobs in towns.

b. Big family system breaks into small families and smaller families becoming the norm.

c. The existence of big organisations in private and corporate fields that drives their people alienated when
they pay less attention to these individuals.

d. The influence of print and electronic media on humans thoughts and attitude especially children and
adolescents that is against traditional society values.

e. Better way of life that destroys good values in individuals and society.

The direct effect of these changes on a person is psychological reaction in the form of stress. According to research
stress can cause various illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure and emotional disturbances. Stress
that may arise at school level is teacher expectation, and parents who are unrealistic about academic achievements,
small living conditions, and pressure from peers towards a certain behaviour norm. In an institution of higher learning
stress occurs as an effect of competition for academic excellence, shortage of money and social pressure.

Reaction from stress differs between adolescents and children. There are cases of adolescents and children who ran
away from homes dues to stress when chaos happens in the family. Some try to run away or forget the stress by

Counselling may not be able to get rid of all social diseases caused by economic development but in order to achieve
harmonious state of mind amongst the community it must be prepared adequately in all institutions that have a role to
play in the countrys development. Counselling can no longer be regarded as knowledge to deal with insane people
but it must be offered widely so that its technology can benefit community members in solving their daily problems.
DEFINITION OF COUNSELLING

The word counselling has different meanings according to the approaches that individuals practice. One of the
definitions that has many similarities is when it states that counselling aims at helping a person learns to make a
decision and carry out that decision. Some has defined counselling as learning. In these two definitions the similarity
is the word learn. The first definition teaches a person to make decision and the second is learning in general. You
will understand the concept and functions of learning in counselling more when you read the following topics.

Below are some counselling definitions:

Krumboltz (1965)
Counselling is any ethical activity performed by a counsellor in assisting a client demonstrates a
behaviour that motivates towards problem solving.

A counselling expert who is influential in this field, Krumboltz (1965) has a definition that clearly shows what a
counsellor wants to achieve is his clients aim and this is a very important aim. Here, an approach or a counselling
method that can be used to achieve the aim is not stated or suggested.

The American Guidance and Personnel Society (1980) defines counselling as using counselling procedures and
other fields related to behavioural science to help learn how to solve certain problem, making decisions regarding
career choices, personal growth, marriage, family or other interpersonal matters.

The American Guidance and Personnel Society (1980) defines counselling as using counselling
procedures and other fields related to behavioural science to help learn how to solve certain
problem, making decisions regarding career choices, personal growth, marriage, family or other
interpersonal matters.

One more definition that may be easier to understand and relevant to this course is by Burks and Stefflre (1979).

Burks and Stefflre (1979),


Counselling refers to professional relationship between a trained counsellor and a client. This
relationship is normally person-to-person, although sometimes it involves more than two persons.
It is designed to help clients understand and express their views about their lives, and learn to
achieve personal choice aim through a meaningful and informative choice after they have solved
their emotional and interpersonal problems.

Based on these definitions that were put across by experts in the counselling field, it can be simplified as follows:

Zainal Abidin (2002)


Counselling is a discussion between a trained counsellor and an individual or a small group that
experiences confusion and needs help, and together they think and analyse a few alternatives to
overcome the chaotic situation and implement the chosen alternative.

It is hoped that from these definitions you will understand the gist of a professional counsellors duty towards his
client, whether the client is an individual or a small group. Besides that, a counsellor has to identify whether a client
really needs counselling or psychotherapy. This is because there is a difference between a client who needs
counselling service and the one who needs psychotherapy, a more serious service.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

What do you know about psychotherapy? In your opinion, do counselling and psychotherapy have the same or
different aim?

Now, lets look at the difference between counselling and psychotherapy. About 40 years ago, there is a prominent
difference between counselling and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy emphasises more on treating of mental illness,
but counselling focuses more on helping individuals overcome dead ends or troubled minds so that they can continue
their lives peacefully.

Now, it is very tedious to find the difference between counselling and psychotherapy. Most counselling textbooks
could not find the difference between the two. In fact, books on counselling theories are no different than books on
psychotherapy. The difficulty is more obvious when we compare the definitions of counselling and psychotherapy by
a few writers. The definitions of counselling by a counselling writer can be used by the psychotherapy writers. On the
other hand, the definition of psychotherapy by a psychotherapy writer can be used by a counselling writer.

