The Counseling Process

By: Ma. Aurora L. Garcia

The Counseling Process

Is what the counselor and client do in session, and this process affects the outcome or the success of counseling process.

To master the counseling process Neophyte counselors must develop a repertoire of helping skills as well as a theory of counseling that directs their application.

 Developing an approach to counseling process is not an easy task. A counselor may use any of different counseling approaches (such as psychoanalytic, behavioral, and rational/emotive) but research has not shown superiority for any of these approaches. Most contemporary counselors describe themselves as integrative and eclectic. In short, it involves doing what works for the client. But the relationship between client and approach is not very clear which makes eclectic counseling weak, because it involves guesses.

 In line with this, the author of this book has described 13 approaches to counseling derived from a mixture of research and counseling practice.

Counselors utilize these approaches to satrt and strengthen a helping relationship, and students who learn these steps will be able to gain a repertoire of basic helping skills.

Approaches used in Counseling Process

1. Make Personal Contact 2. Develop a Working Alliance 3. Explain Counseling to the Client 4. Pace and Lead the Client 5. Speak Briefly 6. When you dont know what to say, say nothing 7. You may confront as much as youve supported 8. If you want to change something, process it 9. Individualize your counseling 10. Notice Resistance 11. When in doubt, focus on feelings 12. Plan for Termination at the Beginning of Counseling 13. Arrange the Physical Setting Appropriately

1. Make Personal Contact

This is the foundation of counseling establishing relationship between counselor and client. Making Personal contact means being with the client, touching someone emotionally, communicating. Usually done in the first session

Allow your client to lead the conversation in the initial stage of counseling in order to encourage development of trust.

Example: Counselor: Hi, Im Aurora. Im your counselor. Client: Hello, Im Terry. It certainly is snowing out there.

Counselor: Yes, it is. Did you have any trouble driving here?
( Making Contact ) Not Counselor: Lets talk about your problems, not the snow. ( Too Direct )

2. Develop a Working Alliance

In order to achieve a working alliance, a counselor must make personal contact first.

The task of the counselor here is to engage the client in such a way that both are working together to resolve the issues that brought the client to counseling.
Developing a working alliance is unsuccessful if the counselor attempts to force the client to change or when the client is unmotivated. To establish a working alliance, the counselor should exert understanding, respect, warmth, and he should be an attentive listener, and offer acceptance of clients. Through all of these, counselors develop a bond of trust and support.

Example: Client: Im at the end of my rope. Im so frustrated! Counselor: This is really a difficult time for you. Client: It feels good to hear you say that. None of my friends understand what Im going through.

3. Explain Counseling to Client

This is also called Role Induction. Most often clients have this misconception about the counseling process, they thought it resembles a visit to a medical doctor. In order to make counseling sessions successful, mistaken expectations or misconceptions should be corrected.

Example: