What Is Counselling free essay sample

What is counseling? By outlining what you understand to be the key elements that constitute the practice of counseling. This discussion will begin by considering two definitions of counseling, moving on to Identify key elements of practice and what makes counseling different from other professions where counseling skills may be used. Finally the discussion will consider the role of the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACK) which regulates the profession.In order to answer this question, it is necessary to consider definitions of counseling room both professional and client perspectives. This definition is the professional perspective from the BACK: ;counseling takes place when a counselor sees a client In a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction and purpose. (BACK, 2009) It is important professionals understand the meaning of counseling and have a professional perspective so they work in a competent manner, however for effective counseling to occur, the client has to be comfortable with the counselor so it Is also useful to consider the clients perspective: Counseling is an activity that takes place when someone who is troubled invites and allows another person to enter into a particular kind of relationship with them. A person seeks such a relationship when they encounter a problem In everyday living that they have not been able to resolve through their everyday resources, and that has resulted in their exclusion from some aspect of full participation in social life. (McLeod, 2008, pig 23) From both of these definitions it can be seen that counseling is a professional elicitation between the counselor and client, in a confidential setting, where the client can discuss their issues and is enabled to find their own answers.The professional deflation (BACK, 2009) also states that counseling only occurs at the clients request and explains how counseling aims to enable the client to make changes in their lives through the act of being listened to and exploring issues in a safe space. The deflation also states that counseling Is non-directive meaning no advice will be given, which is In contrast to other roles where counseling skills may e used and these professional differences are the next point to b e discussed. 1 OFF find their own answers to their problems.This is a unique role, there is no other professional relationship in which this happens and it is the only role the counselor has. This is in marked contrast to other roles where the professionals own role is the primary role and listening to patients the secondary role. For example a nurse delivering nursing care to a patient is carrying out his/her primary role and may talk with the client and use some counseling skills in doing so. However, using unsealing skills during conversation in this way is not the same as counseling.The conversation may involve listening to the patient but the nurse is unlikely to be listening in the way a counselor does as that is not his/her primary role. The nursing role also includes advising on health matters and this is again in contrast to counseling which is non-directive. The role of the counselor and the counseling profession as a whole is overseen by the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACK) and the discussion will now look at the role of this body in more detail. The BACK regulates the counseling profession to ensure that registered counselors are qualified and work to required standards.In having a register of counselors, the public can find a counselor who meets these standards and are protected from those who practice as unregistered counselors and who may be potentially harmful to them. As a regulatory body it has an Ethical Framework (BACK, 2009) which registered counselors are required to work within. This framework covers all areas of counseling practice including values and principles, guidance for good practice and reflections conduct. Counselors are expected to be committed to the principles of respect for human rights and the diversity of the experiences and culture of their clients.They have to ensure integrity within their professional relationships with clients and provide a good standard of practice. This includes making a contract with the client so the client knows what to expect. This would cover issues such as fees, timing of sessions, confidentiality and occasions when confidentiality would need to be breached such as child protection issues or the risk of harm to themselves or others. The contract should also explain the complaints procedure so the client knows what to do if they have a problem with the counselor. Also mentioned in the BACK framework are the personal skills and qualities of the counselor (BACK, 2009) which are very important as the counselor needs to have these qualities in order to build effective professional relationships with clients. The counselor needs to have empathy with the client and be able to understand things from the clients viewpoint. The counselor must be sincere or genuine as any insincerity is highly likely to be noticed by the client who may feel they are being edged or laughed at. The counselor also needs to show respect for the client while working in a competent, non-judgmental manner. Experiences the relationship differently so from the clients perspective it is important to find a counselor they are comfortable with for counseling to be effective. This was true in the case of Laura Allen (Allen, 1990, cited in McLeod, 2008, pig 1 1) who saw a counselor who she felt acted in a superior manner and she eventually walked out during a session. She then saw a counselor who she felt it necessary to protect by not talking about the more difficult issues, therefore neither f these two experiences helped her. This case study highlights the importance of the client finding the right counselor for them. This essay has discussed professional and client definitions of counseling and considered the counselors role, practice, skills and qualities under the BACK Ethical Framework. In answer to the question, I would define counseling as a professional relationship between the counselor and client where the client identifies issues and difficulties they are having and is enabled to find ways of dealing with those issues through talking openly with the counselor.