What
is Counselling?
What is
Counselling?
Counselling is a
process that helps individuals explore and understand the negative feelings,
thoughts, behaviors, and reactions they may experience in life. A counsellor's
role is to support people in addressing and working through these challenges,
helping them find ways to cope and improve their well-being. Sometimes,
individuals may feel low or negative without an obvious reason, and in such
cases, a combination of talking therapies and medication can be beneficial.
Counseling is a confidential process where individuals can
explore personal and emotional difficulties with a trained professional. The
role of the counsellor is to listen without judgment, help the person
understand their thoughts and feelings, and support them in finding ways to
manage or resolve their issues.
For People with Learning Disabilities:
Counseling is a private and safe space where you can talk
about things that are worrying or upsetting you. A counsellor is someone who
listens carefully, helps you understand your thoughts and feelings, and
supports you to find ways that might help you feel better. They won't judge you
or tell you what to do—they will work with you to find what’s best for you.
Examples of Supporting Others Through
Counseling or Advocacy
1.
Supporting a Client’s Needs in a Medical Setting:
A hospital counsellor helps a patient with a learning disability understand
their diagnosis and treatment options by using simple language and visual aids.
The counsellor also speaks with doctors and nurses to make sure the patient's
communication needs are respected and their emotional wellbeing is considered
during care.
2.
Promoting a Social Cause:
An advocate with lived experience of mental health challenges gives a talk at a
community event to raise awareness about the importance of accessible mental
health services. They share personal stories to help reduce stigma and
encourage people to seek support without shame.
3.
Speaking Up for Underrepresented Groups:
A disability rights campaigner works with local government to improve access to
public transport. They collect stories from people with mobility issues and
present these as evidence to decision-makers, helping ensure policies are
inclusive and fair.
Using
Personal Experience to Support and Inspire Others:
Having grown up with undiagnosed ADHD and learning disabilities, I now use my
experiences to support others through writing, public speaking, and mentoring.
As a Visiting Lecturer, I’ve helped student professionals understand the
real-life challenges faced by people with hidden disabilities. I share stories
from my life—not just the difficulties, but also the resilience and support
that made a difference—so future practitioners can learn how to listen, adapt,
and advocate for those who are often misunderstood
For Student Professionals (e.g. social
work, health, education students):
Counseling is a confidential therapeutic process in which
individuals can explore emotional, psychological, or situational difficulties
with a trained counsellor. The counsellor’s role is to create a safe,
non-judgmental space, facilitate self-awareness, and empower clients to develop
coping strategies or solutions that work for them. In the context of supporting
people with learning disabilities or mental health challenges, the counsellor
may also need to adapt their approach to meet the communication and cognitive
needs of the client.
You rightly point out that how we think, feel, behave, and
interact significantly impacts our work and relationships. Basic counselling
skills are valuable for everyone, not just professional counsellors, and can be
applied in numerous situations beyond formal therapy:
·
Workplace Relevance: Essential for staff and management in
schools, colleges, universities, and other workplaces to foster understanding
and prevent misunderstandings.
·
Broad Applicability: Useful in personal relationships with
parents, children, friends, family, and even in interactions with strangers.
·
Addressing Service Gaps: With professional counselling
services often stretched thin, individuals with basic skills can offer initial
support.
Fundamental Principles Offering Support (Ethical
Considerations)
You've correctly identified crucial ethical guidelines when
offering support:
·
Person-Centered: The individual and their well-being are
paramount.
·
Privacy and Confidentiality:
o
Create a Safe Space: Ensure a quiet, private environment for
discussions.
o
Maintain Secrecy: Do not disclose the content of
conversations without explicit permission from the individual.
o
Informed Consent for Sharing: Only share information with
individuals the person has authorized.
·
Exceptions to Confidentiality (Duty to Warn/Protect):
o
Safety Concerns: If there's a genuine concern for the
person's safety (or the safety of others).
o
Workplace Protocol: Inform a boss or designated person
(letting the individual know why this step is being taken).
o
Non-Workplace Protocol: May involve contacting mental health
services or the person's family, depending on the situation and your role.