There are many similarities between the two fields that involve special relationship between an individual who wants
to get help to solve his psychological problem (client) and a trained person who gives that help (counsellor or
therapist). The special relationship is the same and in fact, the technique in helping patients and clients is similar.

The difference between the two is the objective. The counselling objective is to help at any time an individual
overcome his or her personal growth problem towards achieving optimum strength development that is in him or her.
This objective can be accepted as the aim of psychotherapy process. Besides solving growth problem of an
individual, psychotherapy also solves the reconstructive change problem. Normally, psychotherapy is carried out for a
long period (1 month to 2 years) as outpatient or inpatient. On the contrary, counselling is usually for a short period
(less than 6 months) as outpatient only. However, counselling and psychotherapy have similar aim that is to achieve
the clients aim.

COUNSELLING AIM

What do we hope to achieve at the end of a counselling session? Generally, every individual has different hopes
according to his perspective of the counselling process that has been carried out. For example, after an individual has
gone through the counselling process, he who sought help from counsellor, parents, teachers or school principals has
different perception regarding the ending that he hopes for. Difference in opinion will exist, but this will not be
discussed as the last choice that determines the counselling aim depends on the agreement between the client and
his counsellor. Both of them will ensure the direction of their discussion.

Five Counselling Aims

There are five counselling aims, to:

a. Make behaviour change easier;


b. Increase clients ability to start and continue relationships;

c. Help clients effectiveness in coping with problems and issues;

d. Encourage the decision making process; and

e. Help clients development and potential achievement.

a. To Make Clients Change in Behaviour Easier

Majority of theorists agree that counselling aim is to help client make some change in behaviour that enables
him or her to have a more productive and satisfactory life. Prior to visiting a counsellor, there must be
something that disturbs him or his relationship with someone is unsatisfactory (e.g. his employer). Perhaps,
its the routine way the client interacts with others so much so that it causes a negative reaction from others.
This negative effect causes the client to feel disturbed.

It is hoped that after completing a session the client will understand and analyse effectively and satisfactorily
ways to interact with his or her employer or others who have the tendency to create disturbing
response. Here, counselling aim is to encourage and make it easier for client to change his or her behaviour
to a more effective one.

For example, Ali (a teacher) is unaware that he always gives a negative response such as giving cynical
remarks to his students who give wrong answers in class. Alis behaviour causes his students not to interact
with him in class. This poses a problem and disturbs effective teaching. With counselling session, Ali will be
able to identify the real problem and a counsellor can assist Ali in changing his behaviour, where he should
have given support to his students when interacting with him and guide them although the answers they gave
is wrong.

b. To Increase Clients Ability to Start and Continue a Relationship

A big part of our life is interacting with people(Figure 1.3). But, many clients are facing problems due to their
inability to interact with others correctly and appropriately. This problem can be linked to clients not having
communication skills or having negative personal image. In this case, the counsellors aim is to find ways to
increase effective interaction with others.

Relationship problem can occur amongst adults in a family, from between husbands and wives to school
children and their peers. In each case, a counsellor will try to find ways to help the client increase his quality
of life by improving the way he interacts with others.

For example, when Monas principal gave her comments she felt very angry and refused to listen to what was
said. This led to communication breakdown between the two. Mona saw the comments as criticism. A
counsellor can assist Mona in having a better relationship with her principal. When commented, Mona could
be helped so that she would not react negatively but rationally by listening calmly to every comment and
taking the positive ones for her.

c. Helping Client to Manage Oneself

Another important counselling aim is to help client manage himself in difficult situations. Each individual
experiences difficulties in his life when he grows up. It is rare that a person grows up by reaching and
perfecting every significant persons claim in his life, such as his mother and fathers.
Parents expectation on their children has often given unpredictable effect. A child for instance, will learn a
less efficient and less effective behaviour or both when he is unable to fulfil his parents hope. He will bring
this learning into adulthood. Unfortunately, in specific situation such as at the workplace, the behaviour pattern
that he learnt will not help him but instead will cause him constant problems. In this kind of situation, a
counsellor will train his client to manage himself effectively especially in new situations and new demands.

