Basic counselling skills

1. BASIC
COUNSELLING
SKILLS
FLORENCE MWAURA | 28/06/23

2. OVERVIEW
DEFINITION
OF
COUSELLING
ETHICAL
ISSUES IN
COUNSELLING
THE PROCESS
OF
COUNSELLING
COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

3. TRAINING SURVEY
QUESTIONS
• Do you know what counselling is?
• What do you think the primary aim of counselling is?
• When do you feel counselling maybe needed?
• Have you had any formal education on the act of counselling?
• Would you feel confident counselling a teenage pupil in crisis?
• What would you do if you were approached by a teenage pupil
in crisis?

4. COUNSELLING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_7
H9RlL75k

5. DEFINITION OF TERMS
What is counselling Aims of counselling Key characteristics
of an effective
counsellor.

6. DEFINITION
OF
COUNSELLING
Counselling is a process based on a relationship that is build on;
• Empathy
• Acceptance and
• Trust

7. WHAT IT IS NOT
Giving Advice
Being Judgmental
Attempting to sort out problems of the client
Getting emotionally involved with the client
Placing personal values on the client

8. AIMS OF STUDENT
COUNSELLING
1
• To assist learners in exploring their
problems
• Build the self awareness of learners
• To reduce worry and other negative
emotions
2
• To guide learners in their recovery from
and adaptation to difficult circumstances.
• To encourage and develop special
abilities and right attitudes.
• Improve the learners ability to make and
maintain relationships.

9. AN EFFECTIVE
COUNSELLOR
EMPATHY
ACTIVE
LISTENER
VALUE
ORIENTED
UPR
• Has Empathy
• Is an active listener
• Reflects on the feelings of
their client
• Asks questions for clarity
• Affirms the client
• Practices unconditional
positive regard
• Is value oriented

10. ETHICAL ISSUES IN
COUNSELLING
In groups of 10, discuss the case study below and answer the questions.
After discovering that one of her students tweeted foul language about her, a school teacher
confronted the teenager during a lesson on social media etiquette. Inquiring why the student would
post such hurtful messages that could harm the teacher's reputation, the student replied that she was
upset at the time. The teacher responded that she was very upset by the student's actions. The teacher
demanded a public apology in front of the class, and the student apologized. The teacher later stated
that she would not allow young brats to call her those names. The school teacher uploaded a video of
this confrontation online, attracting much attention.

11. ETHICAL ISSUES IN
COUNSELLING
Discussion Questions.
1) In trying to teach the student a lesson about taking responsibility for her actions, did
the teacher go too far and become a bully? Why or why not? Does she deserve to be
fired for her actions?
2) What punishment does the student deserve? Why?
3) Who is the victim in this case? The teacher or the student? Was one victimized more
than the other? Explain.
4) Do victims have the right to defend themselves against bullies? What if they go
through the proper channels to report bullying and it doesn’t stop?
5) How should compassion play a role in judging other’s actions?
6) How are factors like age and gender used to “excuse” unethical behavior? (ie. “Boys
will be boys” or “She’s too young/old to understand that what she did is wrong”) Can
you think of any other factors that are sometimes used to excuse unethical behavior?

12. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Confidentiality
Setting and
maintaining
boundaries
Impartiality
Do no harm
Professionalism

13. THE PROCESS OF COUNSELLING
Step 1
Relationship building
Step 2
Problem assessment
Step 3
Goal setting
Step 4
Counselling Intervention
Step 5
Evaluation and termination.

14. STEP 1: RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
• Building a relationship focuses on engaging clients to
explore issues that directly affect them.
• The teacher establishes rapport with the student based
on trust, respect and mutual purpose.
• 3 conditions are key in relationship building as follows;
Empathy
Genuineness
Warmth

15. Empathy
• Refers to the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their
point of view, and imagine yourself in their place. Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone
else's position and feeling what they are feeling.
• Tips for rapport building;
 Introduce yourself
 Invite client to sit down
 Ensure client is comfortable
 Address the client by name
 Invite social conversation to reduce anxiety
 Watch for nonverbal behavior as signs of client’s emotional state
 Invite client to describe his or her reason for coming to talk
 Allow client time to respond
 Indicate that you are interested in the person

16. • Refers to a set of attitudes and behaviors essential to a high level counselling
process. The genuine teacher counsellor is one who is congruent, spontaneous,
non-defensive, consistent and comfortable with the client.
 Congruence: means that your words, actions and feelings are consistent. In other
words, what you say corresponds to how you feel, look and act. .
 Spontaneous: this is the ability to express oneself and with tactful honesty without
having to screen your response through some social filter.
 Positive Regard: Rogers placed importance that the counsellor treats the client as a
person with inherent worth and dignity regardless of the client’s behavior or
appearance.
Genuineness

17. Refers to ability to communicate and demonstrate genuine caring and concern for
clients. Using this ability, counsellors convey their acceptance of clients, their desire
for client’s well- being, and their sincere interest finding workable solutions to the
problems that clients present. Warmth can be communicated also through nonverbal
behaviors such as a smile, tone of voice, facial expression. Warmth indicates to the
client acceptance.
Warmth

18. STEP 2; PROBLEM ASSESSMENT
♦Refers to anything counsellors do to gather information and draw
conclusions about the concerns of clients. Assessment takes place at the
beginning of the counselling process. But, some degree of assessment
takes place throughout the counselling process with purpose of finding
missing pieces of the puzzle, i.e. the client. According to Seligman
(1996), assessment should attempt to recognize the importance and
uniqueness of the client.

19. SUMMARY
Counselling is based on 3
foundations; Empathy,
Acceptance and trust.
Counselling is important as
it helps guide the learners
through difficult situations.
4 core conditions make an
effective counsellors, Value
oriented, empathy, active
listening and unconditional
positive regard.

20. THE END