Counselling Competencies: Qualities, Skills, and Attitudes of a Professional Counselor

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Explore the essential competencies of a counselor, including qualities like accurate perception and acceptance, skills like listening and summarizing, and attitudes like creativity and flexibility. Gain insights into ethical issues, obstacles, and the importance of self-awareness in the field of counseling.

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Dr. Jaimon Varghese Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 1

Learner Objectives 1. Develop holistic understanding of counselling as a tool for help 2. Acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes for counselling 3. Develop insight in need and areas of counselling in different situations 4. To develop counselling competencies in students for working in various specialized set ups Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 2

Unit - 5 Counsellor as a professional 1. Competencies: Qualities, skills, attitudes, values and personality of a counselor 2. Obstacles in counselling 3. Ethical issues in counselling 4. Stress and burnout Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 3

5. 1. Competencies Qualities of a counselor skills of a counselor attitudes of a counselor values of a counselor personality of a counselor Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 4

5. 1.1 Qualities of a counselor Accurate perception of reality Acceptance, self and others Spontaneous Problem centred Can separate and seek privacy Autonomy Social interest Democratic character Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 5

5. 1.1 Qualities of a counselor Ethical Sense of humour Creative Flexible Gracious Good social skills and dignity Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 6

5. 1.2 Skills of a counselor Listening and attending Paraphrasing Summarizing Asking questions Encouraging clients to be specific Reflecting their feelings Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 7

5. 1.2 Skills of a counselor Helping them to clarify their thoughts Encouraging them to focus on key issues Offering forms of challenge and confrontation when needed. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 8

5. 1.3 Attitudes of a counselor easily establishes rapport with the client shows empathy is intuitive. He is able to read between the lines feels warmth towards his client able to accept his client' as a good and deserving human being irrespective of the problems under consideration Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 9

5. 1.3 Attitudes of a counselor more important to listen than to talk able to gain his client's confidence does not criticize or sit in judgment upon the client does not offer advice; rather, he understands and guides does not impose his opinions, beliefs, and values upon his client Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 10

5. 1.3 Attitudes of a counselor sensitive to the client's emotional state Patient Optimistic has a sense of humour focuses the session around the patient alone, and does not allow any aspect of his personal life to contaminate the session Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 11

5. 1.4 Values of a counselor Counseling is a profession. Counseling deals with personal, social, vocational empowerment, and educational concerns. Counseling is conducted with persons who are considered to function within the normal range. Counseling is theory based and takes place in a structured setting. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 12

5. 1.4 Values of a counselor Counseling is a process in which clients learn how to make decision and formulate new ways of behaving, feeling and thinking. Counseling encompasses various subspecialties Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 13

5. 1.5 Personality of a counselor an understanding of self and a detailed awareness of the impact of oneself on others Self disclosure is a powerful tool ability to confront a client competent in their communication an internal source of motivation and drive and seeks growth instead of external approval Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 14

5. 1.5 Personality of a counselor Confidentiality is the key of successful counseling Empathy allows you to see the situation from the other person s view Counselors achieve credibility by being honest and consistent in their statements and actions Counselors take risks everyday and face rejection by their clients Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 15

5. 1.5 Personality of a counselor not racist and does not discriminate against others who are different from himself or herself not ego-centered but chooses to help others out of concern for others and not for glorification of the self Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 16

5. 2. Obstacles in counselling Flight into Health Transference Counter Transference Dependence Resistance External Interference Omniscience and Omnipotence Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 17

5. 3. Ethical issues in counselling Violation of confidentiality. Exceeding one s level of professional competence. Negligent practice. Claiming expertise one does not possess. Imposing one s values on a client. Creating dependency in a client Sexual activity with client Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 18

5. 3. Ethical issues in counselling Certain conflicts of interest, such as a dual relationship - where the role of the counsellor is combined with another relationship either personal or professional Questionable financial arrangements, such as charging excessive fess Improper advertising Plagiarism Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 19

5. 4. Stress and burnout of counsellors The burnout syndrome is a stress- induced emotional state, which interferes with emotional, personal, interpersonal and occupational functioning. Impaired emotional functioning may be characterized by loss of enthusiasm and motivation, anxiety, depression, boredom, pessimism and cynicism. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 20

5. 4. Stress and burnout of counsellors Impaired personal functioning may be characterized by fatigue, laziness, negligence, loss of originality and creativity, vulnerability to alcoholism and psychosomatic disorders, etc. Irritability, decreased concern and caring, family disharmony, withdrawal, etc. may characterize impaired interpersonal functioning. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 21

5. 4. Stress and burnout of counsellors Impaired occupational functioning may be characterized by decreased efficiency, absenteeism, procrastination, working to rule, the desire to quit, etc. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 22

5. 4. Stress and burnout of counsellors do's and don'ts that counsellors can practice to help guard against burnout. 1) See fewer rather than more clients. 2) Take breaks between each session. 3) Discuss your cases with a colleague so that the responsibility is shared. 4) Stay emotionally detached from the lives of your clients. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 23

5. 4. Stress and burnout of counsellors 5) Do not take counselling failures personally; remember, if a client does not improve with counselling, it need not necessarily reflect upon your competence. 6) Lead a healthy social and family life. Never carry your caseload home. 7) Lead a healthy leisure life. 8) Utilize other avenues to relax. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 24

Recommended Reading: 1. Gracious Thomas (Ed.) (2010) Case Work and Counselling: Working with Individuals, New Delhi: School of Social Work, IGNOU 2. Colin, Feltham (1995) What is Counselling, New Delhi : Sage Publication 3. Gibson Robert, Mitchell Marianne (2005) Introduction to Counselling and Guidance (6th Edition), New Delhi : Person Education Pvt. Ltd. 4. Hackney Harold, Sherilyn Cormier (1979) Counselling Strategies and Objectives, New Jersey : Prentice Hall Inc. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 25

Recommended Reading: 5. Madhukar Indira (2000) Guidance and Counselling, New Delhi : Authors Press 6. Miller Ewan (2007) Person Centered Counselling Psychology, New Delhi : Sage Publication 7. Patri Vasantha (2001) Counselling Psychology, New Delhi : Authors Press 8. Rao, Narayan (1995) Counselling and Guidance, New Delhi : Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Co, Ltd. 9. Barki, B. G. Mukhopadyay, B. (1991) Guidance and counseling, New Delhi : Sterling Publishers, Pvt. Ltd. Wednesday, 19 March 2025 Counselling: Theory & Practice 26