This document discusses different approaches to child counseling. It emphasizes self-theory and existential views which examine personal values in addition to behavioral and cognitive techniques. Effective counseling requires building a relationship with the child through empathy, unconditional positive regard, and being congruent. Counselors respond to children in intuitive, theoretical, or pragmatic ways. The counseling process involves initiating the relationship, providing structure, closing sessions properly, and active listening throughout.

1. CHILD COUNSELING
The approach emphasizes self-
theory-existential view, which expands
to include the planning and
examination of values that are
characteristic of behavioral and
therapy approaches.

2. RELATIONSHIPAND TECHNIQUE
Steffire and Matheny
note that self theory has
developed in the direction of
acknowledging the importance
of the relationship and of
counseling attitudes while
deemphasizing technique;

3. As Blocher indicates, the counselor
will tend to respond in one of three
ways:
1)immediate-intuitive response mode
2)cognitive-theoretical response mode
3)empirical-pragmatic response mode

4.  Rogers posits the necessary and sufficient
conditions for a therapeutic relationship without
specific reference to technique.
1) the counselee and counselor are in contact with
each other;
1) the counselee is in a state of incongruence,
experiencing anxiety or vulnerability;
1) the counselor is congruent in the relationship;

5. 4. the counselor experiences unconditional positive
regard toward the counselee;
5. the counselor experiences empathic
understanding of the counselee’s internal frame of
reference;
6. the counselee at least minimally perceives the
counselor’s unconditional positive regard and his
empathic understanding.

6. AN EXISTENTIALATTITUDE
 The existentially oriented counseling
relationship embodies counselor attitudes
toward the counselee that are relevant to the
moment and significant to the experience
underway.

7. As Moustakas puts it,
the counselor conveys
to the child by his
words and his actions.

8.  Leona Tyler has questioned the concept
of personality reconstruction as an
objective in counseling and has
suggested that minimum change
through counseling is more appropriate
for many individuals.

9. PHASES IN COUNSELING
1.INITIATING COUNSELING
The precise way of initiating counseling cannot be
prescribed, yet certain guidelines may be of assistance.
 Attention can be given directly to the purpose of the
child’s self-referral;
 Attention can be given to the immediate response of
counselee;
 Attention can be given to the need of the referred child to
understand why he is being seen by the counselor.

10. 1. PROVIDING STRUCTURE
Brammer and Shostrom point out that
structuring, in actuality, is a continuous
process, but that “format structuring” may
necessarily come early with some
counselees and may need clarification at
later points in their relationship.

11. 1.CLOSING AND INTERVIEW OR RELATIONSHIP
In managing the closing, the counselor should strive
for brevity and straightforwardness.
 Closing and Interview.
 Terminating a Counseling Relationship
 Children’s Terminal Comments.

12. 1. LISTENING AND FOCUSING PHASE
Deep listening is crucial in all phases of
counseling, but especially so in the earliest
contacts. Inexperienced counselors too often
zero in on the first stated concerns of the
counselee, either to plan behavior change, to
the explore the affective components, or to
examine the history behind it.