HBEF 2203

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

Topic 1

INTRODUCTION TO
COUNSELLING

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

Explain counselling concept and its importance

State the difference between counselling and psychotherapy

and the aims of counselling

Identify the roles of a counsellor and the characteristics of a

professional counsellor

State the difference between individual counselling and group

counselling and their usage.

INTRODUCTION

This topic introduces a few topics on an interns preparation to

be a counsellor and a few pointers on the counselling process.

Firstly, it rationalises the need to increase the number of

professional counsellors if the country wants to become a
developed nation.

Next, a few important concepts are explained as a preparation

to become an intern counsellor.

COUNSELLING

What is counselling concept and the tasks of a counsellor? Is counselling important

and useful? Why?
In this country, counselling service has reached an encouraging level especially in
schools and institutions of higher learning, in line with economic, social, cultural,
educational, science and technological development.
In the context of a developing nation gearing towards a developed nation with high
technology, counselling is useful to people in various situations.
Although counselling is regarded a new field compared to sociology, economics and
psychology, on the whole, the influence of counselling is felt by the society though not
that widely.
The number of individuals who seek counsellors help to solve their problems to
achieve a more peaceful and better quality of life has increased.
Among the problems that are regularly brought forward by the individuals are
personal problems to interpersonal ones at the workplace that affect their peace of
mind, difficulty in making decisions due to confusion and also learning problems.
Professional counsellors in modern society have important roles to play especially
when Malaysia is developing rapidly.

This development is not merely in terms of economic, science and

technology but also nation unity and multi-racial peoples harmony. The
change in society is the basis of a countrys development.
Various social problems exist directly or indirectly as a result of rapid
changes in society. The changes are:
a- A big migration by young people searching for jobs in towns.
b- Big family system breaks into small families and smaller families
becoming the norm.
c- The existence of big organisations in private and corporate fields that
drives their people alienated when they pay less attention to these
individuals.
d- The influence of print and electronic media on humans thoughts and
attitude especially children and adolescents that is against traditional
society values.
e- Better way of life that destroys good values in individuals and society.

The direct effect of these changes on a person is psychological reaction in the form of stress.
According to research stress can cause various illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure
and emotional disturbances.
Stress that may arise at school level is teacher expectation, and parents who are unrealistic
about academic achievements, small living conditions, and pressure from peers towards a
certain behaviour norm.
In an institution of higher learning stress occurs as an effect of competition for academic
excellence, shortage of money and social pressure.
Reaction from stress differs between adolescents and children.
There are cases of adolescents and children who ran away from homes dues to stress when chaos
happens in the family. Some try to run away or forget the stress by resorting to drugs or involving
in crimes.
Counselling may not be able to get rid of all social diseases caused by economic development
but in order to achieve harmonious state of mind amongst the community it must be
prepared adequately in all institutions that have a role to play in the countrys development.
Counselling can no longer be regarded as knowledge to deal with insane people but it must be
offered widely so that its technology can benefit community members in solving their daily
problems

DEFINITION OF COUNSELLING

The word counselling has different meanings according to the

approaches that individuals practice.
One of the definitions that has many similarities is when it states that
counselling aims at helping a personlearnsto make a decision and
carry out that decision.
Some has defined counselling aslearning.
In these two definitions the similarity is the word learn.
A- First definition : teaches a person to make decision
B- Second definition : learning in general.
Understanding concept and functions of learning in counselling ,
according by some counselling definitions.
Krumboltz (1965)
Counselling is any ethical activity performed by a counsellor in assisting
a client demonstrates a behaviour that motivates towards problem solving.