For example, Ahmad is always criticised when he fails in his subjects. The effect is Ahmad becomes lazy and
always play truant in school. He brings this attitude to the working environment. He is always late and lazy to
try something new. A counsellor can help Ahmad manage himself effectively and increase his self-image.

d. Encouraging Decision Making Process

The process of making decision is very difficult to certain people. They are scared of having to shoulder
responsibilities due to wrong choices made and they always make decisions without thinking of the existing
alternatives. For these clients, the aim of counselling is to help them make important decisions in their lives. It
is vital to note that the counsellors role is not to give the last say and to direct client to choose certain
decisions. The final decision is made by the client and he must understand and know why and how to achieve
that decision. The client will learn to make risk estimates undertaken from that decision in terms of time,
money, decisions and others. The client also learns to make a few explorations about his values in life that are
relevant to the present situation and condition, realising that these values are considered in the decision
making process.

To exemplify, Ah Kau feels dissatisfied and stressed with his job. He fears to make any changes. A counsellor
can help Ah Kau finds the cause of his dissatisfaction and search for his value in life. A counsellor can also
help Ah Kau finds and estimates the risk of various alternatives such as changing departments, discussion
with his employer or changing jobs.

e. Helping Clients Development and Potential Achievement.

Helping a client expands his potentials has always been one of counselling aims. This aim is providing
opportunities for client to learn ways of using his abilities and interests to the maximum level. This aim also
means the client is taught to increase personal effectiveness.

This reinforcement means the counsellor helps the person to learn how to stop smoking, to take care of his
health, overcome problem of shyness that is unproductive, lessen feelings of stress, and down. To simplify,
counselling aim is to help client decrease or overcome whatever that hinders or retards his development of
potential ability and interest.

For example, Indras ambition is to be an actress. She feels stressed when she always stammers and she
feels scared to be in front of a crowd. This retards her ambition. A counsellor can help her feel comfortable
when standing in front of a crowd and this indirectly helps her achieve her ambition to be an actress.

COUNSELLORS ROLES

A counsellors role depends on the place and setting he contributes his service. Over the years, the counsellors roles
have gone through changes. The roles have now spread to public counselling centres, hospitals, prisons, Islamic
offices, the Haj Fund, churches, some government departments and other places that require counselling service
instead of mainly helping students with problems at schools and career choices. Counselling is also found at a few
places in cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh where counsellors provide their services as `private practice to the
public.

Example of Counselling at Various Places

Place Example of Counselling Service


School Helping students make appropriate career choices.

Prison Helping inmates rehabilitate and the process of integrating them into
the community.

Hospital Helping families that lost their family members deal with the loss.

Islamic Office Helping spouses who are experiencing marriage problems.

Government Offices Helping stressed employees or ones with problems of being burnt
out.

Churches Helping those with personal problems such as problems with their
parents.

This new development took place due to the recognition that counsellors have the required training to help in matters
such as drug abuse at the Rehabilitation Centre, rehabilitation works at prisons and at places where there is
emotional problems and tension. In the West, there are counsellors who joined the professional mental health team
which includes psychiatrists, psychology experts and psychiatric nurses, where the counsellor becomes the case
manager of a patient giving treatment and main service.

With the expansion of counsellors roles at specific places, so the focal point of approaches will be towards the whole
individual that includes his whole life. This means the focus of counselling includes physical, social, mental and
emotional concerns as well as individual spiritual needs (see Figure 1.4).

Aspects that include the whole individual

a. Physical Health

i. An individuals physical health is important in counselling process. Examples of counselling that


involves physical are:

ii. Helping individual use the habit of taking care of health, such as avoiding obesity, and to quit
smoking;

iii. Exploring emotional or psychological matters that hinder an individual from practicing positive
attitude of eating a lot due to negative self image;

iv. Motivating individual to practice healthy lifestyle such as exercising; and

v. Teaching an individual to decrease his tension or stress.

b. Social Needs

An individuals social needs include family relationship, working environment, friendship and other activities
that tie him to other people in the community. This relationship gives that individual strength and avoids him
from experiencing feelings of alienation, down and low self esteem.

