1. # 4 : Counsellors’ Qualities & Skills
CHCCSL501A
Work within a structured counselling framework
# 4 : Counsellors’ Qualities & Skills

2. Lesson Outline
What attracted you to counselling?
Characteristics you need to develop to become an effective counsellor
Counsellors’ personal challenges

3. What attracted you to counselling ?
Becoming a Counsellor
What attracted you to counselling ?

4. What attracts people to the field of counselling?
Counselling is a profession that attracts people who have developed an understanding of themselves, who practise a high level of empathy and have the basic desire to help others.

5. What attracts people to the field of counselling?
As counselling is one of the caring professions, warmth and social skills are critical for building relationships with people from all walks of life. Ivey, A.E. & Ivey, M.B. (2010)
Self reflection activity: To become a counsellor, we need to become aware of our strengths as helpers/
Write down the following:
When have you helped someone? Be specific
What did you do that helped that person?
What strengths do you have that will enable you to become good at counselling & interviewing skills?

6. Personal characteristics of effective Counsellors
Empathy
em·pa·thy [em-puh-thee] noun
the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another
People often confuse the words empathy & sympathy:
Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share
the feelings of another; caring without taking on the issue
personally
Sympathy refers to feelings of pity and
sorrow for someone else’s misfortune

7. Personal characteristics of effective Counsellors
Congruence
con·gru·ence [kong-groo-uh ns] noun
the quality or state of agreeing or
corresponding
Agreement or harmony, compatibility

8. Personal characteristics of effective Counsellors
Unconditional Positive Regard
Unconditional positive regard is an important part of the non-directive, client-centered therapy created by humanist psychologist Carl Rogers. It involves showing complete support and acceptance of a person no matter what they say or do.
This is an attitude of grace, an attitude that values us even knowing our ailings. It is a profound relief to drop our pretenses, confess our worst feelings, and discover we are still accepted. As with a good marriage, a close family or an intimate friendship, we are free to be spontaneous without fearing the loss of another's esteem
Youtube video: CARL ROGERS AND GLORIA COUNSELLING PT 2
As you watch, observe Roger’s skills using the Person Centred Therapy Observation Handout

9. Personal characteristics of effective Counsellors
Concreteness
con·crete [kon-kreet, kong] adjective, noun, verb
Pertaining to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions; particular (opposed to general): concrete ideas.
Concreteness is an aspect of communication that means being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague or general.
Concrete communication uses specific facts and figures.
Concreteness contributes to effective communication.

10. Personal characteristics of effective Counsellors
Some other personal traits of the counsellor have been found to be very important. The Association of Counsellor Education and Supervision (USA) indicated that the Counsellor should have six basic qualities:
belief in each individual
commitment to individual human values
alertness to the world
open mindedness
understanding of self
professional commitment George, R. L. & Cristiani, T. S. (1995)
Youtube video: Qualities needed to be a Psychotherapist or Counsellor!

11. Personal values in Counselling
Among the most significant values a counsellor can possess to drive them to be a skilled helper are:
Respect
The all encompassing driver of
the counselling relationship
Morals
A conviction to act ethically
to follow the golden rule to do no harm
Egan, G. (2010)

12. Overall skills required in Counselling
Empathy
Rapport
Active listening
Respectful responding
Well timed challenging
Attention to the counselling relationship
Contracting appropriate to context
Be non-judgemental
Manage own values so they do not impede effective work
Self care to manage the stress of the work
Professional development

13. Overall skills required in Counselling
Ability to work within the counselling framework eg. Implement the model of counselling and intervention
Ability to apply policies, principles & procedures to secure and maintain confidentiality including note-taking, record and log keeping and identity protection
Youtube videos & Role Play Handout:
Counselling Skills Lecture 3 Rapport
2. CARL ROGERS AND GLORIA COUNSELLING - PT 3

14. Counsellors’ personal challenges
The nature of counselling is often challenging especially when therapists are just beginning.
Dealing with counsellors own anxieties
Corey, G. (2009)
Anxiety shows insight into our own abilities and limitations as counsellor
Willingness to deal with anxieties (and not to deny them) is important
Open discussion of self doubts with supervisor/peers can create meaningful exchanges

15. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Being ourselves and disclosing our experience
Aim to create genuineness by being oneself
Avoid going to the two possible extremes:
Hiding behind a façade where you are anonymous to the client
Revealing too much either about your impression of the client too soon, or about your own life
* Especially important for new counsellors
Too fixed a counsellor role reduces rapport creation
Become aware of our motivations/needs in disclosing, don’t burden clients inappropriately
Assess client readiness to hear disclosures
Observe client’s reaction to what you say carefully
* Decide WHAT to reveal, WHEN and HOW

16. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Productive self disclosure involves immediacy
‘The skill of immediacy involves revealing what we are thinking or feeling in the here and now with the client, but be careful to avoid pronouncing judgments on the client’
Corey, G. (2009)
Sharing of counsellor’s own persistent reactions improves relationship with client, assists client self awareness

17. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Avoiding perfectionism
You will make some mistakes!
Discuss:
Our individual reactions to making mistakes
Difference between intellectual knowledge of not being perfectionistic and emotional acceptance/lack of acceptance of this
Encourage students to reveal self doubts and what they perceive as errors to allow growth to happen

18. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Being honest about our limitations
Discuss delicate balance between: learning realisitic limitations & challenging one’s perceived ‘limits’

19. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Understanding silence
Silent moments during a therapeutic session may seem like silent hours to a beginning therapist
Silence can have many meanings
Elicit possible reasons for Silence: eg:
Client waiting for therapist to lead or vice versa
Distracted or preoccupied
Communicating without words
Client evaluating what he feels/thinks
May indicate hesitation to enter deeper level of communication
Refreshing versus overwhelming silence

20. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Dealing with demands from clients
One way of heading off these demands is to make your expectations and boundaries clear during the initial counselling sessions or in the disclosure statement
Corey, G. 2009
Don’t burden yourself with idea of giving unselfishly to unrealistic client demands
How demands may manifest:
Requests for - more frequent/longer sessions
- demonstration of caring
-to see you socially
-tell them what to do or solve their problem

21. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Dealing with clients who lack commitment
Counsellors who omit preparation and do not address clients’ thoughts and feelings about coming to counseling are likely to encounter resistance
Corey, G. 2009
Especially relevant to involuntary clients
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver

22. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Tolerating ambiguity
Anxiety for counsellor of not seeing results (quickly enough), not knowing if client improving, etc
Be aware: clients may ‘get worse; before improving

23. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Avoiding losing ourselves in our clients
If beginning counsellor unaware of own personal dynamics –may be overwhelmed
Be fully present in each session but “let go”
Countertransference

24. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Developing a sense of humour
Remember: laughter doesn’t mean work isn’t being done
Learn to distinguish between humor that distracts and humor which enhances

25. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Sharing responsibility with the client
Find an optimum balance between:
a) Mistakenly taking full responsibility for the outcomes of therapy and
b) Not taking enough responsibility for accurately assessing clients’ needs and designing appropriate treatments
Beware of clients:
seeking ‘magic answers’
-wanting you to direct their lives -

26. Counsellors’ personal challenges
“Perhaps the best measure of our effectiveness as counsellors is the degree to which clients are able to say to us, “I appreciate what you have been to me, and because of your faith in me, and what you have taught me, I am confident I can go it alone.” Corey, G 2009, p 32

27. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Declining to give advice
‘Our task is to help clients make independent choices and accept the consequences of their choices.’
Corey, G 2009, p32
Don’t:
- confuse counselling with dispensing information
-foster client’s dependence on us -

28. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Defining your role as a counsellor
Your role may alter depending on:
The population you work with
Actual therapeutic services you or your workplace provides
The particular stage of counselling
Role involves helping clients:
Recognize own strengths
Find what prevents them from using own resources
Clarify kind of life they want to live
Look honestly at their behaviour

29. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Learning to use techniques appropriately
How to use techniques well:
Know the theoretical rationale for each technique
Be sure technique you use matches therapy goals
-techniques should evolve from the therapeutic relationship
Avoid:
-hit or miss use of techniques to try to overcome impasses in therapy process

30. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Developing your own counselling style
‘Be aware of the tendency to copy the style of a supervisor, therapist or some other model. There is no one way to conduct therapy, & wide variations in approach can be effective.’
Corey, G 2009, p 33
Why?
Imitation limits your potential effectiveness in reaching others

31. Counsellors’ personal challenges
Staying vital as a person and as a professional
‘Ultimately, your single most important instrument is the person you are, and your most powerful technique is your ability to model aliveness and realness.’
Corey, G. 2009, p33.
Discuss: How to avoid burnout:
-Self-care is not a luxury but an ethical mandate
Develop self-monitoring: become attuned to subtle initial signs of burnout / in tune with oneself
Deal with factors that drain us
-Make periodic adjustments in own life
- ‘Wellness perspective’ - Consider your physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual needs

32. References
Abuse findings questioned , online video, accessed 5 June, 2012.
American Counseling Association (1997)
Australian Government, Australian Institute of Family Studies (2010) Mandatory Reporting Site last updated: 3rd Jan 2012
Carl Rogers & Gloria Counselling part 2, online video. Accessed 3 June, 2012.
Carl Rogers & Gloria counselling, Part 3, online video, accessed 4 June, 2012.
Carl Rogers on Conditioning.wmv, online video, accessed 6 June, 2012.
Corey, G. (2009) Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy 8th ed. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, California
Corey, G., Corey, M.S. & Callanan, P. (2011) Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, 8th ed. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, California
Counselling Modalities - Martin Hunter-Jones & Lyndall Briggs Pt 3/5 'Conversations With Robyn’, online video, accessed 5 June,
Still to update

33. References
Counselling Skills: a Five Minute Training Course from Richard Barton, online video, accessed 4 June,
Counselling Skills Lecture 3 Rapport, online video, accessed 6 June, 2012.
Egan, G. ( 2010) The Skilled Helper 9th ed. Brooks/Cole, California
George, R. L. & Cristiani, T. S. (1995) Counselling Theory and Practice Allyn and Bacon, Boston
How To Understand Psychodynamic Theory, online video, accessed 4 June,
Ivey, A.E., Ivey, M.B. & Zalaquett,C.P. (2010) Intentional Interviewing and Counselling, Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society 7th ed. Brooks Cole, California
Pelling N., Bowers R. & Armstrong, P (2007)The Practice of Counselling. Thomson
Qualities needed to be a Psychotherapist or Counsellor! , online video, accessed 8 June,

34. References
Sheehy, A. ( ) What Is Counselling Site last updated: 1st Jan 2012
Summary of Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory , online video, accessed 3 June, 2012
The Counselling Process, online video, accessed 5 june,
The Little Albert Experiment, online video, accessed 5 June, 2012.
What is Counselling? Brisbane Counsellor at Integrating Awareness Counselling in Brisbane explains, online video, accessed June 4,
What is Modernism/Postmodernism? , online video, accessed 3 June,