Krumboltz (1965) has a definition that clearly shows what a counsellor

wants to achieve is his clients aim and this is a very important aim.
An approach or a counselling method that can be used to achieve the aim
is not stated or suggested.
The American Guidance and Personnel Society (1980) defines;
Counselling as using counselling procedures and other fields related
to behavioural science to help learn how to solve certain problem,
making decisions regarding career choices, personal growth, marriage,
family or other interpersonal matters

Burks and Stefflre (1979),

Counselling refers to professional relationship between a trained
counsellor and a client. This relationship is normally person-toperson, although sometimes it involves more than two persons. It is
designed to help clients understand and express their views about
their lives, and learn to achieve personal choice aim through a
meaningful and informative choice after they have solved their emotional
and interpersonal problems.

Simply definition of counselling as follow :

Zainal Abidin (2002)
Counselling is a discussion between a trained counsellor
and an individual or a small group that experiences
confusion and needs help, and together they think and
analyse a few alternatives to overcome the chaotic
situation and implement the chosen alternative.

Understanding the gist of a professional counsellors duty

towards his client, whether the client is an individual or a
small group.
Counsellor has to identify whether a client really needs
counselling or psychotherapy.
This is because there is a difference between a client who
needs counselling service and the one who needs
psychotherapy, a more serious service.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

What do you know about psychotherapy? In your opinion, do counselling and

psychotherapy have the same or different aim?
40 years ago, there is a prominent difference between counselling and
psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy : emphasises more on treatingof mental illness, Counselling :
focuses more on helping individuals overcome dead ends or troubled minds
so that they cancontinue their lives peacefully.
Now, it is very tedious to find the difference between counselling and psychotherapy.
Most counselling textbooks could not find the difference between the two.
In fact, books on counselling theories are no different than books on psychotherapy.
The difficulty is more obvious when we compare the definitions of counselling and
psychotherapy by a few writers. The definitions of counselling by a counselling
writer can be used by the psychotherapy writers. On the other hand, the definition of
psychotherapy by a psychotherapy writer can be used by a counselling writer.

There are many similarities between the two fields that involve special
relationship between an individual who wants to get help to solve his psychological
problem (client) and a trained person who gives that help (counsellor or therapist).
The special relationship is the same and in fact, the technique in helping
patients and clients is similar.
The difference between the two is the objective.
The counselling objective is to help at any time an individual overcome his or her
personal growth problem towards achieving optimum strength development that
is in him or her.
This objective can be accepted as the aim of psychotherapy process.
Besides solving growth problem of an individual, psychotherapy also solves the
reconstructive change problem.
Normally, psychotherapy is carried out for a long period (1 month to 2 years) as
outpatient or inpatient.
On the contrary, counselling is usually for a short period (less than 6 months) as
outpatient only. However, counselling and psychotherapy have similar aim that is to
achieve the clients aim.

COUNSELLING

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Helps people identify problems and crises

and encourages them to take positive steps
to resolve these issues

Helps people with psychological problems

that have built up over the course of a long
period of time.

It is the best course of therapeutic

treatment for anyone who already has an
understanding of wellbeing, and who is
also able to resolve problems

It will help you understand your feelings,

thoughts and actions more clearly

Counselling is a short-term process that

encourages the change of behaviour

Psychotherapy is a longer-term process of

treatment that identifies emotional issues
and the background to problems and
difficulties

COUNSELLING AIM

What do we hope to achieve at the end of a counselling

session?
Generally, every individual has different hopes
according to his perspective of the counselling process that
has been carried out. For example, after an individual has
gone through the counselling process, he who sought help
from counsellor, parents, teachers or school principals has
different perception regarding the ending that he hopes for.
Difference in opinion will exist, but this will not be
discussed as the last choice that determines the
counselling aim depends on the agreement between
the client and his counsellor. Both of them will ensure
the direction of their discussion.

FIVE COUNSELLING AIMS

There are five counselling aims:

Make behaviour change easier;

Increase clients ability to start and continue relationships;

Help clients effectiveness in coping with problems and issues;

Encourage the decision making process; and

Help clients development and potential achievement.