Core Basic Counselling Skills
Here's a structured look at the essential skills you've
listed:
1.
Building Rapport and Relationship:
o
Introductions: Introduce yourselves.
o
Creating Comfort: Offer a drink, share a little about
yourself and your role (if applicable).
o
Inviting Openness: Encourage the person to talk about
themselves.
2.
Understanding the Issue:
o
Problem Identification: Gently ask about the problem or
situation.
3.
Active Listening Skills: This is a cornerstone and involves
several components:
o
Information Gathering: Let the person talk freely while you
make mental or written notes.
o
Nonverbal Communication Awareness: Pay attention to body
language, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues from the person, and be
mindful of your own.
o
Attending: Give your undivided attention. Show you are
present and engaged.
o
Reflection: Verbally reflect back the feelings and content
the person is expressing to show you are listening and understanding (e.g.,
"It sounds like you're feeling very frustrated about...").
o
Paraphrasing: Restate what the person has said in your own
words to ensure understanding. Crucially, ask for confirmation: "Have I
understood that correctly?" If not, revisit the point.
o
Clarifying: Use open-ended questions to gain more specific
information and reduce ambiguity (e.g., "Can you tell me more about where
this happened?" or "What was that like for you?"). Avoid
questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no."
o
Focusing: Keep the conversation centered on the person and
their primary concerns or problems.
o
Summarizing: Periodically sum up the main points and
feelings discussed to provide a sense of closure to a topic or to transition,
ensuring shared understanding (e.g., "So, it seems the main things
troubling you right now are X, Y, and Z, and you're feeling quite overwhelmed
by it all. Is that right?").
4.
Immediacy and Action Planning (Empowerment):
o
Feedback: Offer constructive feedback carefully and
thoughtfully.
o
Exploring Options: Discuss potential options and suggestions
for what the person could do.
o
Empowering Choice: Emphasize that the decision ultimately
rests with the individual. You are there to support, not to direct.
o
Consequences: Help them explore the likely outcomes of
different choices (both action and inaction).
o
Coping Strategies: Explore and suggest safer coping
mechanisms. You've provided excellent examples:
§ Expressive writing
§ Drawing or scribbling
§ Safe physical tension release (ice cubes,
rubber bands)
§ Calming or expressive music
§ Physical activity
§ Grounding techniques (to connect with the
present moment, e.g., noticing 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch,
etc.)
o
Patience and Individuality: Acknowledge that finding
effective strategies takes time and varies from person to person.
Counselling Types and Mentoring
While your text focuses heavily on basic counselling skills
applicable in many contexts, it also touches on "Counselling types"
and "mentoring."
·
Counselling Types: This is a broad area. Professional
counselling encompasses many theoretical approaches and specializations, such
as:
o
Psychodynamic Therapy: Focuses on unconscious processes and
past experiences.
o
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Focuses on identifying
and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors.
o
Humanistic Therapy (e.g., Person-Centered Therapy):
Emphasizes self-acceptance, growth, and the client's inherent capacity for
healing.
o
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Concentrates on
solutions rather than problems.
o
Family Systems Therapy: Views problems in the context of the
family unit.
o
And many more... The basic skills you've outlined are
foundational and often integrated across these different types.
·
Mentoring: Mentoring is a developmental relationship where a
more experienced or knowledgeable person (the mentor) guides a less experienced
person (the mentee). While distinct from formal counselling, effective
mentoring absolutely relies on many of the basic counselling skills you've
detailed:
o
Rapport building
o
Active listening
o
Asking clarifying and open questions
o
Providing feedback
o
Helping to explore options and set goals Mentoring in
workplaces, schools, and universities is indeed crucial for staff and student
development, skill-building, career progression, and fostering a supportive
environment. Good mentors use counselling skills to understand their mentees'
needs, challenges, and aspirations.
In summary, your points effectively underscore the universal
value of basic counselling skills. They are not just for professionals but are
essential life skills that enhance communication, build stronger relationships,
and provide crucial support in a world where formal help can sometimes be hard
to access. Your emphasis on ethical conduct, particularly privacy and
appropriate disclosure, is also vital.
Sources
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