Counseling

• Misconceptions about counseling:

  1. A person seeing a counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist or any mental health practitioner has a mental illness
  2. Counseling means giving advice
  3. Counseling is a part of the discipline board
  4. Counselor is a problem solver
• R.A 9258

  • Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004
  • Involves an integrated approach to developing a well-functioning individual by helping them reach their fullest potential and plan to utilize it
• Counseling as an art:

  • Subjective dimension of counseling
  • Upholds a flexible and creative process in relating to the client
• Counseling as a science:

  • Practices objectivity
  • Follows a proper methodological process
• Goals of counseling:

  • Plan and attain life success constructively
  • Learn, anticipate, and react positively to issues brought about by developmental changes
  • Express uniqueness in diverse circumstances through socially accepted integration of thoughts, feelings, and actions
  • Respond with resilience to stress and buffer from its negative effects
  • Develop effective skills in relating with others to enhance abilities in establishing harmonious relationships
  • Increase self-awareness by identifying strengths and weaknesses
  • Become mindful of life realities and apply effective coping principles
  • Seek more options or choices to be well-informed before making decisions
  • Achieve autonomy from counseling as they've learned life skills
• Needs for counseling:

  • Academic difficulties
  • Personal, social, emotional difficulties
  • Psychological challenges
  • Family and career-related concerns
• Effective counseling:

  • Effective counselors don't give advice
  • They exhibit respect, motivation, and encouragement to help clients gain confidence to act on their situations
  • Remind clients of their indispensable individuality and that their rights should be respected
• Core Values of Counseling:

  • Each person is naturally pure and good
  • The primary goal is to support clients in attaining autonomy
  • Values of love and compassion are essential
  • Intrinsic rewards of the job are more interesting than extrinsic ones
  • Deal with life through an attitude of gratitude and forgiveness
• Professionals and Practitioners in counseling:

  • Professional Counselors maintain objectivity and avoid personal involvement with clients
  • Guided by a "Code of Ethics"
  • Use strategies and techniques to promote client's personal growth and development
• Characteristics of professional counselors:

  • Acquire knowledge and skills through formal training
  • Guided by standards of professional practice and law
  • Formally identified as members of the helping professionals
• Role and Functions of professional counselors:

  • Providers of individual and group counseling services
  • Developmental classroom guidance specialists
  • Leaders and advocates of academic success
  • Career development specialists
  • Agents of diversity and multiculturalism
  • Advocates of students with special needs and students-at-risk
  • Advocates of a safe school environment
  • School and community collaboration specialists
• Allied mental health professionals:

  • Psychologist provides counseling and psychotherapy
  • Psychiatrist specializes in treating mental health disorders with pharmacological interventions
  • Neurologist deals with disorders of the nervous system
  • Social Worker aims to enhance overall wellbeing and meet basic and complex needs of communities and individuals
• Characteristics of professional counselors:

  • Empathy, acceptance, genuineness, self-awareness, and cultural competence are essential traits
• Upholds a flexible and creative process in relating to the client

  Counseling as an art
• Follows a proper methodological process

  Counseling as a science