TO MAKE CLIENTS CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR EASIER

Majority of theorists agree that counselling aim is to help client make some change
in behaviour that enables him or her to have a more productive and satisfactory life.
Prior to visiting a counsellor, there must be something that disturbs him or his
relationship with someone is unsatisfactory (e.g. his employer).
Perhaps, its the routine way the client interacts with others so much so that it causes
a negative reaction from others. This negative effect causes the client to feel disturbed.
It is hoped that after completing a session the client will understand and analyse
effectively and satisfactorily ways to interact with his or her employer or others
who have the tendency to create disturbing response.
Counselling aim is to encourage and make it easier for client to change his or her
behaviour to a more effective one.
For example, Ali (a teacher) is unaware that he always gives a negative response such
as giving cynical remarks to his students who give wrong answers in class. Alis
behaviour causes his students not to interact with him in class. This poses a problem
and disturbs effective teaching. With counselling session, Ali will be able to identify
the real problem and a counsellor can assist Ali in changing his behaviour, where he
should have given support to his students when interacting with him and guide them
although the answers they gave is wrong.

TO INCREASE CLIENTS ABILITY TO START AND CONTINUE A

RELATIONSHIP

A big part of our life is interacting with people. But, many clients are facing
problems due to their inability to interact with others correctly and appropriately.
This problem can be linked to clients not having communication skills or having
negative personal image.
In this case, the counsellors aim is to find ways to increase effective
interaction with others.
Relationship problem can occur amongst adults in a family, from between
husbands and wives to school children and their peers.
In each case, a counsellor will try to find ways to help the client increase his
quality of life by improving the way he interacts with others.
For example, when Monas principal gave her comments she felt very angry and
refused to listen to what was said. This led to communication breakdown between
the two. Mona saw the comments as criticism. A counsellor can assist Mona in
having a better relationship with her principal. When commented, Mona could be
helped so that she would not react negatively but rationally by listening calmly to
every comment and taking the positive ones for her.

HELPING CLIENT TO MANAGE ONESELF

Another important counselling aim is to help client manage himself in difficult

situations.
Each individual experiences difficulties in his life when he grows up. It is rare that a
person grows up by reaching and perfecting every significant persons claim in his
life, such as his mother and fathers
Parents expectation on their children has often given unpredictable effect.
A child for instance, will learn a less efficient and less effective behaviour or
both when he is unable to fulfil his parents hope.
He will bring this learning into adulthood. Unfortunately, in specific situation such
as at the workplace, the behaviour pattern that he learnt will not help him but
instead will cause him constant problems.
In this kind of situation, a counsellor will train his client to manage himself
effectively especially in new situations and new demands.
For example, Ahmad is always criticised when he fails in his subjects. The effect is
Ahmad becomes lazy and always play truant in school. He brings this attitude to the
working environment. He is always late and lazy to try something new. A counsellor
can help Ahmad manage himself effectively and increase his self-image.

HELPING CLIENTS DEVELOPMENT AND POTENTIAL

ACHIEVEMENT

Helping a client expands his potentials has always been one of

counselling aims.
This aim is providing opportunities for client to learn ways of
using his abilities and interests to the maximum level.
This aim also means the client is taught to increase personal
effectiveness.
This reinforcement means the counsellor helps the person to learn how
to stop smoking, to take care of his health, overcome problem of shyness
that is unproductive, lessen feelings of stress, and down. To simplify,
counselling aim is to help client decrease or overcome whatever that
hinders or retards his development of potential ability and interest.
For example, Indras ambition is to be an actress. She feels stressed
when she always stammers and she feels scared to be in front of a
crowd. This retards her ambition. A counsellor can help her fe

ENCOURAGING DECISION MAKING PROCESS

The process of making decision is very difficult to certain people.

They are scared of having to shoulder responsibilities due to wrong choices made and they
always make decisions without thinking of the existing alternatives.
The aim of counselling is to help them make important decisions in their lives.
It is vital to note that the counsellors role is not to give the last say and to direct client
to choose certain decisions.
The final decision is made by the client and he must understand and know why and how to
achieve that decision.
The client will learn to make risk estimates undertaken from that decision in terms of
time, money, decisions and others.
The client also learns to make a few explorations about his values in life that are relevant
to the present situation and condition, realising that these values are considered in the
decision making process.
To exemplify, Ah Kau feels dissatisfied and stressed with his job. He fears to make any changes.
A counsellor can help Ah Kau finds the cause of his dissatisfaction and search for his value in
life. A counsellor can also help Ah Kau finds and estimates the risk of various alternatives such
as changing departments, discussion with his employer or changing jobs

COUNSELLORS ROLES

A counsellors role depends on the place and setting he contributes his service.

Over the years, the counsellors roles have gone through changes.

The roles have now spread to public counselling centres, hospitals, prisons, Islamic
offices, the Haj Fund, churches, some government departments and other places that
require counselling service instead of mainly helping students with problems at
schools and career choices.
Counselling is also found at a few places in cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh
where counsellors provide their services as `private practice to the public.

Place

Example of Counselling at Various Places

Example of Counselling Service

School

Helping students make appropriate career choices.

Prison

Helping inmates rehabilitate and the process of integrating them into

the community.

Hospital

Helping families that lost their family members deal with the loss.

Islamic Office

Helping spouses who are experiencing marriage problems.

Government Offices

Helping stressed employees or ones with problems of being burnt out.

Churches

Helping those with personal problems such as problems with their

parents.

This new development took place due to the recognition that counsellors have the
required training to help in matters such as drug abuse at the Rehabilitation
Centre, rehabilitation works at prisons and at places where there is emotional
problems and tension.
In the West, there are counsellors who joined the professional mental health team
which includes psychiatrists, psychology experts and psychiatric nurses, where the
counsellor becomes the case manager of a patient giving treatment and main
service.
With the expansion of counsellors roles at specific places, so the focal point of
approaches will be towards the whole individual that includes his whole life. This
means the focus of counselling includes physical, social, mental and emotional
concerns as well as individual spiritual needs
Aspects that include the whole individual

Physical Health

An individuals physical health is important in counselling process. Examples of counselling

that involves physical are:
Helping individual use the habit of taking care of health, such as avoiding obesity, and to quit
smoking;
Exploring emotional or psychological matters that hinder an individual from practicing positive
attitude of eating a lot due to negative self image;

Motivating individual to practice healthy lifestyle such as exercising; and

Teaching an individual to decrease his tension or stress.

Social Needs

An individuals social needs include family relationship, working environment, friendship and
other activities that tie him to other people in the community. This relationship gives that
individual strength and avoids him from experiencing feelings of alienation, down and low self
esteem.

Mental Health

A counsellor must always be aware of the relationship between his clients thoughts and
feelings to his doings or behaviour. The counsellors roles towards his clients thoughts are to
stimulate his thought process so that his ability to solve problems will increase and becomes
more creative. Creative mental activity is the guide to a persons quality of life.

Emotional Needs

In many cases, human beings focus of aspects is linked to the aim of increasing an individuals
emotional contentment. This aim has become a tradition for all counsellors and will continue to
be the focus of counselling. Normally, an individual will meet a counsellor to obtain clarification
about certain feelings. Often, the expressed feelings are related to his life or certain event that
disturbs him in his life. So, the importance of emotional contentment is clear when a client talks
about things that affect his feelings physically, socially, mentally and spiritually.

Spiritual Needs

Pertaining to present situations, the subject of spirituality in counselling is getting more

attention as compared to the past.
Before the expansion of counselling such as now, every explanation of certain behaviour is
through the perspective of psychology. For instance, from the learning perspective, deviant
behaviour is explained where an individual has learnt characteristics, acts and thoughts that are
not normal for his community. This act is received reinforcement from his environment and so
deviant behaviour continues.
Why does the question of spirituality receive attention in counselling?
Basically, there is awareness that every persons behaviour, thoughts and feelings are

related to his religious beliefs and teachings.For the majority, their values in life and the
ways they react in a community are influenced by religious teachings.

Now, spirituality is the basis for guidance that determines their

behaviour pattern, lifestyle and values in life.
With this explanation, it is clear that the domain of a counsellors job
is in the form of growth facilitation and individual development from
the physical, mental, social and spiritual aspects. By providing
attention on the function of an individual as a whole, a counsellor
will be able to help that individual live his life more
productively and meaningfully.

In a research, Myers (1992) found that if a strong bond exists

between physical health and mental in counselling, there will be a
positive impact on the clients emotional contentment and physical.
He supports the idea of giving development, prevention and
contentment counselling throughout ones life to facilitate mental and
physical contentment. He believes that this approach will be a new
paradigm for all counsellors new roles, now and in the near future.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLOR

Counselling must be understood as a unique interpersonal process.

Its effectiveness depends on attitudes, skills and knowledge shown by a counsellor when he deals
with his client.
A counsellors client must be able to feel that the counsellor is a helper with these characteristics
a- Believes that clients are unique and precious individuals;
b- Believes that his clients have abilities to change;
c- Understands and knows how effective individuals function;
d- Has knowledge and skills that are needed to help individuals with limited functions;
e- Is willing to be involved in interpersonal process; and

f- Knows himself and his skills and his limitation

Characteristics of a counsellor

A CLIENT IS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL

One important characteristic that a counsellor must have is to trust that every human being
created by God is useful, valuable and unique.
Sincere acceptance towards a client actually can be felt by the client, and to him it is not
merely an abstract explanation.
This doe not mean we must simply accept or not his behaviour or we like or dislike the
character he demonstrates.
In fact, we must sow our sincerity and respect towards him as a valuable individual and
a useful human being.
A counsellor must try to understand that a clients self and world observations are his
realities.
Every belief, attitude, feeling and thoughts about himself and is environment greatly influence
the way he reacts.
As a counsellor, you must focus your attention on this perception because all these will
show the clients thoughts and will give meanings to us on why he reacts and behaves as
such.

A counsellor who can show that he accepts his client in a counselling

process without any condition will motivate his client to have some hope
and feelings of trust in his counsellor.
How can the characteristic of accepting be communicated to clients? Can you
do it?
There are a few non-verbal ways that can communicate this characteristic such
as showing fail expression that is calm, posture while entertaining client,
seriousness in answering that is not stalling and unthreatening voice
intonation . We must cater to clients feelings of sensitivity when using our
voices.

The way a counsellor interacts with a client

A CLIENT CAN CHANGE

A Counsellor must be optimistic.

They must believe that a client can change, at least demonstrating changes in feelings,
attitude, cognitive structure and behaviour.
At the same time, a counsellor must also accept the fact that helping someone to change is a
difficult and time consuming task. At times this effort fails and some people cannot be
helped at all. When this happens this does not mean that changes are impossible.
A counsellor must think that changes do not take place due to certain factors:
a-The Client is not ready to change
b-Changes can take place if there is the clients environment is changed;
c- A counsellor does not have the specific expertise or adequate experience to influence a change
in client.

As a counsellor, you must convince the client that you trust him to change.

Do not merely say it but show him with your actions and attitude.

Utterance like, I really believe you will solve this problem, will not on its own change the client
or influence your belief.
This utterance must be accompanied by relevant body movements, convincing facial expressions
and voice intonation that has positive quality. All these have therapeutic value to put across our
attitude and belief towards our client

HOW EFFECTIVE INDIVIDUALS FUNCTION?

