Professional counsellors spend their time with individuals in a confidential, relaxing and safe environment, in order to help them talk about their feeling and make a positive difference to their lives.
People usually seek counselling for various reasons, including the death of a loved one, relationship difficulties, or how they can improve the way they deal with their daily life. Now, it is not the role of a professional counsellor to advise people what they should do. Instead, professional counsellors would help encourage their clients to look at the choices and options they have and find their own ways and solution in order to make positive changes.
A professional counsellor’s job usually involves:
- Creating and building a relationship of respect and trust with their clients.
- Agreeing with their clients what will be covered in every session.
- Encouraging their clients to talk about their emotions and feelings.
- Carefully listening and asking several questions in order to truly understand the client’s situation.
- Emphasizing with the client’s problems, however challenging them when necessary.
- Helping their clients to see things in a different point of view or more clearly.
- Referring their clients to other helpful sources if needed.
- Going to regular meetings with the client’s counselling supervisor.
- Keeping and maintaining confidential records.
Counselling Skills
- Communication Skills: This is probably the most important skills that a counsellor need. It is the natural ability to listen and being able to clearly explain their thoughts and ideas to others.
- Empathy: Counsellors help other people through some of the most stressful and difficult times in their lives. They need to be able to display empathy or the ability to feel what the other individual is feeling. It is being able to imagine what it is like to stand in someone else’s shoes.
- Flexibility: In terms of counselling, it is the ability to adapt and change the way you respond in order to meet your client’s needs. Counsellors do not stay rigid and stick to a pre-determined treatment path when a client needs a different approach.
- Problem-Solving Skills: It is not up to a counsellor to solve their client’s problems; however, they do need to have excellent problem-solving skills in order to help their clients determine and make changes to whatever aspects contributing to the problem.
What are the Requirements for a Professional Counselling Career?
Several institutes and universities offer a variety of options, from certificate counselling courses to master’s degrees in counselling and psychotherapy.