c. Mental Health

A counsellor must always be aware of the relationship between his clients thoughts and feelings to his doings
or behaviour. The counsellors roles towards his clients thoughts are to stimulate his thought process so that
his ability to solve problems will increase and becomes more creative. Creative mental activity is the guide to
a persons quality of life.

d. Emotional Needs

In many cases, human beings focus of aspects is linked to the aim of increasing an individuals emotional
contentment. This aim has become a tradition for all counsellors and will continue to be the focus of
counselling. Normally, an individual will meet a counsellor to obtain clarification about certain feelings. Often,
the expressed feelings are related to his life or certain event that disturbs him in his life. So, the importance of
emotional contentment is clear when a client talks about things that affect his feelings physically, socially,
mentally and spiritually.

e. Spiritual Needs

Pertaining to present situations, the subject of spirituality in counselling is getting more attention as compared
to the past. Before the expansion of counselling such as now, every explanation of certain behaviour is
through the perspective of psychology. For instance, from the learning perspective, deviant behaviour is
explained where an individual has learnt characteristics, acts and thoughts that are not normal for his
community. This act is received reinforcement from his environment and so deviant behaviour continues.

Why does the question of spirituality receive attention in counselling?

Basically, there is awareness that every persons behaviour, thoughts and feelings are related to his religious
beliefs and teachings. For the majority, their values in life and the ways they react in a community are
influenced by religious teachings. Now, spirituality is the basis for guidance that determines their behaviour
pattern, lifestyle and values in life.

With this explanation, it is clear that the domain of a counsellors job is in the form of growth facilitation and
individual development from the physical, mental, social and spiritual aspects. By providing attention on the
function of an individual as a whole, a counsellor will be able to help that individual live his life more
productively and meaningfully. In a research, Myers (1992) found that if a strong bond exists between physical
health and mental in counselling, there will be a positive impact on the clients emotional contentment and
physical. He supports the idea of giving development, prevention and contentment counselling throughout
ones life to facilitate mental and physical contentment. He believes that this approach will be a new paradigm
for all counsellors new roles, now and in the near future.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLOR

Counselling must be understood as a unique interpersonal process. Its effectiveness depends on attitudes, skills and
knowledge shown by a counsellor when he deals with his client. A counsellors client must be able to feel that the
counsellor is a helper with these characteristics (refer to Figure 1.5):

a. Believes that clients are unique and precious individuals;

b. Believes that his clients have abilities to change;

c. Understands and knows how effective individuals function;

d. Has knowledge and skills that are needed to help individuals with limited functions;

e. Is willing to be involved in interpersonal process; and

f. Knows himself and his skills and his limitations.


a. A Client is a Unique Individual

One important characteristic that a counsellor must have is to trust that every human being created by God is
useful, valuable and unique. Sincere acceptance towards a client actually can be felt by the client, and to him
it is not merely an abstract explanation. This doe not mean we must simply accept or not his behaviour or we
like or dislike the character he demonstrates. In fact, we must sow our sincerity and respect towards him as a
valuable individual and a useful human being.

A counsellor must try to understand that a clients self and world observations are his realities. Every belief,
attitude, feeling and thoughts about himself and is environment greatly influence the way he reacts. As a
counsellor, you must focus your attention on this perception because all these will show the clients thoughts
and will give meanings to us on why he reacts and behaves as such.

A counsellor who can show that he accepts his client in a counselling process without any condition will
motivate his client to have some hope and feelings of trust in his counsellor.

How can the characteristic of accepting be communicated to clients? Can you do it? There are a few non-
verbal ways that can communicate this characteristic such as showing fail expression that is calm, posture
while entertaining client, seriousness in answering that is not stalling and unthreatening voice intonation. We
must cater to clients feelings of sensitivity when using our voices.

b. A Client can Change

A Counsellor must be optimistic. They must believe that a client can change, at least demonstrating changes
in feelings, attitude, cognitive structure and behaviour. At the same time, a counsellor must also accept the
fact that helping someone to change is a difficult and time consuming task. At times this effort fails and some
people cannot be helped at all. When this happens this does not mean that changes are impossible.
A counsellor must think that changes do not take place due to certain factors:

The Client is not ready to change;

Changes can take place if there is the clients environment is changed;

A counsellor does not have the specific expertise or adequate experience to influence a change in
client.
As a counsellor, you must convince the client that you trust him to change. Do not merely say it but show him
with your actions and attitude. Utterance like, I really believe you will solve this problem, will not on its own
change the client or influence your belief. This utterance must be accompanied by relevant body movements,
convincing facial expressions and voice intonation that has positive quality. All these have therapeutic value to
put across our attitude and belief towards our client

c. How Effective Individuals Function?

