An effective counselor is trained to provide guidance on personal, social, and psychological issues. People become counselors because they want to help others, prevent difficulties, and help people reach their full potential. Key characteristics of effective counselors include being patient, genuine, active listeners, warm, trustworthy, empathetic, understanding, friendly, and showing acceptance. Counselors also take a systemic perspective on human development.

1. Define Counselor
“”
An Effective Counselor
- a person trained to give
guidance on personal, social, or
psychological problems.

2. Why Do People Become
Counselors?
“”
– Most believe they can really help people.
– Some have a desire to help those that are less
fortunate.
– Some want to help prevent people from having
difficulties in the first place.
– Some want to help people reach their full potential.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2004

3. Characteristics of an Effective
Counselor
Patient Genuine
Active Listener
WarmTrustworthy
Emphatic Understanding
Friendly
Shows Acceptance
Kind

4. Systemic Perspective
of Development
Additional Characteristics of Counselors

6.  J.L. Moreno (1934)
◦ It is a diagram of group interactions used to analyze
choices/ preferences within a group.
 Cronback (1990)
◦ It is a method of studying a social structure of groups.
◦ It gives further insight by identifying cliques,
hierarchies of leadership, and other social groupings.
Other definitions…
 A graphic representation of social links a person has.
 A chart / tools used to find the sociometry of social spaces.
A measurement of tallied
survey of human relationship

9. Drafting Sociometry and Sociograms
Sociometry
•Use simple chart to begin analysis in cases where there are
many pupils
•Each pupil’s name is listed vertically and horizontally,
keeping the names in same order in each case
•Vertical column is used to check each child’s choice
•Horizontal column is used to check the number of times
each child has been chosen
•The teacher then proceed to construct a sociogram to gain
additional insight into the social structure of the class

10. Sociograms
•The teacher may use a system of concentric circles, placing the children
who obtain the highest scores in the inner circle; the central circle is
drawn in a star shape
•Those who obtain the lowest scores are in the outer circle
•The class is divided and rank in four groups placing 25% of the class in
each circle
•To place children in their proper position on the concentric circle, a
small circle represents a boy and a triangle for a girl. In order to tell who
chose whom
•In cases the arrows connecting, but pointing in opposite direction shows
mutual choices
•Teachers may also use only arrows showing the choices of children
without the use of concentric circles in cases when the group is large.