“Counselling is not a magical or mysterious service but a very real and people-oriented service.”
We’ve all heard stories about counselling. We have probably heard our families or friends say that counselling is only for crazy people or that we should avoid going to counsellors unless it’s a crisis. Obviously, it raises many doubts in our minds about what to expect from a counsellor. Though we may need someone to talk to, we are not sure about who to meet or what a counsellor does. These doubts are valid and can only be cleared if we take some time to become aware of what counselling is and what it is not. This helps not only to clarify the myths that are attached to counselling. Morever, everyone has a right to know what happens in the counselling process.
Counselling is not a magical or mysterious service but a very real and people-oriented service. Listed below are the steps that actually occur when we meet a counsellor to help you understand what counselling is all about.
- We make the choice to go to a counselor.
- We go to a counselor after finding him/her online or through word of mouth.
- The counselor and the client meet.
- This is the stage in which a counseling relationship is built: the client and counselor meet for a session and get to know each other more. The client decides whether their counselor is the right fit for them or not. The counselor uses this opportunity to understand the client better.
- At this stage, the counselor will take important details of the client (like the client’s personal, family, and job history) and explain the counseling process and its guidelines. The counselor will also establish the confidentiality of the sessions.
- After the initial stage is complete, the actual counseling session begins. A good counselor is someone who listens, does not judge and helps the client feel understood.
- During the counseling process, the client talks about his/her problem and the counselor asks questions and listens as the client narrates his/her story.
- A counseling session lasts anywhere between forty-five minutes to an hour. The counselor decides (sometimes with the client) how many sessions are necessary to help the client with the problem at hand.
- The counselor and client together chart a plan of action so that they can work together to take productive action.
- Since counseling is a two-way process, the client also has to commit to the counseling process and what it requires him/her to do.
- The counselor spends time guiding the client to arrive at a solution for the problem without advising or suggesting possible solutions. Sometimes, the goal of counseling might also be to increase self-awareness, insight, or personal growth.
- Once the plan of action has been implemented or change has occurred which the client is comfortable with, the counseling process is terminated.
- Counselors can call for follow-up sessions to check if the client is doing well and is progressing as per plan. If not, these follow-up sessions are used to work with the client some more if he/she is still having trouble functioning.
To understand more about counseling and become more aware of this service which is beneficial in many different ways, you can avail of this opportunity to seek information and help from trained counselors at Talkitover, an organization of trained counselors, which provides individual, couple, and family counseling.