A counsellor must understand the psychology principles that influence human behaviour and realise that the
environment plays a part in creating that behaviour. You are exposed to the principles of psychology in the
previous units that are related to principles of behaviourism and cognitive. The learning theory that is
explained before this will also help in understanding how effective individuals function.

In carrying out a counselling process, it is important to know how an individual functions whether our aim is to
get our clients trust or in the explorations of problems that hinder his function and growth. This knowledge is
required when we make judgment which way is appropriate to be used to assist and to make a decision when
counselling should be stopped.

d. Knowledge and Skills in Helping an Individual

Counselling needs more than the willingness to build a special relationship with the client, appreciate and
respect the client, believing that the client can change, and having knowledge how effective people function. A
counsellor also has to have clinical skills that can help clients find the source of the hindrance that block their
ability to change so that they can function at a much desired level.

Clients can be assisted in various ways. What works at a place and time may not be provide a much desired
effect in another place and time. There are many approaches, methods and theories that can be used. As a
counsellor who is new to the field and is trying out you must refrain from using approaches that is taken a bit
from theory A and B and so on. As a counsellor in training, you are encouraged to try a few approaches that
can be observed by your supervisor. Then, slowly you join the approaches that you have tried with your own
style that you practiced in the training.

While you are designing and expanding your counselling skills you should seize the opportunity to conduct
counselling session to clients from different cultural background, for example clients from different ethnic in
Malaysia. In this way, you can see the difference ways the ethnic groups perceive themselves, their
environment and worlds. This will add on to your experience that not all clients will give the same response
though the problems appear to be similar. This experience is useful so that you will understand when you
ought to change your strategy and to use a suitable technique in a relevant situation.

A counsellor must accept the fact that learning ways to help people takes a long time. Trainee counsellors
normally start their counselling training process via a few attempts, from one to another. They read and listen
to ways counsellor conducts counselling. They also emulate skilled counsellors behaviour to obtain suitable
actions that can be used as part of their rituals or styles. A counsellors development skill is a process that is
always on going. A counsellor has to increase his skills as long as he still carries out his professional role.

e. Willing to be Involved

A counsellor must demonstrate his willingness to get involved in the counselling process. Commitment and
the readiness to share experience are more meaningful to a client than the allocated time given and the effort
needed to help a person. This includes communication with a client in a client-counsellor relationship, and
nothing is more important at that time than his client and what is to be discussed in that meeting.

Commitment and the willingness to be involved with a client drive a counsellor to be focused on his clients
inner thoughts, such as how he sees his problems. In this way, a counsellor can help his client understands
his self, the change process and the hindrance he has to face. At the same time, the client is helped to take
risk and a perspective that a counsellor is a tool to help him change.

A counsellor who feels that he is sufficient, stable and disciplined will take away all his weaknesses and focus
on helping his client. A counsellor will show his willingness to be involved with his client by being
understanding, accepting and showing sincerity towards his client.

f. Knowing One Self

A counsellor must have a positive self concept and feel at ease, comfortable and safe about him. By
demonstrating mental health a counsellor can be a role model to his client. As a counsellor you must be
sensitive to your own feelings, attitude and values and how all these play a role in helping others. Normally, a
counsellor has high social interest and strong motivation to cooperate with others. A counsellor also needs to
have high tolerance in handling defensive, uncooperative and down clients.

A counsellor must know how to solve his own problems and handle conflict and stress that he experiences. At
the same time, a counsellor must also know his own skills and his limitations. A counsellor must be open to
improve himself and his self development by increasing his knowledge, skills and experience.