A counsellor must understand the psychology principles that

influence human behaviour and realise that the environment
plays a part in creating that behaviour.
You are exposed to the principles of psychology in the previous
units that are related to principles of behaviourism and cognitive.
The learning theory that is explained before this will also help
in understanding how effective individuals function.
In carrying out a counselling process, it is important to know
how an individual functions whether our aim is to get our
clients trust or in the explorations of problems that hinder his
function and growth.
This knowledge is required when we make judgment which way is
appropriate to be used to assist and to make a decision when
counselling should be stopped.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN HELPING AN INDIVIDUAL

Counselling needs more than the willingness to build a special

relationship with the client, appreciate and respect the client,
believing that the client can change, and having knowledge how
effective people function.
A counsellor also has to have clinical skills that can help clients find
the source of the hindrance that block their ability to change so
that they can function at a much desired level.
Clients can be assisted in various ways. What works at a place and time
may not be provide a much desired effect in another place and time.
There are many approaches, methods and theories that can be
used. As a counsellor who is new to the field and is trying out you must
refrain from using approaches that is taken a bit from theory A and B
and so on.
As a counsellor in training, you are encouraged to try a few approaches
that can be observed by your supervisor. Then, slowly you join the
approaches that you have tried with your own style that you practiced in
the training.

While you are designing and expanding your counselling skills you should seize the
opportunity to conduct counselling session to clients from different cultural background,
for example clients from different ethnic in Malaysia.
In this way, you can see the difference ways the ethnic groups perceive
themselves, their environment and worlds. This will add on to your experience that
not all clients will give the same response though the problems appear to be similar.
This experience is useful so that you will understand when you ought to change your
strategy and to use a suitable technique in a relevant situation.
A counsellor must accept the fact that learning ways to help people takes a long
time.
Trainee counsellors normally start their counselling training process via a few
attempts, from one to another. They read and listen to ways counsellor conducts
counselling.
They also emulate skilled counsellors behaviour to obtain suitable actions that can be
used as part of their rituals or styles.
A counsellors development skill is a process that is always on going. A counsellor has to
increase his skills as long as he still carries out his professional role.

WILLING TO BE INVOLVED

A counsellor must demonstrate his willingness to get involved in the counselling

process.
Commitment and the readiness to share experience are more meaningful to a client than
the allocated time given and the effort needed to help a person.
This includes communication with a client in a client-counsellor relationship, and nothing is
more important at that time than his client and what is to be discussed in that meeting.
Commitment and the willingness to be involved with a client drive a counsellor to be
focused on his clients inner thoughts, such as how he sees his problems.
In this way, a counsellor can help his client understands his self, the change process and the
hindrance he has to face.
At the same time, the client is helped to take risk and a perspective that a counsellor is a
tool to help him change.
A counsellor who feels that he is sufficient, stable and disciplined will take away all his
weaknesses and focus on helping his client.
A counsellor will show his willingness to be involved with his client by being understanding,
accepting and showing sincerity towards his client.

KNOWING ONE SELF

A counsellor must have a positive self concept and feel at ease,

comfortable and safe about him. By demonstrating mental health a
counsellor can be a role model to his client.
As a counsellor you must be sensitive to your own feelings,
attitude and values and how all these play a role in helping others.
Normally, a counsellor has high social interest and strong
motivation to cooperate with others.
A counsellor also needs to have high tolerance in handling
defensive, uncooperative and down clients.
A counsellor must know how to solve his own problems and
handle conflict and stress that he experiences.
At the same time, a counsellor must also know his own skills and
his limitations.

A counsellor must be open to improve himself and his self

development by increasing his knowledge, skills and experience.
A counsellor must realise that he cannot help everybody who has
problems and in certain cases, he has to refer clients who demand
more than his ability to a relevant expert.
The process that requires a counsellor to know or to identify one
self is actually to admit the limit to ones capabilities. This process is
important in counselling because:
a- The more sensitive a counsellor is to his own feelings, thoughts and
acts, the easier it is for him to understand others feelings, thoughts
and acts.
b- A counsellor who is comfortable with himself will communicate
sincerity to his client. A client will trust the person who wishes to help
him if he feels the sincerity of that person. Hence, the client will be
more open to discuss his problems and this enables the counsellor to
understand how his client perceives his problems.

COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE SERVICES

Traditionally, the counselling and guidance services at schools or higher education

institutions consist of three types of services.
a- Teaching and training services;
b- Counselling services; and
c- Examination services.
Types of counselling and guidance services

TEACHING AND TRAINING SERVICES

The service of teaching and training is for those in need of certain skills and practice. For
instance when it is important for students to get general information about smoking or drug
addiction and also the danger of certain contagious diseases e.g. HIV or AIDS, a guest speaker will
be invited to deliver a talk. This service is meant to spread information.
In other situations like career choice problems, the counsellor will invite people of specific posts
to deliver a talk about the available career opportunities or those in the future. It is common
among students at school to be lack of information and exposure about the job opportunity
as well as the necessary academic preparation. Information such as this will serve as an eye-opener
for school students and more importantly will trigger their interest to learn subjects related to
their dream jobs.
Other activities that can be held by the counsellor in the component of teaching and training are:
a- Effective revision strategies
b- Preparation for an important exam
c- Time management
d- Tips for attending an interview
e- Ways to prepare a good resume (curriculum vitae)
f- Practices to overcome nervousness and shyness
g- Practices to be assertive and to deliver a speech in public
The counsellors effort to spread information and provide teaching and training can be held in a big
group according to the suitability of the condition. However, to train certain behaviours such as to
reduce shyness or to train someone to be assertive, it is best if it is held in a smaller group of less
than 10 individuals.

Counselling Services
The counselling service is meant for those who need a
counsellors service to solve a problem. For instance, in
order to choose a career, a counsellor can play a role to
help the clients brainstorm and discuss their
interest and preference and also the ambition. The
counsellor can also show various options for the clients so
as to choose a perfect career for them.
Examination Services
This service is provided for those who need it or those
who simply wish to understand the real self in a more
thorough way. For example in choosing a career, the
counsellor can prepare the clients with exams such as the
IQ test, personality and preference test so that the clients
can match their job with their respective personalities
and preferences.

GROUP COUNSELLING

Other than the individual counselling, a counsellor may also

use his counselling skills to handle a small group of
counselling. Those who wish to get psychological help or help
as they are in crisis have a choice of receiving a counselling
service in a small group. Group counselling is implemented to
develop self-awareness and to improve interpersonal skills.
When can you say a small group is a group? A group contains
three or more individuals (normally not more than ten
members) who mutually influence each other. If the group has
more members, the interaction is at stake as the group
members will be threatened by the presence of such a number
of people to share something private.
What is group counselling? By definition, it is an application
of group interaction to facilitate self-comprehension and
facilitate individual behavioural changes.

TYPES OF GROUP

Generally there are two types of groups. They are the guidance groups
and counselling groups.

1- Guidance Groups

Normally, the guidance groups are used to spread information,

particularly for the students at schools or higher education
institutions.
The topic delivered is the topic chosen by the counsellor.
One of the characteristics of the information is the information of
prevention such as the danger of drugs, free sex that may lead to
AIDS or other sexually-transmitted diseases and elements that
precipitate moral deterioration.
Some of the popular topics discussed in guidance groups are:
a- Time management
b- Attending interviews
c- Study skills
d- Career selection
e- Exam preparation

2- Counselling Groups

The focus of counselling groups is on the individual, unlike the guidance groups where the
focus is on the topic to be delivered.
Counselling groups consist of 5 to 10 members with no specific structure.
The counsellor serves to create conducive condition for the members to discuss without feeling
depressed or threatened.
Things to be shared with the other members are things that they feel comfortable to talk in
public such as family problems, interpersonal relationship, problems regarding self concept
and personal problems faced.
The content of discussion involves the expression of feelings and each member has a chance to
be heard by everyone including the person facilitating the group the counsellor.
Students who are interested to further find out about other types of groups may refer to the
text books which will state the features and advantages of certain groups. For the purpose of
this course, it will suffice to understand the two groups to help teachers in their tasks in
helping school students. Other types of groups are as follows:
A- Therapy groups
B- Sensitivity groups
C- T-Groups

