Competence in Counseling Essay

Counseling is the professional guidance in resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems. It is advice, opinion, or instruction given in direction the judgment or conduct of another. Knowing how to posses personal qualities such as maturity, empathy, warmth, understanding, and knowledge. From a legal stand point ethics, morality, and law must be strongly conformed. It is accurate decision-making, knowing appropriate words to use, and knowledge of the governing standards that is required. Also knowing accurate information about culture and ethnicity of the present society. Aspects of Counseling Counseling has been misrepresented over the past years for different types of endorsements of products. In todays time the profession as far as counseling goes is now corresponded within its practice. The focus is on growth and wellness as well as clarification of mental disorders. In order to relate to the counseling field an understanding of guidance and psychotherapy must be understood along with having history of the profession. Guidance is leadership, instruction, or direction by helping others make important choices that affect their future in maintaining a productive and healthy lifestyle. An individual being taught guidance must learn to choose what values them the most in order to produce change within their life. This will give that particular individual a sense of direction by following instructions to becoming a leader. The goal in guidance is to promote resourceful and happy lives of individuals by helping them adjust to social actualities. Psychotherapy is a process focused on helping heal and learn more beneficial ays to deal with problems or issues within an individuals life. It is also a supportive process when going through a difficult time period or either under increased stress. It traditionally focused on serious problems associated with internal issues, personal issues, and conflicts. Normally psychotherapy is recommended when a person is struggling with a life, relationship, work issue, or a specific health concern causing the individual a great deal of pain or upset for longer than a few days. Counselors hold an important position that affect many lives throughout the course of a career. A counselor serves as an advice-giving role in a wide number of areas. There are many types of counselors, including school guidance counselors, psychological counselors, counselors for victims, youth camp counselors and more. Aspects of Counseling The vast majority of counselors are extremely caring people who are dedicated to their work and enjoy helping to make others’ lives better. There is a wide range of ideal personality traits that are associated with being a top counselor. One of the most important personality traits, if not the most important, is a keen ability to listen. In order to help people and find solutions to problems, the counselor must be a keen listener in order to best help the person seeking counsel. Counselors should also have an understanding of human psychology and possess a strong sense of sensitivity. Another ideal character trait for a counselor is having a strong sense of direction in order to find the best path to success for the people whom they counsel. Having a strong sense of direction usually solves problems more quickly and efficiently. Ideal counselor personality traits are a commitment to the profession, humanity and the client. The ideal counselor serves the assistance of the clients. The counselor will develop meaningful and trusting relationships with their clients and insure that this trust is not shaken or broken. An ideal counselor’s personality has a consumer first attitude and should represent a supporter and guidance role with nurturing characteristics to assist in the creation of a reliable bond between the client and the counselor. Other quality traits include their knowledge of the profession and its standards of practice, along with some background in psychology. A good organizational personality trait of a counselor is their willingness to promote efficient case management techniques. Aspects of Counseling As an effective counselor one of the main qualities needed is patience. Go to the next step of explanation only when the patient has clearly understood the content of the information you have provided. Therefore the counselor needs to have enough sufficient time for the patient, and should also be a good listener. Let the patient express everything he/she has to say, and give your inputs once when the patient has finished talking. A counselor should be very observant and able to interpret non-verbal communication for example if the patient looks angry, and then find out the cause of his/her anger first. An effective counselor should provide non-possessive warmth in a counseling environment. Smile and show concern and acceptance by showing comfort, empathy, and understanding to the patient. Counselors should have good knowledge on the topic /problem like compliance to medication. Some people do not take medication for the same reasons, while others demand medication. Understanding the factors why people may not do certain activities at specific time will help you to assist them better. Try to understand the feelings the patient is having in the counseling process. In other words put yourself in his/her position. Give the patient the opportunity to make his/her own decision from your message. Lastly be sure to make it aware to the patient that you as their counselor maintain confidentiality on what the patient tells you. This means that counseling must be done individually and privately. Letting the patient know that you maintain a high degree of personal reliability, trustworthiness and mutual trust as an effective counselor. Aspects of Counseling As there are three different levels of counseling relationships to be aware of nonprofessional, paraprofessional, and professional. Nonprofessionals would be considered as family, friends, colleagues, untrained volunteers, or supervisors who try in assisting those who are in need. Secondly, paraprofessionals are individuals who have received some sort of training in human relations. Lastly professionals are those who are educated with the nowledge to provide assistance on a protective and corrective level. While being the ideal, effective, and professional counselor you must also keep in mind that you must follow the ethical and legal aspects of counseling also. Ethics is defined as a philosophical discipline that is concerned with human conduct and moral decision-making. You should also familiarize yourself with morality, which involves judgment or evaluation of action, and another major definition to know is law, which is the precise organization of governing standards that are established to ensure legal and moral justice. The law does not dictate what is considered to be ethical but what is considered to be legal. Ethical codes are there to protect the profession from government. They allow the professions to control itself and functions independently instead of being controlled by legislation. In making ethical decisions counselors familiarize themselves with casebooks, professional colleagues, and principles. It is very crucial that counselors become well knowledgeable with ethics for the sake of their own well-being and of their patients as well. Multicultural psychology focuses on the cultural differences in thought processes and acceptable vs. nacceptable behaviors. It relates to normal lives – such as home, education, work and relationships – but also to what is considered ‘abnormal’ or ‘normal’. Aspects of Counseling Knowing your patient plays a huge factor in counseling sessions as well. To know the cultural background of your patient can help you better relate to them as an individual. Many cultural ethnic groups live in the United States. A culture is behaviors, thoughts, perceptions, values, goals, and cognitive processes. An issue in multicultural counseling is the dominance of theories based on cultural values. A second issue is sensitivity to cultures in general, believes that are essential to counselors is knowledge of culturally different patients. Knowing that everyone is their own unique person, and have their own views on different things in today’s society. The counselor must also have the skills to work with patients of different cultures. Counselors must work in order to know their patients and their problems. European Americans when taken into consideration is a larger diverse population they are very common to the people of the United States. When counseling African Americans a counselor must understand the history, and coping mechanisms. Hispanics/Latinos a very diverse group as well, and regardless to their background they are very bicultural. Asian and Pacific Islanders are considered as hard working, successful, and not prone to mental or emotional distress. When dealing with many diverse groups like this a common theme is that counselors who work with a variety of culturally different patients must be knowledgeable about them collectively.