A counsellor must realise that he cannot help everybody who has problems and in certain cases, he has to
refer clients who demand more than his ability to a relevant expert.
The process that requires a counsellor to know or to identify one self is actually to admit the limit to ones
capabilities. This process is important in counselling because:

i. The more sensitive a counsellor is to his own feelings, thoughts and acts, the easier it is for him to
understand others feelings, thoughts and acts; and

ii. A counsellor who is comfortable with himself will communicate sincerity to his client. A client will trust
the person who wishes to help him if he feels the sincerity of that person. Hence, the client will be
more open to discuss his problems and this enables the counsellor to understand how his client
perceives his problems.

COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE SERVICES

Traditionally, the counselling and guidance services at schools or higher education institutions consist of three types
of services (refer to Figure 1.7):

a. Teaching and training services;

b. Counselling services; and

c. Examination services.

Types of counselling and guidance services

a. Teaching and Training Services

The service of teaching and training is for those in need of certain skills and practice. For instance when it is
important for students to get general information about smoking or drug addiction and also the danger of
certain contagious diseases e.g. HIV or AIDS, a guest speaker will be invited to deliver a talk. This service is
meant to spread information.

In other situations like career choice problems, the counsellor will invite people of specific posts to deliver a
talk about the available career opportunities or those in the future. It is common among students at school to
be lack of information and exposure about the job opportunity as well as the necessary academic preparation.
Information such as this will serve as an eye-opener for school students and more importantly will trigger their
interest to learn subjects related to their dream jobs.
Other activities that can be held by the counsellor in the component of teaching and training are:

i. Effective revision strategies

ii. Preparation for an important exam

iii. Time management

iv. Tips for attending an interview

v. Ways to prepare a good resume (curriculum vitae)

vi. Practices to overcome nervousness and shyness


vii. Practices to be assertive and to deliver a speech in public
The counsellors effort to spread information and provide teaching and training can be held in a big group
according to the suitability of the condition. However, to train certain behaviours such as to reduce shyness or
to train someone to be assertive, it is best if it is held in a smaller group of less than 10 individuals.

b. Counselling Services

The counselling service is meant for those who need a counsellors service to solve a problem. For instance,
in order to choose a career, a counsellor can play a role to help the clients brainstorm and discuss their
interest and preference and also the ambition. The counsellor can also show various options for the clients so
as to choose a perfect career for them.

c. Examination Services

This service is provided for those who need it or those who simply wish to understand the real self in a more
thorough way. For example in choosing a career, the counsellor can prepare the clients with exams such as
the IQ test, personality and preference test so that the clients can match their job with their respective
personalities and preferences.

GROUP COUNSELLING

Other than the individual counselling, a counsellor may also use his counselling skills to handle a small group of
counselling. Those who wish to get psychological help or help as they are in crisis have a choice of receiving a
counselling service in a small group. Group counselling is implemented to develop self-awareness and to improve
interpersonal skills.

When can you say a small group is a group? A group contains three or more individuals (normally not more than ten
members) who mutually influence each other. If the group has more members, the interaction is at stake as the group
members will be threatened by the presence of such a number of people to share something private.

What is group counselling? By definition, it is an application of group interaction to facilitate self-comprehension and
facilitate individual behavioural changes.

Types of Group

Generally there are two types of groups. They are the guidance groups and counselling groups.

a. Guidance Groups

Normally, the guidance groups are used to spread information, particularly for the students at schools or
higher education institutions. The topic delivered is the topic chosen by the counsellor. One of the
characteristics of the information is the information of prevention such as the danger of drugs, free sex that
may lead to AIDS or other sexually-transmitted diseases and elements that precipitate moral deterioration.
Some of the popular topics discussed in guidance groups are:

i. Time management

ii. Attending interviews


iii. Study skills

iv. Career selection

v. Exam preparation

b. Counselling Groups

The focus of counselling groups is on the individual, unlike the guidance groups where the focus is on the
topic to be delivered. Counselling groups consist of 5 to 10 members with no specific structure. The
counsellor serves to create conducive condition for the members to discuss without feeling depressed or
threatened. Things to be shared with the other members are things that they feel comfortable to talk in public
such as family problems, interpersonal relationship, problems regarding self concept and personal problems
faced. The content of discussion involves the expression of feelings and each member has a chance to be
heard by everyone including the person facilitating the group the counsellor.

