EFFECTIVE COUNSELLING AND COUNSELLING SKILLS

 

COUNSELLING AND COUNSELLING SKILLS

COUNSELLING SKILLS:

Counselling is a process of assistance extended by an expert in an individual situation to a needy person. According Carl Rogers, counselling is a series of direct contact with the individual which aims to offer him assistance in changing the attitudes and behavior. Counselling involves two individuals, one seeking help and the other a professionally trained person who helps solve problems and orient and direct the other towards a goal. To help individuals become self-sufficient, self-dependent, and self-directed and to adjust themselves efficiently to the demands of a better meaningful life.

EFFECTIVE COUNSELLING SKILLS.

Counsellors use counselling skills to help them better understand and listen to the clients. Through active listening, rapport is built, trust forms and the speaker feels heard and understood by the counsellor or listener. Below are the basic counselling skills.

1 Silence on the side of the listener in order to listen to the patient.

2 Attending

3 Reflecting and paraphrasing

4 Rapport building

5 Focusing

6 Summarizing

7 Questions

CORE COUNSELLNG SKILLS.

Core listening skills are basic counselling skills or practice techniques that help the counsellor to empathetically listen to the speaker. The skills include…

1 Active listening

2 Being aware of nonverbal communication

3 Building rapport

There are certain behaviors to be aware of in counselling, they are…

BEHAVIOURS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN COUNSELLING

1 Counselling is not giving the information, though information may be present.

2 Counselling is not giving advice.

3 Counselling is not the influencing of attitudes, beliefs and behavior by persuading, admonishing, threatening or compelling with or without the use of physical force.

4 Counselling is not the selection of assignment of individuals to jobs.

5 Counselling is not interviewing, though interviewing is involved.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD COUNSELLOR.

Patience

Good listener

Observant

Knowledgeable

Personal integrity

Confidentiality

Warmth

Ability to maintain a therapeutic relationship with the client

Show empathy

STEPS IN THE COUNSELLING PROCESS

Identify a problem or difficulty

Formulating objectives

Determine interventions

Ending

Assess and evaluate progress

Apply to counsel

THE COUNSELLING PROCESS USING (GATHER)

G- Great the client

A- Ask about themselves

T- Tell the client or give information

H- Help the client to choose the method

E- Explain how to use the method

R- Return for follow up

SUPPORTIVE BEHAVIOR DURING COUNSELLING.

There are two supportive behaviors a person can employ during counselling. We have verbal behavior which uses language understood by the client. We also have non-verbal behavior which uses the tone of voice similar to that of the client.

The verbal behaviors use what we call as the (C.L.A.E.R) and the non-verbal behavior uses what we call the (R.O.L.E.S.O.M)

THE C.L.A.E.R

C- Clarify

L- Listen

A- Acknowledge.

E- Encourage

R- Reflect and repeat

THE R.O.L.E.S.O.M

R- Relax

O- Open and approachable

L- Lean towards client.

E- Eye contact

S- Smile and set comfortably

O- Occasionally nod the head

M- Maintain suitable distance.

THE PHASES OF COUNSELLING.

The phases of counselling have been divided into five (5) phases. At each phase some activities are performed to ensure the patient’s progress. The phases are

ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIP.

It is the core phase in the process of counselling

It includes each factor as: respect, trust and sense of comfort.

Begin the phase with adequate social skills

Introduce yourself

Listen attentively and remember the client’s name.

Always address the individual by his preferred name

Ensure physical comfort

Do not interrupt the individual while he is talking

Observe non-verbal communication

ASSESSMENT.

In this phase, individuals are encouraged to talk about their problems

Counsellor asks questions, collects data, observes and helps the client to clearly state his problems

It is also the data collecting phase

It involves several specific skills as observation, inquiry, making association among facts, making educated guesses and recording data should be done systematically and promptly.

SETTING GOALS

To provide direction to individuals and counsellor

It helps to know how well counselling is working and when counselling is concluded

This phase requires differentiation, teaching to think realistically and the skills of drawing inference.

INTERVENTION

After setting goals the question is “how shall we accomplish those goals”

The intervention used will depend on the approach used by the counsellor, the problem and the individuals.

The counselling skills needed are the skills in handling intervention, knowledge of its effects and ability to read client’s reactions

TERMINATION AND FOLLOW UP

It must be done without destroying the accomplishments gained

It should be done without sensitivity, intentions and by fading

Hence termination should be planned over few sessions

Follow up appointments can also be fixed.

The effects of counselling changes the individual, however the changes take stages. The stages of change are as follows.

STAGES OF CHANGE IN COUNSELLING

Precontemplation

At this stage, the individual has not yet considered change or is not willing or unable to change. At this stage it is advisable to raise awareness of the individual’s condition.

Contemplation.

There is the possibility of change but the individual is ambivalent and uncertain. The primary task at this stage is to resolve the ambivalence or helping to choose change

Determination

At this stage, the individual is committed to change but still considering what to do. The primary task at this stage is to help identify appropriate change strategies

Action

At this stage, the individual takes steps toward change but has not stabilized in the process. The primary task at this stage is to help implement change strategies and learn to eliminate potential relapses.

Maintenance.

The goals of the counselling has been achieved and the individual is working to maintain the change. Primary task is to develop skills for maintaining recovery.

Recurrence

It is possible that the individual can experience recurrence of symptoms. At this stage the primary task is to develop new skills for maintaining recovery.

 

QUESTIONS

 

Mr. Kent was admitted three days ago with the diagnoses of cancer, he was informed by her doctor that undergoing chemotherapy was her best option. He became very upset and frightened about the proposed treatment. As a nurse on duty, you have been assigned to Mr. Kent.

 

Briefly explain the term counselling.

Using the (GATHER), explain the counselling process you will use to help Mr. Kent.

Outline the five (5) supportive verbal behavior you will use during the counselling process of Mr. Kent.

Outline the seven (7) supportive non-verbal behavior you will use to during the counselling process of Mr. Kent.