INTRODUCTION
Counselling
is often referred to as the heart of any guidance program. It is a process of assistance extended by an
expert to a needy person in an individual situation. According to English H.B.
(1958) counselling is "a relationship in which one person endeavors to help
another to understand and solve his adjustment problems".
According
to Hahn and McLean "Counselling is a process which takes place in a
one-to-one relationship between an individual troubled by problems with which
he cannot cope alone and a professional worker whose training and experience
have qualified him to help others reach solutions to various type of personal
problems".
There
are many more definitions of
counselling. To summarize, counselling is aimed at :
·
bringing about desired changes in the individual for
self realization.
·
providing help
to solve problems
through an intimate relationship.
·
personality development.
·
prevention of serious emotional
difficulties.
·
helping an
individual to gain
self-understanding, self
acceptance and self realization.
·
achieving positive mental health.
·
improving personal effectiveness.
AREAS OF COUNSELLING
1.
Educational
Counselling
A
term first coined by Truman Kelley in 1914, educational counselling is a
process of rendering services to pupils who need assistance in making decisions
about important aspects of their education, such as the choice of courses and
studies, decisions regarding interests and ability, and choices of college and
high school. Educational counselling increases a pupil's knowledge of
educational opportunities.
2.
Personal/Social
Counselling
Personal counselling deals with
emotional distress and behavioral difficulties, which arise when individuals
struggle to deal with developmental stages and tasks. Any aspect of development
can be turned into an adjustment problem, and it is inevitable that everyone
encounters, at some time, exceptional difficulty in meeting an ordinary
challenge. Some common personal issues include:
- Stress: Sometimes work,
relationships, money and/or health concerns can cause people to feel under
a lot of pressure.
- Depression: People often feel very
alone and isolated, and as though no one fully understands what they are
going through.
- Addictions: People often become
addicted to something as a way of trying to get some kind of control in
their lives. Whether it is exercise, drugs, gambling, shopping or
sex, people turn to focusing on one area as a diversion from what they are
experiencing.
- Relationship
difficulties: Couple’s
come for counselling because they are struggling to communicate, or
because they are having issues with intimacy or their sex life is being
affected.
- Low
self-esteem: This
means that they lack confidence and that their self-esteem is very
fragile.
- Anger: Anger management
counselling is about teaching people that anger can be expressed in a
healthy way and that it is possible to be angry without being destructive.
- Sexual
assault or abuse: People often only think of physical or sexual abuse,
however emotional and mental abuse can also leave very deep scars.
Counselling can help people to work through the trauma of the experience
that they have gone through and help them to re build their self-belief
and confidence.
- Grief and
loss: People
feel under great stress and strain when someone they love dies, and no
matter what the circumstances, grief can include a wide range of emotions
from sadness to anger.
- Trauma: As a result of either
experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event an individual can be left
questioning their beliefs and with their trust destroyed.
- Eating
disorders: Eating
disorders can really take over people’s lives and identities, and often
they find themselves consumed with issues around food, body size, shape
and obsessive thoughts begin around these areas.
3.
Vocational
Counselling
Vocational
counselling is defined as individual contacts with those counselled, in order
to facilitate career development. This definition and category encompasses
counselling situations such as these:
•
Helping students become aware of the many occupations to consider
•
Interpreting an occupational interest inventory to a student
•
Assisting a teenager to decide what to do after school
•
Role-playing a job interview in preparation for the real thing
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