Students who are interested to further find out about other types of groups may refer to the text books which
will state the features and advantages of certain groups. For the purpose of this course, it will suffice to
understand the two groups to help teachers in their tasks in helping school students. Other types of groups
are as follows:

Therapy groups

Sensitivity groups

T-Groups

Advantages of Cluster Counselling

Group counselling (refer to Figure 1.8) has many advantages. Bear in mind that not all clients may benefit from group
counselling. Some individuals may feel depressed having to confront other people and some may feel hard to talk
something considered private in the presence of others.

The main advantage of group counselling is its practicality. A counsellor has so many jobs with work burdens facing a
lot of clients. This will not allow the counsellor to meet all clients in the same day, but group counselling enables the
counsellor to meet more clients in a short time. In a group, a counsellor can meet seven to eight individuals within
similar time duration he uses to meet them individually.

Another benefit of group counselling is related to the type of problems faced by the clients. Most students problems
are relationship or interpersonal problems. In a group, clients are given the chance to explore their interpersonal
problems and feelings within a social context. For instance, the feedback collected from the other members will give a
stronger influence than the counsellors since the feedback comes from the peers. The client will experience
psychological growth through the process of getting genuine feedback from the peers. Group counselling will turn into
a micro society where the client is able to feel peer pressure, social influence and approval as part of the
counselling experience.
In a small group, clients also stand a chance to experiment new behaviours with the support from other team
members through the given feedback. Say, if a client consistently feels embarrassed to talk in public, for example in
front of the class, the client can practice talking in the counselling group with encouragement from the other
members.

Normally, the client faces his problems alone and it is hard for him to view them in the right perspectives. In a smaller
group and with the help of the counsellor, he will feel less intimidated as he discovers that some other people have
their problems too. Group counselling provides the clients with chances to explore their problems and at the same
time share them with others.

When the members of a team share their problems with each other, it leads to the feeling of trust and respect for
each other as they exchange the information about the related problems. The group experience will create a support
system for the members. This makes the group as the source of regaining a new spirit and a sense of security among
the members.

Another advantage of group counselling is that the client will not only benefit from the feedback from the others, but
also be able to offer feedback to help other team members. This will help enhance the clients self concept.

Other elements that provide therapeutic value through group counselling are:

a. Promising hope to the clients;

b. Feeling safe and getting support;

c. Solidarity among the members;

d. Learning something from other members; and

e. Interpersonal learning.

A counsellor who really understands the therapeutic elements explained will be able to conduct the group counselling
more efficiently and effectively.

CONFIDENTIALITY IN COUNSELLING

Counselling whether it be individually or in a small group, involves clients self-disclosure that may not be expressed
outside a counselling session. The more the trust of the client toward the counsellor is, the easier it would be for the
client to discuss his or her problems with the counsellor. In theory, this helps the counsellor understand the way the
client perceives his or her problems. The client would also feel understood and secure as he or she gets the
counsellors support. This puts the counsellor as the most trusted person who will not leak his or her secrets to
anyone.

From the aspect of professional ethics, it is the counsellors responsibilities to preserve the confidentiality so that the
good rapport built is not wasted. If the client no longer trusts his or her counsellor, the good relationship will be at
stake and most likely he or she would refuse to meet the counsellor. Here are some principles of confidentiality that
may help the counsellor:

a. The burden of maintaining the confidentiality is not definitive as there are some situations that allow the
counsellor to repeat the secrets.

b. Confidentiality is maintained if it does not threaten other individuals rights or the public.
c. Confidentiality depends on the matters being kept confidential. If the issue which is said to be confidential
has been made public, the counsellor is no longer attached to the question of confidentiality.

The counsellor also needs to think about the safety of the client and avoid misusing the problems confided to him. To
avoid the counsellor from being charged at the court of fraudulence, the confidentiality of the client is crucial.
However, the counsellor is subject to making a shrewd judgment and thinking rationally when is the time
confidentiality may be exempt. The situations in which confidentiality may be violated are as follows:

i. The client is harming himself, herself or others.

ii. The client demands that his or her particulars be revealed.

iii. The court demands that the clients particulars be repeated.

iv. The counsellor suspects that there has been a child abuse case involved.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi