Counselling

What Are the Goals of Counseling?

 Facilitating behaviour change.
 Improving the client's ability to establish and maintain relationships.
 Enhancing the client's effectiveness and ability to cope.
 Promoting the decision-making process and facilitating client potential.
 Development.
 What Are the Goals of Counseling?
Introduction
Different individuals have different perceptions of what can be expected of counseling. Individuals
preparing to become counselors, and those who seek counseling, as well as parents, teachers,
school administrators and governmental agencies, all differ in their expectations of the counseling
experience. The final designation of these goals is to be determined by the counselor and the client
as a team.

Counseling theorists do not always agree on appropriate counseling goals because they are often
general, vague and saturated with implications. However, these are the five most commonly named
goals of counseling:

1. Facilitating behaviour change.

2. Improving the client’s ability to establish and maintain relationships.
3. Enhancing the client’s effectiveness and ability to cope.
4. Promoting the decision-making process and facilitating client potential.
5. Development.
These goals are not mutually exclusive and will naturally be emphasized by some theorists and not
others.

Enhancing Coping Skills

We will inevitably run into difficulties in the process of growing up. Most of us do not completely
achieve all of our developmental tasks within a lifetime. All of the unique expectations and
requirements imposed on us by others will eventually lead to problems. Any inconsistencies in
development can result in children learning behaviour patterns that are both inefficient and
ineffective. Learned coping patterns, however, may not always work. New interpersonal or
occupational role demands may create an overload and produce excessive anxiety and difficulty for
the individual.

Children who grow up in excessively strict homes frequently adjust to such training measures
through learned behavioural inhibition. When social or occupational responsibilities require
individuals to be assertive, they may experience anxiety and be unable to handle responsibilities
effectively. In addition to psychological symptoms, physical symptoms such as frequent headaches,
stuttering in front of people in authority or the inability to sleep are common. This maladjustment to
daily living makes coping skills an important goal of counseling.
Improving Relationships
Many clients tend to have major problems relating to others due to poor self-image. Likewise,
inadequate social skills cause individuals to act defensively in relationships. Typical social difficulties
can be observed in family, marital and peer group interaction (e.g., the troubled elementary school
child). The counselor would then strive to help the client improve the quality of their lives by
developing more effective interpersonal relationships.

Promoting Decision-Making
The goal of counseling is to enable the individual to make critical decisions regarding alternative
courses of action without outside influence. Counseling will help individuals obtain information, and
to clarify emotional concerns that may interfere with or be related to the decisions involved. These
individuals will acquire an understanding of their abilities and interests. They will also come to
identify emotions and attitudes that could influence their choices and decisions.

The activity of stimulating the individual to evaluate, accept and act upon a choice, will assist them in
learning the entirety of the decision-making process. The individual will develop autonomy and avoid
dependence on a counselor.

Facilitating Client Potential

Counseling seeks to maximize an individual’s freedom by giving him or her control over their
environment while analyzing responsiveness and reaction to the environment. Counselors will work
to help people learn how to overcome, for example, excessive substance use and to better take care
of their bodies.

Counselors will also assist in overcoming sexual dysfunction, drug addiction, compulsive gambling
and obesity, as well as anxiety, shyness and depression.

Facilitating Behaviour Change

Most theorists indicate that the goal of counseling is to bring about change in behaviour that will
enable the client to be more productive as they define their life within society’s limitations. According
to Rodgers (1961), behaviour change is a necessary result of the counseling process, although
specific behaviours receive little or no emphasis during the process.

Alternatively, Dustin and George (1977) suggested that the counselor must establish specific
counseling goals. A necessary shift from general goals to specific goals should take place to enable
both the client and counselor to understand what change is desired. Specific behaviour goals have
additional value as the client is better able to see any change that occurs.

Krumbolz (1966) suggested three additional criteria for judging counseling goals, as follows:

1. The goals of counseling should be capable of being stated differently for each individual
client.
2. The goals should be compatible with, though not identical to, the values of the counselor.
3. The degree to which goals of counseling are attained by each client should be observable.

Conclusion
These goals are not mutually exclusive, nor are they equally appropriate for every client at any
specific time. Counseling goals can be classified according to three categories: ultimate,
intermediate and immediate.
Ultimate goals are philosophical ideals that can be reasonably expected from counseling. These
goals include helping individuals to realize their full potential or to become self-actualized.

Intermediate goals relate to the reasons for seeking counseling and usually require several sessions
to achieve them. Helping the individual develope to become and remain a well-adjusted, mentally
healthy person and to achieve his/her potentialities, would classify as an intermediate goal.

Immediate goals, on the other hand, are the moment-by-moment intentions of counseling, for
example, encouraging the client to verbalize an unexpressed feeling.

Goals and Scope of Counselling

1. 1. GOALS AND SCOPE OF COUNSELLING Disciplines and Ideas in the
Applied Social Sciences
2. 2. GOALS OF COUNSELLING
3. 3. INTRODUCTION Different individuals have different perceptions of what
can be expected of counseling. Individuals preparing to become
counselors, and those who seek counseling, as well as parents, teachers,
school administrators and governmental agencies, all differ in their
expectations of the counseling experience.
4. 4. ENHANCING COPING SKILLS We will inevitably run into difficulties in
the process of growing up. Most of us do not completely achieve all of our
developmental tasks within a lifetime. All of the unique expectations and
requirements imposed on us by others will eventually lead to problems.
Any inconsistencies in development can result in children learning
behaviour patterns that are both inefficient and ineffective. Learned
coping patterns, however, may not always work. New interpersonal or
occupational role demands may create an overload and produce excessive
anxiety and difficulty for the individual.
5. 5. IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS Many clients tend to have major problems
relating to others due to poor self-image. Likewise, inadequate social skills
cause individuals to act defensively in relationships. Typical social
difficulties can be observed in family, marital and peer group interaction
(e.g., the troubled elementary school child). The counselor would then
strive to help the client improve the quality of their lives by developing
more effective interpersonal relationships.
6. 6. FACILITATING CLIENT POTENTIAL Counseling seeks to maximize an
individual’s freedom by giving him or her control over their environment
while analyzing responsiveness and reaction to the environment.
Counselors will work to help people learn how to overcome, for example,
excessive substance use and to better take care of their bodies.
7. 7. FACILITATING BEHAVIOUR CHANGE Most theorists indicate that the goal
of counseling is to bring about change in behaviour that will enable the
client to be more productive as they define their life within society’s
limitations. According to Rodgers (1961), behaviour change is a necessary
result of the counseling process, although specific behaviours receive
little or no emphasis during the process.
 8. 8. PROMOTING DECISION-MAKING The goal of counseling is to enable the
individual to make critical decisions regarding alternative courses of
action without outside influence. Counseling will help individuals obtain
information, and to clarify emotional concerns that may interfere with or
be related to the decisions involved. These individuals will acquire an
understanding of their abilities and interests. They will also come to
identify emotions and attitudes that could influence their choices and
decisions.
9. 9. SCOPE OF COUNSELLING
10. 10. INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING 1. Adolescent identity, concerns, teen-
parent relationships, peer relationships 2. Anxiety 3. Anger management 4.
Children’s concerns within the family unit, sibling relationships, school
experiences, peer relationships 5. Depression 6. Family of origin dynamics
and issues 7. Gender: identity, sexuality, homosexuality
11. 11. INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING 1. Relationships: personal and
interpersonal dynamics 2. Sexual abuse recovery 3. Seniors: challenges,
limitations, transitions 4. Singles: single, newly single, single through
divorce or being widowed 5. Spirituality 6. Stress management 7.
Workplace stress and relationships 8. Young adult: identity, relationships,
vocation
12. 12. MARITAL AND PRE-MARITAL COUNSELLING 1. Marital and relational
dynamics 2. Extended family relationships 3. Fertility issues
13. 13. FAMILY COUNSELLING 1. Adolescent and child behaviours within family
dynamics 2. Adult children 3. Divorce and separation issues and
adjustment 4. Family dynamics: estrangement, conflict, communication 5.
Family of origin / extended family issues 6. Life stages and transitions 7.
Parenting patterns: blended, single, co-parenting families

Counselors offer guidance to individuals, couples, families and groups who are dealing
with issues that affect their mental health and well-being. Many
counselorsapproach their work holistically, using a “wellness” model (as opposed to an
“illness” one) which highlights and encourages client's strengths.
 The core values of the counsellor are a set of attitudes and skills which have a special
regard for the integrity, authority and autonomy of the client and are firmly based on the
counsellor having total respect for universal human rights and for theperson and cultural
differences.
The fundamental principles of counseling include autonomy, beneficence,
nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity. Autonomy is not only an important philosophical concept
but also a basic principle in counseling. ... The principle of beneficence, doing good for
others, is critical in counseling.
There are five (5) ethical principles considered relevant to
counselling: Respect forAutonomy. Non-maleficence. Beneficence.

The goal of counseling is to enable the individual to make critical decisions regarding
alternative courses of action without outside influence.
Counseling will help individuals obtain information, and to clarify emotional concerns
that may interfere with or be related to the decisions involved.
four major goals of counseling
1. behavioral change. – enable clients to live more productive and
satisfying life.
 use specific goals rather than general ones.
 These can be measured if more specific.
 Goals should be measurable so the client can measure their
progress.
2.Enhancing coping skills.- helping individuals to cope
with new situations and challenges.
3.Promote decision making. – assisting the individuals
to make good decisions.
 Assisting the individual to make good decisions.
 Not making the decisions for them.
 Helping them to realise the consequences of their decisions.
 Explore a range of options.
 Enable client to see how their emotions and attitudes and
values influence their decisions and choices.
 4. improving relationships. – all relationships across
the board.
 becoming more effective in interpersonal relationships.
 Negative self image or lack of social skills are often the
triggers of lacking relationships.
5. facilitate client’s potential. - improving personal
effectiveness.
 Learning to use abilities and interests to one’s potential.
 Emphasis on “whole wellness”-emotional, spiritual, physical,
mental.
 Aid them in realizing their potential.
Scope of counselling- is very vast.
 It is concerned with various problems and progress of an individual for
example the planning relating to financial and health problems, problems
related to family, society and emotional adjustments.

There are five (5) ethical principles considered relevant to counselling:

1. Autonomy
2. Beneficence
3. Nonmaleficence
4. Justice
5. Fidelity
Core values of counseling
 Compassion.
 Collaborative
 Expertise
 Respect for autonomy
 Sensitivity to difference
 Confidentiality