Expectation from Counsellors

Expectation from Counselors Expectations.Counseling process is a complex activityFactors contributing to this complexity are client expectations Findings are contradictory as to whether client expectations facilitate or hinder the communication process and the effectiveness of therapyClient expectations about counseling can influence counseling process and outcome Expectations.Research has shown that students and clients have definite expectations about what counseling will be like and the roles they and their counselors will assumeThese expectations can affect not only the process and outcome of counseling, but also whether a person chooses to enter counseling The client's presenting problem is also a potential variable to consider in clients' expectations about counseling Expectations.Clients' willingness to stay in therapy may be highly related to expectanciesResearch suggests that clients' decisions to discontinue therapy after the initial interview may largely be due to a discrepancy between the client's expectancies for therapy and what actually happens in therapy (Borghi, 1968; Heilbrun, 1970; Overall & Aronson, 1963)A final factor that may influence the choice of a therapist is clients expectancies about the specific alternative therapists Expectations.Feeling that they have few or no alternative choices among therapists can significantly affect clients' expectations about counselingConsequently, the relationship between client expectancies and their search for a therapist has been the subject of much research (e.g., Parham & Tinsley, 1980; Yanico & Hardin, 1985; Ziemlis, 1974)It is widely believed, therefore, that clients' expectations exert an important influence on their decisions to enter into and remain in therapy, and that their expectations moderate the effectiveness of therapy (Tinsley, Bowman, & Ray, 1988). Expectations.This has led to numerous attempts to manipulate or change clients' expectations in order to study the impact on the therapeutic relationship, process, or outcome. The ultimate goal of this line of research is to enable therapists to influence client's expectations about therapy in order to produce more beneficial results

Role of Counselors Counseling as a helping profession is the concept that underlies the role and function of the counselor in todays societyMembers are specifically trained and licensed or certified to perform a unique and needed service for fellow human beingsHelping professionals serve, they are recognized by the society as the sole professional providers of the unique and needed services they offerCharacteristics of the ClienteleHumans are among the weakest species at birthHumankind has the greatest potential for growth and development of all the speciesHumans have the highest level of communicational skills, skills that enable us to express our thoughts in detail to many others; to teach our language to others (even other animal species at certain levels); and to record, send, and receive informationThe human species exhibits a wider range of differences than any other speciesCharacteristics of the ClienteleHuman beings manipulate and are manipulated by their environmentHumans are the only living organisms that understand past and future timeHumans have the ability to reason and to gain insight

The Professional CounselorProfessional counselors must become fully trained and qualified to meet the needs of the client population they elect or are designated to serve. Training requires an appropriate graduate level program that leads to an understanding and awareness of the systematic theories guiding professional practiceProfessional counselors actively seek and obtain the certification or licensure appropriate to their training, background, and practice setting The Professional CounselorProfessional counselors need to be professionally and personally committed to constantly updating and upgrading their skills and knowledge to reflect the latest and ongoing progress in their professional fieldProfessional counselors are aware of and contribute to the advancement of the profession by conducting and participating in research studies designed to increase knowledge for the professionThey ensure the dissemination of such studies to the profession through professional writings and program presentations at professional meetingsThe Professional CounselorProfessional counselors are active participating members of appropriate professional organizations at all levels (national, regional, state, local)Professional counselors are aware of and adhere to all legal and ethical guidelines pertaining to the profession and the practice of counselingFunctions of CounselorsIndividual assessmentIndividual counselingGroup guidance and counselingCareer assistancePlacement and follow-upReferral Functions of CounselorsConsultationResearchEvaluation and accountabilityPrevention Individual AssessmentIndividual assessment seeks, systematically, to identify the characteristics and potential of every clientThis activity is often considered a primarily skill of the professional counselor because it provides, a database for more readily understanding the person in the counseling setting, the effective planning of group counseling activities that reflect client interests and needs, the development of responsive career and human potential development programs, and the organization of systematic placement and follow-up programsIndividual counselingIndividual counseling, since the early days of the counseling movement, has been identified as the core activity through which all the other activities become meaningfulCounseling is a one-to-one helping relationship that focuses on a persons growth and adjustment and problem-solving and decision-making needsGroup Guidance and CounselingGroup guidance refers to group activities that focus on providing information or experiences through a planned and organized group activityGroup counseling is the routine adjustment or developmental experiences provided in a group settingGroup counseling focuses on assisting counselees to cope with their day-to-day adjustment and development concernsCareer AssistanceSince its earlier inception, both the school guidance movement and the counseling psychology movement have had a strong vocational influenceThis activity has been viewed as one in which standardized tests were used for career assessment and planning Placement and Follow-upPlacement and follow-up have more traditionally been a service of school counseling programs with an emphasis on educational placement in courses and programsFollow-up activities allow counselors to assess the effectiveness of a programs placement activities

Referral Referral is the practice of helping clients find needed expert assistance that the referring counselor cannot provideIt directs the client to another counselor with a higher level of training or special expertise related to the clients needsConsultation Consultation is a process for helping a client through a third party or helping a system to improve its services to its clienteleTriadic consultation, is popular in working with parents of troubled children or teachers with problem pupilsProcess consultation, focuses primarily on the processes that an agency or institution may be using to carry out its missionResearch Research is necessary to the advancement of the profession of counselingIt can provide empirically based data relevant to the ultimate goal of implementing effective counselingIt is a means for producing additional knowledge in the field, providing factual data to reinforce or guide the counselors professional judgments and seeking answers to questions and issues of professional concernEvaluation and AccountabilityThey are interrelated Evaluation is a means or process for assessing the effectiveness of the counselors activities It is fundamental to the verification and improvement of professional and program performanceAccountability is an outgrowth of demands that schools and other agencies be held accountable for their actionsIt establishes a basis for relevance, effectiveness and efficiencyPrevention Primary preventionSecondary preventionTertiary prevention Yardsticks of a Good CounselorA good listener and good communicator Respectful to other persons feelings and point of view Kind, caring and understanding Non-judgmental Trustworthy and respectful of peoples confidentiality Relaxed and calm Warm and approachable Ability to motivate and inspire clients

Specific FunctionsOrientation of Students Student appraisal Educational and Occupational information service Holding counselling interviews Placement Research and Evaluation

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