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CONTENT
Sl no. Particulars Page No.
1. Introduction 1
2. Concept of counselling 1
3. Meaning of counselling 1
4. Definition of counselling 1
5. Nature of counselling 2
6. Scope of counselling 3
7. Individual Counselling 3
8. Marital and Pre-marital Counselling 4
9. Family Counselling 5
10. Objectives of Counselling 5
11. Stages of counselling process 5
12. Counseling techniques 7
13. Ethical Principles of Counselling 9
14. Merits of counselling 10
15. Demerits of counselling 10
16. Conclusion 11
17. Reference 11

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Concept, scope, objectives, stages, techniques and ethical
principles of counselling
Introduction
Counselling gives ideas and practice which can be of use in understanding
human growth and emotional development. It helps persons to develop skills for self-
reflection as a way of enhancing self-awareness and to plan for your own personal and career
development.
Concept of counselling
Counselling is a scientific process of assistance extended by an expert in an
individual situation to a needy person. Counselling involves relationship between two persons
in which one of them (counsellor) attempts to assist the other (counselee or client) is so
organizing himself as to attain a particular form of happiness, adjusting to a life situation or
in short self-actualization.
Meaning of counselling
 Counselling is the service offered to the individual who is undergoing a problem and
needs professional help to overcome it.
 The problem keeps him disturbed high strung and under tension and unless it is solved
his development is hampered or stunted.
 Counseling therefore is a more specialized service requiring training in personality
development and handling unique groups of individuals.
Definition of counselling
According to Willey and Andrew “Counselling involves two individuals one seeking help
and other a professionally trained person helped solved problems to orient and direct him to
words a goals. This needs to his maximum development and growth.”
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia-“Counselling is the activity of the
counsellor, or a professional who counsels people, especially on personal problems and
difficulties”.

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Nature of counselling
 The counsellor functions in a broad spectrum verging upon psychotherapy at one
boundary and upon advice giving at the other and May also enrich the skills of others
in the caring professions.
 The counselling involves two people
Scope of counselling
Scope of practice is terminology from the regulatory field. It typically appears in
statutory legislation and it is intended to set out and define the professional services,
including the procedures and processes which the licensed professionals under the legislation
are permitted to provide.
There is some scope of Counseling such as:
 Individual Counselling
 Marital and Pre-marital Counselling
 Family Counselling

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Individual Counselling
 Adolescent identity, concerns, teen-parent relationships, peer relationships
 Anxiety
 Anger management
 Children’s concerns within the family unit, sibling relationships, school experiences,
peer relationships
 Depression
 Family of origin dynamics and issues
 Gender: identity, sexuality, homosexuality
 Grief and bereavement
 Relationships: personal and interpersonal dynamics
 Sexual abuse recovery
 Seniors: challenges, limitations, transitions
 Singles: single, newly single, single through divorce or being widowed
 Spirituality
 Stress management
 Workplace stress and relationships
 Young adult: identity, relationships, vocation
Marital and Pre-marital Counselling
 Marital and relational dynamics
 Extended family relationships
 Fertility issues

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Family Counselling
 Adolescent and child behaviours within family dynamics
 Adult children
 Divorce and separation issues and adjustment
 Family dynamics: estrangement, conflict, communication
 Family of origin / extended family issues
 Life stages and transitions
 Parenting patterns: blended, single, co-parenting families
 Remarriage relationship counselling
Objectives of Counselling
The main objective of counselling is to bring about a voluntary change in the client. For
this purpose the counsellor provides facilities to help achieve the desired change or make the
suitable choice.
According to Duns moor and miller, the objectives of Counselling are:-
1. To give the student information on matters important to success.
2. To get information about student which will be of help in solving his problems?
3. To establish a feeling of mutual understanding between student and teacher.
4. To help the student work out a plan for solving his difficulties.
5. To help the student know himself better-his interests, abilities, aptitudes, and opportunities.
6. To encourage and develop special abilities and right attitudes.
7. To inspire successful endeavour toward attainment.
8. To assist the student in planning for educational and vocational choices.
Stages of counselling process

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There are 6 stages in counselling process
Stage One: Relationship building
Stage Two: Assessment and diagnosis
Stage Three: Formulation of counseling goals
Stage Four: Intervention and problem solving
Stage Five: Termination and Follow Up
Stage Six: Research and evaluation
Stage One: Relationship building
It includes:
 Laying foundations for trust
 Establishing the structure and form the relationship will take
 Informed consent process
 Articulating roles of counselor and client – developing a collaborative working
alliance
Stage Two: Assessment and diagnosis
 Gathering information to promote understanding of client’s situation and perspective.
 Phenomenological Completion of intake/of psychosocial Standardized (e.g.
psychological tests) and Non standardized (e.g. clinical interview) tools.
Completion of Risk Assessment where appropriate Diagnosis.
Stage Three: Formulation of counseling goals
Enhances sense of ownership and motivation – factors important in the change process. Well
identified goals help create a roadmap and means to evaluate .Goals may change, evolve as
therapy progresses
Five categories counseling goal
1. To change an unwanted or unwelcome behavior
2. to better cope

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3. To make and implement decisions
4. To enhance relationships
5. to help client’s journey of growth toward achieving potential
Nystul (2003)
Stage Four: Intervention and problem solving
 Intervention has looked at the problem and ways they might approach it.
 Confrontation vs. Carefrontation
 Self-Disclosure as appropriate
 A clear, simple plan toward goals
Stage Five: Termination and Follow Up
Counselor always mindful of avoiding fostering dependency and is aware of own needs.
Preparation for termination begins long before Open door / plan for possibility of future need.
Termination considered not just at end of successful relationship, but also is considered when
it seems counseling is not being helpful
Stage Six: Research and evaluation
Really completed throughout the counseling process – reflected in
*Generating hypotheses
*Trying intervention strategies
*Determining if/when goal is met a plan for evaluation
Counseling techniques
Counseling Techniques Used by Counsellors
Counselling techniques there are many different techniques that counsellors can use with
their clients. Some of the techniques that we feel to be most effective during a counseling
session:
1. Spheres of Influence
2. Clarification

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3. Client Expectations
4. Core Conditions
5. Encouraging
6. Engagement
7. Focusing
Spheres of Influence:
 This assessment tool will get the individual to look at areas of their life and see which
areas may be impacting and influencing them.
 The person’s job is to figure out which systems in their life give them strength, and
which ones give them stress.
 Some spheres of influence to consider are: themselves, immediate family, friends,
husband or wife, extended family, job or school, community, culture or religion, and
any external influences.
Clarification:
 A counselor should often ask their client to clarify what they are telling them to make
sure they understand the situation correctly.
 This will help the counselor avoid any misconceptions or avoid them having to make
any assumptions that could hinder their feedback.
Client Expectations:
 When a person enters therapy, they should voice their opinions about counseling and
their beliefs about treatment.
 In the beginning, they should be able to communicate with their counselor as to what
they expect to get out of counseling.
 This can help the counselor guide and direct their counseling accordingly.
Core Conditions:
 This technique in counseling goes over some essential traits that the counselor needs
to integrate for effective counseling, which are: positive regard, empathy, congruence
or genuineness, and warmth.
Encouraging:

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 Being encouraging as a counselor for your client is an essential technique that will
help facilitate confidence and respect between both parties.
 This technique asks that the counselor focus on the client’s strengths and assets to
help them see themselves in a positive light.
 This will help with the client’s progression.
Engagement:
 As a therapist, having a good, yet professional relationship with your client is
essential.
 However, there are bound to be difficult moments in counseling sessions, which will
require influential engagement on the counsellor’s behalf.
Focusing:
 This technique involves the counselor demonstrating that they understand what their
client is experiencing by using non-judgmental attention without any words.
 Focusing can help the counselor determine what the client needs to obtain next from
their services.
Ethical Principles of Counselling
Some of the Ethical Principles of Counselling are discussed below:
1. Confidentiality and Privileged Communication:
 Confidentiality plays a major role in defining the communication between a
counsellor and a client.
 Counsellors should respect the privacy of their clients and preserve the confidentiality
of information acquired in the course of their work. Trust is the backbone of therapy.
2. Autonomy
 Counsellors should make every effort to foster self-determination and individual
responsibility on the part of clients.
 It’s a respect for the client right to be self-governing.
 This principle emphasizes the clients’ commitment to participate in counselling,
usually on a voluntary basis, to seek informed consent, protect privacy, informing the
client of any conflicts once they become
3. Beneficence

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 A commitment to promoting the clients security.
 This principle means to act in the best interest of your client.
 To provide service based on training/ experience.
4. Non-maleficence
 A commitment to avoiding harm to the client.
 This principle is to avoid sexual, financial and emotional or any form of
exploitation.
 In India where there are no specified rules for same sex therapist/ counsellor
this becomes pertinent.
5. Justice
 Counsellor needs to provide fair, impartial and adequate service to all clients.
 To provide just and equal opportunity, disregarding their personal and social
characteristics which might give rise to discrimination/ oppression.
 Respect for human rights and dignity should actually reflect in their work.
6. Self-Respect
 Fostering the practitioners self-knowledge and care for self. Seeking
counselling for appropriate personal, professional support and development.
 To keep update on training, active encouragement in life enhancing activities
and relationships.
Merits of counselling
 It is less time consuming; hence this method can be adopted when an early solution is
required
 This method is best; less matured and less intelligent client interact with an
experienced counsellor
 This is best method as lower levels where the client is not in a position to analyse his
own problem
 In this methods, the counsellor becomes readily available to help the client which
makes the client very happy
Demerits of counselling
 It is usually more time consuming
 It is not suitable for a less matured and less intelligent counselee

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 The counsellor’s passive attitude might irritate the counselee so much that he might
hesitate to express his feelings.
 It is not possible in schools because the counsellor has to attend many pupils
Conclusion
Counseling as a dominant role in the present day education system.it helps the students to
acquire ability which promote self-direction and self-realization. It have three functions
namely adjust mental, orientational and developmental which are needed to maintain a
healthy climate in the educational sector.
It helps the teacher and student to become more professional so that they can face
the challenges badly. Its main purpose is to help the students or individual to help himself.
Reference
1. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/counselling.html
2. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/counselling
3. https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NOE.What-is-Counselling-
A-Search-for-a-Definition.pdf
4. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/counselling