Maintaining and developing a counselling relationship 
Maintaining and developing a counselling relationship
Counselling is a process that enables a person to clarify issues that are problematic and to take decisions about managing their lives better. “Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of sense of direction or purpose. It is always at the request of the client as no one can properly be ‘sent’ for counselling’ (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 2009).
Counselling is a special form of communication it can be carried out by professionals or through a family member or close friend for example. It involves one person helping another through listening and being guided by theories about the cause of the problems, and the methods needed to help. Counselling aims to help people clarify and address their problems. Counselling needs to be a relationship of trust. Confidentiality is paramount to successful counselling.
Counselling is not advice and your own opinion. It is not attempting to sort out the problems of the client. In some relationships the helper is judgemental. In counselling the counsellor is there to help the client, and doesn’t expect help or advice from the client in return. Some helpers may offer sympathy rather than empathy. Counselling is not expecting or encouraging a client to behave in a way in which the counsellor may have behaved when confronted with a similar problem in their life. Also counselling isn’t getting emotionally involved with the client.
Who uses counselling in their job roles?
Social workers
Nurses, health visitors, midwifes
Occupational therapists and speech therapists
Probation staff
Prison staff
Teachers
Youth workers
Professional counsellors
People access counselling for many reasons, for example:
Bereavement
Issues from the past
Eating disorders
HIV and AIDS
Phobias and
Counselling is a process that enables a person to clarify issues that are problematic and to take decisions about managing their lives better. “Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of sense of direction or purpose. It is always at the request of the client as no one can properly be ‘sent’ for counselling’ (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 2009).
Counselling is a special form of communication it can be carried out by professionals or through a family member or close friend for example. It involves one person helping another through listening and being guided by theories about the cause of the problems, and the methods needed to help. Counselling aims to help people clarify and address their problems. Counselling needs to be a relationship of trust. Confidentiality is paramount to successful counselling.
Counselling is not advice and your own opinion. It is not attempting to sort out the problems of the client. In some relationships the helper is judgemental. In counselling the counsellor is there to help the client, and doesn’t expect help or advice from the client in return. Some helpers may offer sympathy rather than empathy. Counselling is not expecting or encouraging a client to behave in a way in which the counsellor may have behaved when confronted with a similar problem in their life. Also counselling isn’t getting emotionally involved with the client.
Who uses counselling in their job roles?
Social workers
Nurses, health visitors, midwifes
Occupational therapists and speech therapists
Probation staff
Prison staff
Teachers
Youth workers
Professional counsellors
People access counselling for many reasons, for example:
Bereavement
Issues from the past
Eating disorders
HIV and AIDS
Phobias and
References: Sinha S.May 09, 2013. [www].slideshare.net/CounsellingPeople/basic-counselling-skills-20851105 accessed: 27/03/2015 Powerpoint on moodle Health Psychology Consultancy [www]healthpsychologyconsultancy.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/ending-counselling-sessions-smoothly/ date accessed: 13/04/15