ADVANTAGES OF CLUSTER COUNSELLING

Group counselling has many advantages. Bear in mind that not all clients may benefit from
group counselling. Some individuals may feel depressed having to confront other people and
some may feel hard to talk something considered private in the presence of others.
The main advantage of group counselling is its practicality. A counsellor has so many jobs
with work burdens facing a lot of clients. This will not allow the counsellor to meet all clients
in the same day, but group counselling enables the counsellor to meet more clients in a short
time. In a group, a counsellor can meet seven to eight individuals within similar time
duration he uses to meet them individually.
Another benefit of group counselling is related to the type of problems faced by the
clients. Most students problems are relationship or interpersonal problems. In a group,
clients are given the chance to explore their interpersonal problems and feelings within a
social context. For instance, the feedback collected from the other members will give a
stronger influence than the counsellors since the feedback comes from the peers. The client
will experience psychological growth through the process of getting genuine feedback from
the peers. Group counselling will turn into a micro society where the client is able to feel
peer pressure, social influence and approval as part of the counselling experience.
In a small group, clients also stand a chance to experiment new behaviours with the support
from other team members through the given feedback. Say, if a client consistently feels
embarrassed to talk in public, for example in front of the class, the client can practice talking
in the counselling group with encouragement from the other members.

Normally, the client faces his problems alone and it is hard for him to view them in
the right perspectives. In a smaller group and with the help of the counsellor, he will
feel less intimidated as he discovers that some other people have their problems too.
Group counselling provides the clients with chances to explore their problems and
at the same time share them with others.
When the members of a team share their problems with each other, it leads to the
feeling of trust and respect for each other as they exchange the information about
the related problems. The group experience will create a support system for the
members. This makes the group as the source of regaining a new spirit and a sense of
security among the members.
Another advantage of group counselling is that the client will not only benefit from the
feedback from the others, but also be able to offer feedback to help other team members.
This will help enhance the clients self concept.
Other elements that provide therapeutic value through group counselling are:
a- Promising hope to the clients
b- Feeling safe and getting support
c- Solidarity among the members
d- Learning something from other members
e- Interpersonal learning
A counsellor who really understands the therapeutic elements explained will be
able to conduct the group counselling more efficiently and effectively.

CONFIDENTIALITY IN COUNSELLING

Counselling whether it be individually or in a small group, involves clients

self-disclosure that may not be expressed outside a counselling session.
The more the trust of the client toward the counsellor is, the easier it would
be for the client to discuss his or her problems with the counsellor.
In theory, this helps the counsellor understand the way the client perceives
his or her problems. The client would also feel understood and secure as he
or she gets the counsellors support. This puts the counsellor as the most
trusted person who will not leak his or her secrets to anyone.
From the aspect of professional ethics, it is the counsellors responsibilities
to preserve the confidentiality so that the good rapport built is not wasted.
If the client no longer trusts his or her counsellor, the good relationship will
be at stake and most likely he or she would refuse to meet the counsellor.
Here are some principles of confidentiality that may help the counsellor:

a- The burden of maintaining the confidentiality is not definitive as there are some
situations that allow the counsellor to repeat the secrets.
b- Confidentiality is maintained if it does not threaten other individuals rights or
the public.
c- Confidentiality depends on the matters being kept confidential. If the issue
which is said to be confidential has been made public, the counsellor is no longer
attached to the question of confidentiality.

The counsellor also needs to think about the safety of the client and avoid
misusing the problems confided to him. To avoid the counsellor from being
charged at the court of fraudulence, the confidentiality of the client is crucial.
However, the counsellor is subject to making a shrewd judgment and thinking
rationally when is the time confidentiality may be exempt. The situations in which
confidentiality may be violated are as follows:
a- The client is harming himself, herself or others.
b- The client demands that his or her particulars be revealed.
c- The court demands that the clients particulars be repeated.
d- The counsellor suspects that there has been a child abuse case involved.

Thanks..